N Scale Train Diorama: Micro Model Railway Layout Chaleux by Luc De Martelaer

At the magnificent model railway exhibition, called “Grote Modelspoor Expo”, in Belgium, model railroader Luc De Martelaer had presented a beautiful micro model railway layout in N scale. Luc De Martelaer likes to build N scale model railroads for exhibitions. But his micro layouts must meet three criteria: they must be easy to transport, they must be easy to set up, and they must be easy to operate. Therefore, he had decided to build a micro model railroad with two concentric loops on an area of 75 x 115 cm. A relay board ensures easy operation so that model trains do not overtake or collide. The landscape depicts the Belgian Ardennes, where the Lesse River flows and the Athus‑Meuse‑Railway‑Line runs between dense forests. This location really exists in Belgium. There is a remote hamlet with a farm, two houses, and a chapel along the river. There are also high rocks and a railway bridge over the Lesse River. Luc De Martelaer calls his N scale micro layout “Chaleux”. The rocks are made of papier‑mâché. The trees are handmade using the tutorials of Jos Geurts. The water is made of two layers of epoxy resin. Furthermore, he installed LED panels above the diorama, which provide excellent illumination with 4000 K (“cold daylight”). Because there are only a few Belgian model locomotives and model trains in N scale, Luc De Martelaer created his own models using a 3D printer and installed them with motorized chassis from the manufacturer Tomytec and Kato.