KNP

It's scratch built based on the shed at Shipton-on-Stour. Basically the roof is thin card, 3 layers if I recall, built over a former and when the layers are glued together they form a rigid shell. I laid and glued over the top in one formed length the plastic pre-formed corrugated sheeting cut into scale widths. A fiddle but worth the effort as it ended up quite a striking model, the walls are of the same card construction and the brick plinth is brick paper on card. The windows are from LCut Creative (a useful range of windows, doors, etc that I would recommend a look at) and the reason one is to a different design is that I ran out and used whatever I had kicking around - the excuse is that a replacement window was fitted on site and they also used what they had!?!. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.......

Thanks Pendon was my aim so pleased that people are referring to my layout reminding them of it. I have written an article on my tree making for another website in their 'how to' section so I will dig it out and see if it can be added. It was written as a Word document so I'm not sure, yet, how to add it to this website. I'll work in it. Basically I have two types, the background ones which are enhanced Seamoss and then my prime trees for the foreground made from sagebrush armatures (actual plant from the States) and Seamoss sprigs - got the idea from the excellent Country Gate layout I saw once at an exhibition.

Thanks and here is a picture that will hopefully convince you it's a model.............????? Again another one of those shots I took for modelling purposes to see if it looked like what I wanted it to look like.

Glad you like my effort and thanks for the comments. Pendon obviously provided the nucleus for what I was aiming for and I am very pleased with what I have ended up with. Quite often you have a vision in your minds eye of what you hope it will look like and this can, and is, difficult to actually achieve. My motto - Model what you see not what you think you should see! The dairy is completely freelance and came from my furtive imagine using ideas gleaned from the web (actual and modelled) as a starting point. I'll post some more pictures of the dairy later showing different views or might even take some new ones now I'm the proud owner of a continuous lighting system for photos.

Thanks for the comments and offer of pictures. I believe the steam drifter you are referring to is the Lydia Eva and if so then I have used many of the photos found on line as a basis for this model. Just the running rigging to go and then detailing the deck and she will be finished. This one of those models that I work on, get fed up, put to one side for a while then the inspiration starts again and we are off. Regarding the track plan, I still can't find where I put it so I think I might carry out a land survey and re-draw it again for inclusion here

The last one for this evening probably my favourite picture to date that captures exactly the tranquil scene I was aiming for.

Thanks. Well I will just sit here and ponder on that one!!!!

Thanks for all the comments so here's few more teasers. I'm even in the processes of finishing my drifter...one day?!?

Only three buildings are readymade, Skaledale ones, which my son and daughter brought me for a birthday a few years ago so I had to put on the layout....didn't I otherwise there would have been trouble at mill (or farm)

I do have a couple of plans of the layout but can I find them, no, I must have put them in such a safe place!!! One day I will find them or I might even redraw them for reference. At the moment I don't have any overall photos as that wasn't the aim of the pictures as I mentioned the main aim was to take them and see if the layout was achieving what I had in my minds eye. The room is about 3m square.

Well after much nudging and prodding I have decided to add Little Muddle to this forum. The layout was started as a permanent one in our forth bedroom back in Jan 2009 as an 'L' shaped layout around two walls and then in July 2013 the next section was added to give a 'U' shape. How do I know the dates well I sensibly wrote the starting dates on the framework as I knew I would never remember them in the future. The layout in based somewhere around the Bristol area and was to depict a railway running through a prototypical English countryside with trees and fields aplenty. Most of the current pictures where taken on either on Air Pad 2 or an I-phone 5s as I was using them as a modelling aid. I find a picture highlights problems or issues far better than the naked eye can as the camera narrow downs the viewpoint. Though I have posted over 70 pictures on the modelling galleries some will be used again here but I propose to take even more new pictures in the future which I will post here. The main aim of this layout was to model the countryside with a railway passing through it and not the otherway round. To support this I have modelled over 320 trees to date, with more planned, of which only one of them is ready-made I have over 1200 pictures so I won't be short of a few in the short term and some might be of interest anyway showing the timeline of this layout. There have been many changes and tweaks to this layout over the years as I have better ideas, new techniques and pure changes of mind........do we ever finish our layouts? Here are the first batch of pictures of Little Muddle

I'll see what I can do.......!!!! once I've worked out how to!!!!

Thanks I have been asked before if I have one and I don't so I might have to think about it. I do have a lot of pictures on the galleries section under Little Muddle if you are interested? Kevin

Last picture I promise of the 48xx with autocoach in tow. Now all finished and in full service.

