Clay Hill Tramways is a small G scale layout in one corner of the garden, in and around the greenhouse at ground level. It has been designed not to interfere with the operation of the existing 0 gauge Backford & Stanton Light Railway.

The layout which represents part of a British 3ft 6ins gauge tram network with a mixture of urban electric street running and roadside rural running with steam or diesel motive power, the latter inspired by the Wantage Tramway and the Glyn Valley Tramway. The motive power is a mixture of steam, diesel and electric prototypes. The section modelled in the out-of-town terminus which is served by both parts of the system, so you can see electric trams alongside steam and diesel locos. As well as passenger traffic the rural section has some freight with stone traffic from the local quarry and timber from the forest as well as general agricultural traffic.

The first loco was a German-style 0-4-0T by Playmobil picked up for £25 at an exhibition - minus cab roof and one buffer! But it runs very well. A few hours' work with some sheets of plastic and a bit of old drain pipe (for the top of the boiler) hid its Germanic origins and turned it into a British-style loco very loosely based on those on the Glyn Valley Tramway. Subsequently a typical 4-wheel British industrial diesel and a Wantage Tramway style steam tram have been added to the loco fleet. These both run on Hartland Locomotive Works (US) chassis cannibalised from their little Mack locos and have bodies from laser cut MDF produced from my own drawings. Electric traction is represented by two Bachmann 4-wheel trams. Although of American origin, several British tramways had very similar vehicles. The only other ready-to-run loco on the layout is one of the new British-style 0-6-0 diesel shunters.

Hartland Locomotive Works also produce a range of simple 4-wheel wagon kits which have provided not only goods stock, but chassis for the 4-wheel coaches and vans, which have laser-cut MDF bodies. Basic bogie wagons provided the chassis for the bogie coaches. There are also some LGB wagons.

Track is LGB laid on either waterproof ply covered with roofing felt or on paving slabs. The track is fixed with small brass screws. Ballast is small decorative stone sold in garden centres laid loose. It is slightly overscale but withstands the weather well. Control is by a Train Engineer remote control unit, and switches for the electric LGB points and the isolating sections are housed in one of the buildings.

Scenery is fairly basic given the limited space available. The station building is plastic and was bought ready made and repainted. The goods office is also a ready made plastic building obtained second hand. The other small structures, such as the water tower and signal box are home-made form laser-cut acrylic. Platforms and goods loading dock are wood covered with plastic sheet and painted. People are from Bachmann, Preiser and Playmobil. The latter being repainted as required.