Coupling types and attention to worthwhile detail

The proposed river valley/train in the landscape setting of TG with its lower height baseframe construction and 'banked' sides will mean that the average minimum viewing distance to the nearest train/stock will be around 6 feet. At this distance the advantages of bespoke P4 trackwork, avid attention to scenic detail and prototypical train operation are easy to observe, whereas wagon numbers, underframe detail etc are less important. A project such as this is already going to require heavy time commitments, therefore, using the available time to best advantage is vital. The Alex Jackson coupling system will be virtually invisible at these distances and there are advantages in terms of realistic shunting/run round manouvres. The need for the 'hand from the sky' will remain at times of derailment and all trackwork will need to be easily accessible. Current thinking is for 'barn door' style opening sides to the layout to give a real sense of depth to the valley and they can be opened fully when access is required.