When this Z scale layout is running, a dark diesel locomotive with a lit headlight hauls railcars around a ballasted curved track. The train travels an elevated rear perimeter loop, passing a rock bluff, glowing village houses and a church with a steeple. Seeing all that illumination working at Z scale during a test run is a genuinely impressive sight.
The buildings come from Archistories kits, and most of them have been secured in place with lighting already fitted. The lighting started out with some nano lights, and the LEDs and street lights are connected straight to the track power through suitable resistors. Wiring the illumination into the same power feed as the trains keeps the under-layout wiring simple, at least in my view, though it does mean the lights and the loco share one supply.
Several details stand out to me. Lampposts line the scene, and the interiors of the shanties, depots and a maintenance shed with lit bay doors carry a warm glow. The trackwork includes multiple tracks and turnouts, with grassy ballast textures and an unpaved road crossing adding variety to the surface.
One thing is still open: a house has yet to be added to the back hill. The maker also plans to move to fully custom LEDs down the road, which would remove the control boxes from the Just Plug system, and is clearly keen to get the project finished.