Hall Royd Junction Box nameboard as preserved at the East Lancashire Raiway, Bury

Free 4mm (OO) downloadable backscenes - Chesham, Bucks

Backscenes - every layout needs one, and so will Hall Royd. But before stricking off 'up north' to shoot it, it occurred to me that a dry run using a local scene* easily accessible to me might be a better way to start.

So below are 17 thumbnails linked to A4-size PDFs which you can download for free, and then print out for use on your layout. Or you can download the 4.93 MB JPEG file.

Each set of six PDFs will form a 4 foot run, so the total length is just over 11 feet.

Tips Print the PDFs out on matt photo paper - this provides a superior output and is worth the small extra cost over A4 paper. Secondly common inkjet inks are susceptible to Ultra Violet light, so before mounting the sheets protect them. I use lacquer purchased from my local car spares shop, and then a matt varnish from the local art shop. When you print the sheets out, they will have a white border. Cut these off using a steel rule and sharp blade - cutting with scissors won't allow the sheets to be butted together accurately. Finally, mount on a suitable card or plywood. I use the Spraymount products for this, although be careful not to get any glue on the front of the sheet. Enjoy!

You are free to use these backscenes for personal use: all I ask is that should you make reference to these in forums, magazine articles, blogs or tell people about them, please provide a link to www.hall-royd-junction.co.uk. Thank you.

4mm scale Full-length Backscene featuring Chesham, Bucks townscape looking south including Bellingdon Road but with Cemetary Chapel removed

To download the PDF, click on the thumbnail. And don't forget to save the file on your harddrive once it has downloaded.

Sections A & B produce a backscene just under 4 feet; section C is approximately 3.25 feet.

* The scene is Chesham in Buckinghamshire looking southwards across the town from the town's cemetery, accessed from Alma Road (HP5 3HB), and taken in February 2013. The Metropolitan Line station of London Transport is in the left middle distance, behind taller buildings so not directly visible. And if you think you know Chesham, what prominent object has been Photoshopped out of the immediate foreground?

Further reading on making your own backscenes:

Model Rail, February 2013 issue 177, Pages 46-49

Model Railroader, July 2012 Volume 79, issue 7. Pages 37-41 and 41-44

The Model Rail article also contains a link to a free JPG file of a rural scene which is available for download.

A: The Cemetery Chapel of Rest