Model Railway Forum

The layout came about in a rather unusual way, it was an entry in a competition on the web to build a layout in 4 square feet or under. You could use any scale or period.
I had always fancied building a narrow gauge layout that was a bit different to the norm, that is pretty scenery and small steam trains meandering through it.
I have long been interested in tractors and had built a couple of white metal kits that were 1/32 scale. I liked the idea of a farm layout and found a book by Stewart Squires about the narrow gauge railways on the fens that were used to transport potatoes from the fields to a standard gauge connection. So that’s how I ended up making Two Sister’s Farm, a large scale model in a small space.



This photo by Chris Nevard was used to illustrate an article in Model Rail magazine.

Peter M

The layout depicts a fictitious two foot narrow gauge light railway serving a large agricultural estate in the Lincolnshire fens in the late fifties. It is very loosely based on a similar railway that actually existed from the 1920’s until the late 1960’s and was some 22 miles long in total. It was originally powered by horses but in later years steam, petrol and diesel locomotives were also used. The light railway being used to bring the crops (mainly potatoes, both early and main-crop) but also wheat and sugar beet from the fields to either a standard gauge rail head interchange or to be loaded onto lorries for transport to market.
The model features the small terminus at Two Sister’s Farm, the largest of several farms that make up the estate. There is a small engine shed with minimal facilities for coaling watering and servicing the small but varied fleet of locomotives and rail trucks. There is also a small workshop where tractors and implements for the whole estate are serviced and repaired.
The main product grown on the estate is potatoes, for a crisp manufacturer in one instance, but the need for crop rotation and the varying soils mean that a variety of other crops are also grown. In addition to arable farming cattle pigs and sheep are also reared to give diversity. There is a small area of woodland which provides the estate with all its timber needs and allows the breeding of game birds for the occasional shooting party.
Wagons are pushed in to the small yard from the outlying fields and trains are then made up for sending to the standard gauge connection nearby. Rail trucks are used to take out fuel, seeds and fertilizer to the fields.

The model itself occupies a space 6 feet long by 2 feet wide. The scenic section being only 38 inches long, and the fiddle yard two feet long, the whole thing is mounted on an ironing board.

The layout was featured in the April edition of The Railway Modeller in 2009.and more recently July issue of Model Rail magazine.

Peter M

I wanted something different to the usual narrow gauge layout so I drew a simple plan using two pairs of Peco set track points. About a third of the sleepers were removed to give a more narrow gauge look to the flexible track.
I wanted to use old lorries for motive power. I had seen photographs of lorries in New Zealand used in the forestry industry. See the first photograph.
To check the feasibility of the idea I wanted a Bedford OB type, but none were available so instead I bought a 1/35 scale Opel truck used in the second war. The idea was to get the body to fit an Athearn switcher mechanism I had in stock.
After much cutting a fiddling I managed to get the body to fit over the chassis, and tested it on my test track.









Peter M

Lovely example of a narrow gauge layout. So much detail, thanks for sharing.

Many thanks TDD for your kind comments.
I will go into more detail and hopefully give someone on the verge the courage to have a go.

Kind regards Peter M

The Opel Blitz truck was used to check clearances with the buildings and general scenery.
The large gray barn is a much modified Britain’s kit, as is the engine shed which was unpainted at this point. The green house is scratch built in plasticard. The little hut and loading dock were made of balsa. The bank on the right hand side was made of card formers with strips of card then covered with kitchen towel soaked in pva glue. The top surface is polyfiller painted with an emulsion wash. The ground cover is flock and light coloured sand and is built up a layer at a time.
The layout looked like this.





Peter M

This has long been one of my favourite narrow gauge small layouts along with one based on a Lincolnshire (I think) potato farm. Nice to see it ‘resurrected’ on the forum.

Many thanks Mick. I exhibited the layout for over six years but I have retired it now.
My hope it might encourage newcomers to the hobby to have a go.

Kind regards Peter M

At the time I was building the model I worked part time at a motor racing circuit and they were installing a new timing system. This meant loads of the old telephone wire was available. With this I made a tree of the twisted wire which I covered kitchen towels soaked in white glue. When this had dried I covered it with Milliput putty which when hard I scraped the bark shapes onto the trunk. I then painted the trunk with a grey green mix of acrylics and when dry a thin black wash to bring out the details. The foliage was a whole packet of Woodland scenics material.



I wanted some suitable wagons and some more motive power so I bought A couple of Bachmann On30 quarter inch scale locos, a diesel and a steam loco. Both had to be modified quite a lot to make them suitable for my needs. Because the layout was so small short wagons were best and I bought several kits designed for G scale but were perfect for my wants and just like the ones pictured in my book. I bought three On30 scale side tippers side tippers and three wooden side tippers as well.









Peter M

At this point I started to collect odds and ends for detailing the layout also some 1/32 scale figures. I found finding suitable figures in this scale very difficult so ended up using 1/35 scale military figures modified to look like civilians. It doesn’t matter as people come in various sizes anyway.
In this photo we see the Porter 0-4-2 steam loco made to look more English. Some small wagons, side tipper and one ex HO American flat car. In the workshop you can see a horse drawn field kitchen. The oil drums and tools are from military kits. I'm starting to collect clutter which is something found on all farm yards.
Note a small coal stage in the lower right corner of the last picture.









Peter M