The Poultry Keeper

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

Does anyone have any ideas for making model trees and shrubs, the sort you would find on a model railway, that sort of thing. We cant use bits of live foliage as it has to look good for at least a month Confused

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2671 Location: South Cumbria

lichen is what is traditional if you hunt in the woods you should find some or look at washing up scourers or sponges but lichen is the way to go if you can find it and it will dry you could try putting some really fine leaved plants in glycerine and water to preserve them as in flower arranging feel free to pm me but away tomorrow 'til Sunday

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

Thanks Gilly, lichen is a great idea, we have a lot of that down here Laughing

Ive made some banks and covered them with moss which stays looking good for years but hadn't thought of useing lichen.

Stujan · Joined: 05 Jul 2008 Posts: 465 Location: East Sussex

I used to spray cardboard with a pva glue and water mix then sprinkle sawdust onto it , let it dry the do it again if needed then spray it with green paint ! You could dab the paint on if you wanted too , it made great looking grassy areas for my train set and it was almost freeeeeee!!! the same can be done with hemp like string frayed at the top to make likkle trees! or bushes .

Bradders · Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 1011 Location: Cambridgeshire

Thanks Stujan Very Happy

Its just about finished now. I bought some stuff used by flower arrangers and cut it to size. We drilled tiny holes and stuck little bits of the stuff into them for hedges. When they dried I went along with a pair of scissors and gave the hedges a nice ' just trimmed ' finish Laughing

It looks ok. Its a model we are submitting to the planning dept Sad

OH is still messing about with the porch on one of the houses but when he finishes titivating I'll take a pic and show you all Laughing

We did use the glue technique with sand and compost for the paths and road Very Happy

Spana

Stujan · Joined: 05 Jul 2008 Posts: 465 Location: East Sussex

I look forward to seeing it !!! Very Happy

I remember now about the sand , it worked great.
Crikey ! its all coming back now, I used cocktail sticks cut down to make picket fences and little painted squares of cornflake cardboard to make roof shingles . You got me going now , i'm going to have a look in the loft to see what is still there of my old train set !!! Laughing

Bradders · Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 1011 Location: Cambridgeshire

Its good once you get into it. Laughing

You sound better at it that us two Stujan. Very Happy

We just need to give the planners an idea of what the site would look like if they gave us planning permission, but it all has to be made to scale as shown on the drawings. Theres a couple of old building which have to be preserved and the foundations of a long gone cottage all in a conservation area, so we are up against it. Our land agent thought it might help to have the model. We did it once before and it worked so fingers crossed this time Laughing

Spana

CP · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 12:58 am Post subject:

Sounds interesting Spana. Can't wait to see the pics. Wink

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1322 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Do you have a big model railway Stujan?
My Dad has had one in our attic for 30 years, it's fab though he's not very artistic so the scenery is all from model shops and not that creative. He has replicated Munich station will the correct rolling stock and one other rural halt on the other side. He still takes an age to answer the door because he's invariably up the ladder tinkering or running his 'timetable'!!!

I asked him to show a friend the railway a few years ago and when a train disappeared into a tunnel into the eaves, my friend asked Dad, 'where is that gone now?'. Dad answered, perfectly seriously, 'Stuttgart!'. Cool

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

Not quite Munich station but this is it. Laughing

Goes before the planners in Sept.

EGirl, Ive always wanted to make a big lot of stuff for a model railway. I seen a few at exibitions and can understand how your dad gets so involved with it all.

With our model it all has to be to the architects drawings. We cant pretty it up or make it look different. All the trees and bushes have to be where he states. They either pass it or chuck it out, then we have to start all over again.

A while back we want planning for a bungalow on another bit of ground. Had the drawings done , planners chucked it out saying ' no' to the bungalow but they would go for 12starter homes. Another lot of plans done, submitted, planners chucked them out. They said ' no ' to 12 houses but would go for 21 Shocked

Another lot of plans done, submitted but again thrown out. They didnt think the village had enough services to cope with that many people. Evil or Very Mad

We only wanted 1 nice bungalow.
We still have the land, a friend grazes her sheep on it Laughing

Stujan · Joined: 05 Jul 2008 Posts: 465 Location: East Sussex

[quote="EGirl"]Do you have a big model railway Stujan?

I used to have one on a 8x4 ft sheet of plywood (two 4x4 ft bits) in the loft . It wasn't based on any real place though , it looked more like Trumpton! and the trains were all military kind of one , a tank carrier, a big gun fixed to a flat bed roller, and troop carriers and such like , well it was in the 60's when it wasn't condemmed by the PC brigade ,lol .
I had a look and just some rusty track left and the plastic sleepers have gone all brittle Crying or Very sad

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1322 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Nothing wrong with Trumpton! One of my fav kiddie programs that, I still watch it on dvd with my kids.

That looks lovely Spana. Aren't planners a bunch of idiots??? Joined up thinking is not a skill they seem to possess, either here or in the UK.

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 2089 Location: norfolk

Spana, your problems with the planners bring back memories. Around 60 years ago my grandfather owned a field in Devon and tried to get planning permission for 3 houses. Refused. Re-submitted with the new suggestions put in. Refused. To cut a long story short after 7 years of trying and failing he sold the field to a friend of a friend. Within 18 months there was a housing estate of 20 detached! It's who you know.....

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

Stujan · Joined: 05 Jul 2008 Posts: 465 Location: East Sussex

Just athought but have you done a "google earth" or "live earth" search of your property and taken a pic saved , it can be useful for building positions and proximity to boundaries on a map ? it can give a good indication as regards boundaries etc regarding your or a neighbours plans.
You can refer a pic taken to local by laws as regards hedgerows, ancient lights, pathways, rights of access and covenants on trees etc . There are organisations such as the ramblers association and other rural protectors that might be able to assist for free. If they consider an old site irrelevant or a tree to be of no consequence you can take it down. On the other hand they might insist on protection of something but you might find you get this information for free as opposed to racking up a bill with a local planning officer who would probably aproach the same people and charge you for it !!