I would advise sealing both sides of baseboards. I used coloured undercoat, as others, for the top and sides and white undercoat underneath making it easier to see when wiring and fitting "devices".
I find these useful. They are magnetic and have nut drivers suitable for the nuts on loco con rods. https://www.dccconcepts.com/product/screw-nut-driver-set/
TMC are your go to people. They renamed a Britannia to my Dad’s name, renumbered it to his birth date and changed the shed code to 32a. There is a menu on the TMC website where you van choose all manner of customisation.
For repainting hornby teak effect, this may be of use….. https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=51755 and this…… https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/teak I have tried the first method. A steady hand is required. Not Gresley but Thompson coaches.
https://www.modelrailforum.com/threads/controlling-dapol-signals.43930/ @wapples This may help. I believe bulleidboy may have had some involvement so appologies if I’m treading on toes. Richard Johnson of DCC concepts is the author and I recently spoke with him on his forum on the same subject. I have tried this and it works. I have used a 9v battery on a test rig to power the signal.