Here is something different - not a 1/12th (1″) scale dollshouse, but an N Gauge model railway cottage and garden.  

For those of you who have not been initiated into the delights of model railways, N gauge is 2 mm to the foot, or 1:160th, ie compared to 1/12th scale, absolutely TINY!   You could call this a bit of a sideline for me - the model railway itself belongs to my partner, but I have been detailed to make all the scenery.   Or to put it another way, he does the technical stuff and I do the pretty stuff.   Yes, it is a departure from dollshouse miniatures, but there is nonetheless an overlap.  I still mix paint, get covered in glue and in many respects the whole difference is the matter of the tiny scale.

As an aside, the Warley Model Railway Club had a stand at the recent Miniatura exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham to demonstrate the railway hobby.  Then at the recent model railway show - also at the NEC - organised by the Warley Railway Club, there was a stand publicising the Miniatura and the dollshouse hobby.  A beautiful 1/24th (1/2″) scale house by Petite Properties was on display next to an O Gauge sized house and they were remarkably similar in size. 

Back to my partner’s model railway layout - I must emphasise that I am NOT building any of the houses.  These are a mixture of ready-built from resin, or constructed (not by me) from card kits).   However, they are passed to me to weather and add foliage.    The garden bases come in the form of cardboard templates which I do my best not to distort.  The design of the gardens are then totally up to me and I can let my imagination run riot.

I only wish I could make fimo flowers small enough - but I can’t!   I therefore (like most people) use scatter materials and any other railway modelling materials I can find.    At this tiny scale, I found that grey marbled paper and card made credible paving stones throught the lawn.  The “large” tree is about 2.5″/7 cm high, and was made from twisted copper wire (taken from a stripped down old power cable) then covered with a product called “flexi-bark” and finally the umbiquitous scatter material.

Who knows - one day I might make a 1/12th (1″) scale tree using the same technique ………

I will add photographs of this model railway layout as it progresses.   Next (so I am told) is the village green.  I don’t think it will have a pond!