Small World Layouts

I like to use green kitchen scouring pads, like most. 

1. Start by cutting a thin strip from one and then rip/ roughen one side by tearing away at it. Take care, too much of this can blister!
2. Paint heavily using a garden wood stain type paint, great shade of green! 
3. Sprinkle chosen shades of scatter material over wet paint.
4. Place on newspaper, on radiator to dry.
5. Fix to layout using wood glue (strong!)

If you want to use a bought fence like Ratio's flexible fencing then I suggest painting it whilst still in the plastic 'frame.' 

When you cut it from the frame cut some 'planks' off, and some off on one side and half through on the other so that it looks a little dilapidated. Fencing of this sort is very rarely unbroken in the 'wild!'

On Langwaithe I developed another style of fencing, which probably is not unique, but I think is effective.

1. Take a 1mm square stick of plastic stuff by Slaters.
2. Paint it a mix of wood brown and olive green.
3. While that dries, get a length of 7 strand wiring left over from the torment of wiring your layout (just me then?!). Attach it to a long piece of 2x1 left over from baseboard building (we all use it!) with 2 nails/screws whatever. Carefully, very carefully, run a scalpel blade down the length of wire slicing into the rubber coating. Peel 7 strands of wire from the rubber tubing.
4. Drill 1.5mm holes into the layout where you need the fence to run.
5. With a blob of the now famous wood glue on the end, stick the whole length of the Slaters 'stick' into the hole and cut off at an appropriate height (guess!) with an appropriate tool (wife's embroidery scissors!)
6. Next, the wire. Loop a single strand of the wire around the starting fence pole at the base. Then carry the 'looping' on from post to post trying to keep it tight. If you take time and are careful with this then you will need no glue, not even of the wood type!
7. At the last post (trumpet sounding) cut the wire off (with aforementioned scissors, now permanently acquired) and aim towards ground level/ hedge.
8. Repeat process for higher up the fence posts.
9. Tweezers help - as always!

The best hints and tips that I have for making cliffs and rock faces are found at this web site: 'Simply Trains - The Model Rail Site'

I followed their advice, not to the letter but mostly, for the rock faces on 'Langwaithe' and am delighted with the look - for a novice!

A bit of an old chestnut this one! However since Mr. Andrew Cockburn was so kind as to e-mail a whole host of hints and tips I thought I would include his recommendations...

He writes...

 "I start by painting track sleepers dark brown/grey/black, in order to get rid of the “shiny plastic effect“.

Fine grain, grey-coloured ballast is then meticulously brushed around the track work, taking care to avoid getting ballast in “sensitive” areas such as point tiebars etc.

Using a garden spray, the ballast is then dampened with water. I find it best to hold the spray bottle about a foot or so away from the layout, so that the ballast is not unduly disturbed.

A solution of water and white PVA glue (roughly 50/50) is then added, using an eyedropper/old artist’s brush. This is then left to dry thoroughly.

A second solution of water and white PVA glue (again roughly 50/50) is added, and again left to dry thoroughly.

The result is rock-hard ballast, which can then be painted and/or weathered as appropriate."

The Road Sweeper.

Another excellent contribution from my new pal - Andrew Cockburn. A unique vehicle for a more modern image, urban layout perhaps.

He writes...

I fancied a vehicle with a bit of a difference for one of my N Gauge layouts, and decided that one of those that can be seen crawling slowly along our streets cleaning up sweet papers and like, might be interesting. However, such vehicles are not available either in kit form or ready made, at least in N Gauge.

           I decided to “kitbash” my own, from a Dornaplas Ford Cargo truck kit.  The chassis and cab are constructed as per the kit instructions. I painted the chassis and steering wheel matt black, the cab gloss red. 

A driver, from the Modelscene range, appropriately painted, is also added, as is glazing, the latter from clear plastic sheet. Red and white stripes are also painted onto the rear mud flaps. 

The base for the rear body is made from a piece of balsa, cut to an appropriate shape. Plasitikard formers are then glued to the rear body, these help to form the overall (oval) shape of the body. The outer body shell is cut out of a piece of Plastikard, and folded to achieve a  “squashed circle” shape, as is typical on some of these vehicles. The outer body shell is then glued to the formers. When the glue has dried, the body is then filled with model filler where appropriate, then sanded to shape. 

One or two small details such as inspection covers, and an imitation flashing light are added. I then painted the body gloss red, the rear flashing light orange. Red and white stripes are painted on the rear of the body. The rear body is then glued onto the chassis. I then proceeded to add small details such as exhaust pipe, vacuum pipes, vertical and horizontal brushes, etc. These are formed from bits of scrap plastic, balsa wood, Plastikard, wire, etc., and are all painted appropriately.

The final result can be seen below.  

Dry Stone Walls

1. I used some slightly less than 1mm grey, layered packing card (Thanks Keith!). Measured it at one end to a scale 8' and the same at the other and then cut an undulating line between the two points. Then I painted it brown.

Cars - N scale cars from the Modelscene range, tend to be a bit “toy like” when first removed from the package. Their appearance can be improved by painting the wheel trims/front lights/bumpers silver, and the rear lights red.

(I have used these myself on 'Langwaithe' so fully endorse this advice!)

Drain Pipes - Electric wire can be useful for making drain, fuel and other similar pipes, when cut and bent to shape, then painted/weathered appropriately.