4mm Poppy Lane - Not so much a plank, more a lolly stick!

[Terry]

My problem is that I can't look at any small offcut of chipboard, plywood or mdf without wondering if I could fit a model railway thereon. And so it was that I was stood, staring at the small piece of mdf before me, measuring just four feet by five and a half inches. Yes, that's right - five and a half inches! I considered a small wayside halt but fancying something different, I opted for a 'watching the trains go by' type layout. I use the word 'layout' rather loosely as it amounted to a single line of track on my small piece of mdf. I decided that a roadside tramway would be nice, using both the Wantage Tramway and the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway as my inspiration. This would give me the opportunity to run my collection class 03, 04 and 08 shunters with small trains of wagons in tow. This is how I envisaged the scene:



I drew a plan, which showed the track crossing the road at the left-hand end. In the event this proved impossible to achieve due to the narrow board.



The cottage on the right would act as a 'view-blocker' for trains entering and leaving at that end of the layout. Advertisment hoardings would do the same at the left-hand end. There would be a short fiddle-stick at both ends of the layout.

A single line of C&L code 75 track was glued to the board and ballast was sprinkled thereon. Various heavy objects were placed on the track which was left overnight to dry:



Two wires were soldered to the rails for DC operation. No need for a wiring diagramme!

The rails and chairs were painted a suitable rust colour using enamel paint.

Terry

 

[Terry]

I decided to build the very nice Scalescenes Lock Keeper's Cottage, minus the office part, as the 'view-blocker' on the right of the layout:


The road was cut from some 1.5mm mount board in three pieces. These were glued in position and the joins were covered with air-drying clay, before the whole road was painted with shellac (french polish) to seal the card. When dry, the road was painted. The terrain either side of the road and track was built up slightly by applying thin strips of plaster imprenated bandage before being painted with a light brown acrylic paint.



It took me ten minutes to cover the terrain with static grass. Amazing how this stuff transforms the scene.



Terry

 

[Terry]

Ground foam was applied over the static grass to simulate weeds. The same was added to the base of the cottage to hide the join.









Terry

 

[76043]

That's a nicely made Scalescenes building. I like the idea.

Have you seen Tresparret Wharf in S scale? It fitted in a long Really Useful box, one of those for Christmas wrapping I think.

Tony

 

[Osgood]

That cottage is a perfect choice - its architecture simply howls Fenland at the observer.

It would have howled even louder had you installed it slightly less upright!

 

[Terry]

Tony 1 - very interesting layout . I haven't seen it as yet. Thanks for posting the photos.

Tony 2 - maybe I should have had a few drinks beforeinstalling the cottage!

Is everybody on this website called Tony!

Terry

 

[Jordan]

It would have howled even louder had you installed it slightly less upright!

Or the Black Country...
Crossing the road would have looked nice, though.

Tony 3.

(only kidding... Jordan )

 

[Terry]

At this stage I decided to construct the advertisment hoarding for the left end of the layout.

Take some styrene sheet and cut out a rectangle large enough to take the poster of your choice, or in my case, three small Sankey Scenics posters, plus a couple of millimetres extra all round. Stick some narrow strip on the front to form a frame, about 2mm from the edges.


Cut three legs and attach to the back.


Add three supporting pieces.


One advertisement hoarding.


Off to the paintshops...


Advertisements courtesy of Sankey Scenics...


And this is how it eventually looked in situ, nicely balancing the cottage at the other end of the layout.


Terry

 

[Terry]

Thanks Jordan.

Tony - err, sorry, Terry

 

[Allen M]

The BSA Bantam. My dad had one of the very first in 1948 so this gives us the earliest date of your layout.

Well done it looks good.

Regards Allen

 

[Terry]

Thanks Allen. Very kind. Lovely picture.

Terry

 

[Terry]

At this stage some Ratio telegraph poles and fence posts were given a lick of paint to get rid of the brown shiny plastic look. These would eventually run along the back of the layout.



Take some Sankey Scenics 1940s - 1960s roadsigns and some wire (in this case plastic-coated steel).


Take a sharp breath and a sharp scalpel blade, together with a steel rule, and cut out the required signs, in this case both left and right-hand bend signs...


Paint the rear of the signs black. Cut the wire to the required length and paint black and white. I actually used dark grey and white as I didn't have any black paint at the time. Glue the signs to the posts.


As you can see above, by this time I was also adding further scenic treatment in the form of bushes.

Terry

 

[GWRfan]

Terry Poppy Lane is taking shape nicely. The cottage is nicely modelled and I like how you have built the grass sides up using plaster cloth.

 

[Terry]

Hello Kevin. Thanks very much.
Terry

 

[Terry]

Must have some road transport on the layout.

Yes, it's a nice, shiny, black Ford Popular. Just what we need for the road on this shunting plank. However, this 'showroom' model needs to be brought into the real world...

Turn the model over and see this...


Remove the two end screws and the model breaks down into this...


Drop some superglue into those axles to fix them solid. When dry, rub the chassis from side to side on some sandpaper to create slight 'flats' on the bottom of the tyres. This is to represent the tyres yielding to the weight of the car. There are three protruding lugs on the underside of the chassis, all of which need to be removed, or they will show when looking at the vehicle side on.


For fixing to the road, a piece of brass rod was subsequently glued into the second hole from the right and into a pre-drilled hole in the road surface.
I brushed a thin wash of acrylic paint (mixture of brown and grey) over the body and wheels, followed by a spray of matt varnish. The vehicle was quickly put back together and here she is in all her dirty glory, waiting to take her place on the plank. And yes, before you ask, I have seen a vehicle in this filthy state...it's sitting outside on my drive right now!


The Ford Popular in position on the road.


Terry

 

[Terry]

A backscene was added as well as a strip of varnished plywood to the front of the layout.



Two figures from the 'Monty's Models' range from Dart Castings were painted and fixed in position to create a little scene around the car.



And nearby, the policeman's bicycle rests lazily against a road sign.

Courtesy of 'Shire Scenes' etched brass bicycles, again from Dart Castings.

Terry

 

[Overseer]

Appropriate for a Ford Pop to be on Poppy Road. Did you consider changing the wheels to something closer to the skinny cross ply tyres the real ones had? Fat balloon tyres are one of the not so good bits of the Oxford models, another is the ride height. The top of the tyres should be nearly into the guards, or even further with a load or sagged springs.

 

[Osgood]

And that bloke doesn't look the type to have fitted fatboy tyres and a lift kit.......

 

[DougT]

And that bloke doesn't look the type to have fitted fatboy tyres and a lift kit.......

...Don't judge a book by its cover. It's the OG Pimp My Ride...

All it needs is a couple of furry dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

 

[Jordan]

The wipers are a slight let down on the Ford Pop, but that is being picky, sorry but I love the cameo that PC Plod was able to pull him over riding a bicycle - very 1950s!!
And the backscene - wow, does that make a difference to the scene!!