Stabliofarmer

As those who were at the Penrith show will have seen Ive recently started a new diorama. My main aim is to achieve a model railway standard of realism over an entire diorama. The plan is a hill farm of largely and some pedigree beef cattle. I currently have ideas that will easily spread out over a 12x4ft area. For now though I have focused on a handling yard, unhappy with the last two attempts I've made at them. I will try to explain the process in making most of the bits and pieces, as I was rushing to finish this part for the show I didn't take step by step photos of each process but those that I've missed will be repeated in other areas of the farm and guides made then. For now here is the handling yard, right in the swing of summer as shearing takes place.

Loving the quad, something different

Ended up a busy day in the lambing shed

Lambing, in November?

I suspect that could have a good go at shifting the entirety of Northumberland!

The Michigan would certainly make for a nice model.

Cheers guys, I believe David that every council in the country received one during the mid to late 60's. I recall seeing one for sale when researching that was direct from Devon council, now I would imagine that saw very little in the way of work! I planned this build about five years ago when one arrived in a local auction, and have also seen examples from Wales and Bedfordshire. I think they showed one working in the highlands on a Channel Five documentary on Snow too a couple of years ago. They certainly don't look to have much in the way of cabin soundproofing, and the big engine in the back looks anything but quite so I imagine after five minutes it really isn't a pleasant place to be, but they look an impressive beast!

That Marshall looks really smart, superb kit all round as usual!

The U411 now ready for paint which, given the horror stories I've read about painting with yellow, I'm not particularly looking forward to.

The little progress I have on my display for Penrith, need to get my foot down!

Delivered this to the customer yesterday on route to check out this years house for uni. 1/25th scale model prototype for a Scania S Series T cab based on a 2002-prototype called the Scania Stax, customer is a family friend who is planning on making the real truck. Not to my taste personally but still better than vlastuins attempt I think. Also turns out the uni house has a cracking shed for plenty of model building

Cheers guys. This one is technically impossible as Renault don't offer this cab type in tridem format, the customer has specified this format though. But I've seen a few Volvo and a Scania livestock tridems that are good for research purposes, most with Pezzazoli boxes but a few with Plowmans.

A peak at whats currently on the bench. A tridem pezzazoli with the full works, all doors working, sliding roof, lifting decks twin steering axles.

Looks a hell of a build, cant wait to see it assembled

Yes this is one part of a large sheep collecting yard so other parts will be longer with curves, corners etc.

Would also appreciate opinions/suggestions on this drystone walling. Hasn't had paint on it yet, only a black undercoat. Realised I couldn't get a good effect for the top stones using the Bromley realistic brick compound so some more googling presented this method. Will do a step by step when the diorama I'm doing is alittle further along.

Something French on the bench Though progress has now been slowed

Oooops, that was a completely different auction sorry!

Wrong scale, it was all 1/50th Techno and WSI in the last M&M auction

Just returned from a fantastic time at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. The weather was brilliant and the engines behaved in general, even if our Garrett decided to throw a tyre off in the last hour of the show!

Managed to get alittle more tinkering done on the mog. Roof on and some of the detailing done.

You have to have one of the few layouts that can make these wagons look small. They look right at home there!

Been locked away in my shed for hundreds of hours since returning from uni and finally got most of the builds I had on the go done before my holidays. The biggest of which will hopefully appear on here later this week. In the meantime these were two nice simpler builds that I did. A Dennison flat bed and a Chereau Fridge trailer

Having a tinker with clear resin casting and pigments for the first time. The beacons have come out particularly well. Will have photos of the trucks these are going on in the not too distant future hopefully

Gorgeous, the ploughmaster is absolutely stunning.