For a little light relief from making buildings, I have made a start on the Colonel Stephen's era rake. The first vehicle is carriage 15 from a Malcolm Savage Kit. This comes with an end door to the servants compartment and therefore needs some modernisation. I have used the end supplied with the kit as a template for a plain brass end. I am then going to overlay this with a thin plasticard layer with the correct panelling for the period.

This rake will be painted in the Kentish green livery with red ends. This is a very heavy model so I am going to use the bogies I had etched by Worsley Works with pinpoint bearings.

The iron railings have been added to the front gardens. The gates have been made from adapted plain fencing panels with the addition of a diagonal brace and nickel silver strip used for the end uprights. The fearsome Mrs Evans is from the Footsore Miniatures interwar range. She really looks the part in the front garden.

The steps down to the first cellar have also been completed. There is a lovely contrast in wall textures between the dresses stone frontage and the rough slate retaining walls to the courtyard. These have been painted to represent a weathered lime wash effect. Just the doors to the store room to be made and some suitable household items added. I think an old tin bath would really set the seen along with a dolly tub and poster- now I don't suppose they are available in 5.5mm scale!!

The slate slab raised front garden have now been completed. The railings have been cut down by soldering a new wire bottom rail to give the correct profile, as the fronts slope gently to the left of the row. I'm particularly pleased with the end wall with its pillar topped by a ball. (actually a dress makers pin covered in PVA and dipped in Sainsbury's hot and tangy what pepper)

The steps down to the cellar have been attacked with a scalpel to make them look more slate like

Then the rendered walls were painted with PVA and sprinkled with pepper- Sainsburys white strong and tangy white pepper to start with!

 This cellar is purely rendered, the uneven glue creates a really convincing look.

This end garden wall is quite a bit darker than the building in old photographs, I have used ground black pepper to create the weathered look. Once this is set off by grass I think its going look really effective.

 The Scale Link GWR spear topped fencing has arrived. Not 100% accurate but given that it's only going to be seen from an oblique view will hopefully look ok at a distance.

The levels are slightly different on the model as the road gradient has been increased slightly. It also appears the raised flagstone gardens have been changed since the 1930s. So I have tried to interpret the evidence to turn the clock back.

The raised area now comes right up to the fence.

 The disk signal designed by Max Brayne is going to look really good when completed.

The front gardens have progressed today quite nicely. I'm not quite sure how to make the iron railings. I think I might cut down some 4mm scale etched railings.