Picture 3: Many of the same points can be seen here too. In addition, the guy in the duffle coat is looking at the timetable to see what time the next train is due, and the business gent has his briefcase and rolled up newspaper. Notice too, how the addition of gutters and drainpipes enhance the look of the small station shelter, as do the flower tubs. The shelter is from the Modeltown range, and note the effectiveness of ‘picking out’ a few stones in different shades of grey. Communication is not forgotten either, with the pillarbox and telephone kiosk. Walls are a feature not often seen – the ones shown are very cheap to make, being scribed concrete.

Picture 4: This area is still being developed, but shows the zoo in the making. I had a zoo in my previous garden railway – which can still be seen at www.freewebs.com/fromesidegardenrailway -and it was a source of much interest to especially small children. The ‘cages’ are made from small animal netting. The animals are of German origin and available from some model shops and children’s shops such as Toys R Us.

The café, pay booth and gates are hand-made from Plastikard etc. The bridge pillars are brick columns, rendered and scribed – cheap but effective. The embankments are covered with ‘Rowlands mix’ – a cement mix containing peat, which rapidly gets covered in algae etc. A year on from when this picture was taken, the embankments are already quite green. Vehicles always help bring a scene to life. I have long collected 1:18th scale ‘classic cars’ and also have a selection of motorcycles – whilst not cheap, good deals are always around – especially on eBay. Whilst fractionally oversize, they do not look ‘out of scale’ alongside 16mm figures and rolling stock.

The area under the bridge is the zoo car park, and parking bays will be painted on in due course. The house in the foreground is from the Modeltown range, the greenhouse from Lineside Delights.

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Picture 5: Adding roads and level crossing gates increases interest ‘beyond the railway fence’. My roads are all coloured concrete, using cement dye – so that any ‘chips’ will not show through a different colour. A farm scene is always a good focal point – hence the cottage, pigsty (scratchbuilt), milk tanker and animals.

Careful selection of suitable plants can also enhance. The specimen ‘tree’ beyond the cottage is a Lonicera cutting, constantly trimmed to keep it in check, as are also the several Box cuttings behind the horses. Several clumps of small low-growing perennials – such as ‘mind your own business’ – may be seen in the distance.

Picture 6: Adding livestock to appropriate areas adds extra interest – here on a hillside adjacent to one of many tunnels, ‘nibbling away’ at a very useful low growing perennial – Arenaria balearica which also has very attractive tiny white flowers.

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Picture 7: Another view of the zoo area; notice how simple fencing ‘finishes off’ the lineside, as do pavements – these are made from thick Plastikard sheet, scribed and painted with grey primer. Walls, fences and gates are all easily made from Plastikard and greatly add to the effect. The main ‘grassed area’ is ‘Astroturf’.

Picture 8: Newly outshopped Minerva (an ex-Accucraft ‘Caradoc’) on the passing loop at Fromeside with a mixed goods.

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