Not at first but after running for a few mins at mid speed on a test circle it began to run smoothly. In total I ran it for 30mins at mid speed in each direction plus I oiled, where recommended, both at start and then end of the session. I have just come down from the railway room (after doing some more weathering on it and the autocoach) and its been going sweetly backwards and forwards on the branch line so I think that a good running for this particular loco has worked very well.

4825 looking a bit travel weary, a few bits still to finish but looking and running superbly. Now to finish the autocoach......

It was a Dapol model bought new way back in 1998 ish....has a price label of £8.70 still on the box!!!! but it has had some major alterations as I have detailed it using the Dart Casting kit DK1 plus a complete interior make over. Started detailing back then but my then 14xx would never run properly (Airfix one) so this model got packed away until now when the superb Hatton's one came along. Hornby now make this but there are many available secondhand on the likes of e-bay. With regard to the detailing I didn't do all the underframe rodding as it would get in the way of the S&W couplings I use. Still to be finished internally so the roof is just rested on, handrail to side passenger door missing and few auto coupling odds and ends to fit each end once I'm happy it won't foul any coupled up loco's, wagons etc. when running. Kevin

4825 leaving Encombe Station pulling the obligatory autocoach (not quite finished hence missing handrail to steps and roof bend as not fitted...) Thought I would add this just to show what a smart (well it was before I weathered it) looking model it is when not being viewed close up for inspection! Mine has the Bachmann 6pin decoder fitted and runs superbly, very smooth and quiet though I will point out that the track needs to be very clean especially at slow speed otherwise it will stall on the slightest dirty section.

The water tank was made using an overflow pipe taken from my sons old water tank when we dismantled it and then detailed. Base is just balsa wood brushed with a spark plug brass cleaning brush to raise the grain. Rest came form the odds and ends box. Timber store built up with matches and a plastic corrugated sheeting. Logs cut from a shrub in the garden and sprayed with hair lacquer to seal. Adjoining toilet block, card walls with brick paper stuck on and roof from the Wills range.

Just received this afternoon my much waited for 4825. I have been reading the topics on this blog with interest and must say that I don't care what is not quite right this model is leagues ahead of my old Airfix 14xx.... To show what a smart model it is I have literally taken it straight out of the box, plonked in various settings on my Little Muddle layout and taken a series of pictures, here are what I think are the best. It will end up altered with the couplings removed and changed for S&W hooks, weathered and DCC module added. I suspect I will add some loco irons and crew as well but very little else needs to be done Highly recommend especially if you are into the GWR as it is such an iconic loco (then I am biased of course). Well done Hatton's and DJModels for this great addition to the GWR range. Kevin

Funny how a building evolves as this picture shows taken before the alteration works. Originally it was meant to be a stone building using a stone paper but I was never overly happy with it as there was very little if any relief. So I overpainted it the other day using an enamel sand colour paint with some talcum powder sprinked on to give a slight texture, then just dry brushed some Lifecolor roof dirt and when dry some very weak wash stains of the same colour in isolated areas. The cladding looked wrong as well so I used my trusted white postcards (sorry correspondence cards!!!!) cut to form cladding strips and washed on numerous coats of dirt black. Added a front door porch and window, re did the roof and a new building emerged that I'm much happier with. Thanks for the comments guys, much appreciated.

Small industrial building by the main entrance gates to Little Muddle station. Sort of built it in the corner to fill a gap so designed a shape and style etc. but then thought, what is it's function. Still not sure but no doubt something will come to mind hence no signs or anything like that at present. Anybody else done that or is just me!!!! Not sure if the tall chimney will stay as I bought it a while ago from Unit Models, painted it and then where it was originally planned for it didn't look right so it became surplus, I just stood it there for this photo to add height.

Phil The trick is to glue a thin piece of micro strip to the underside makes fixing/lining up easy. I also fixed a packer to the underside of the stools so I could adjust the depth of the ballast easier. Kevin

George This how I did it retrospectively on my layout Little Muddle and attach a few pictures for your information. I have written an annotated article on how I did this but its on another website I belong to - railwaymodellers.com The rods going under the track are run off a low crank which gives you the room to go under the track and yes there are a lot of height differences to take into account. My advise - plan well ahead before starting Hope this is of use. Kevin

Thanks, but it didn't feel like that when trying to fix the curved roof in place and hold it in line whilst the super glue went off......why does it seem to take ages to go off even though it says instant on the tube? I now use an accelerator activator spray to make instant super glue really instant!!! and boy does that work. Kevin