Time to Model a Messy Back Yard!
Keeping the Junk in the Trunk...Kinda!
Pressing on with my N Gauge Japanese gas station diorama, it's time to start work on the main building's back yard. This is a small fenced in yard which I want to be cluttered with the stored items and junk from the garage and the convenience store.
The yard will also be the access by which the store receives it stock, so there will be plenty of used boxes and packaging piled about. 😃
To achieve this, I have been collecting various small N Scale accessories from various internet supplier with which I will be furnishing this area of the diorama...
1. Trash, Big and Small
You can't have a commercial property without making provision for all the day to day trash that it would produce. So, model bins were at the top of my list when thinking about stuff I would add to my diorama.
I thought about making some myself, but after my vending machine experience I knew that I was making hard work for myself at this tiny scale. Neither my eyes or my wobbly hands are up to the job! In any case, there are plenty of commercial N Gauge model bins about and they ain't expensive...
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| Above: Outland Models Scenery Trash Can, Dumpster & Manhole Set. 3D printed in resin so exceptional detail! |
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| Above: Litter bins by 3DPLUSS. Yes, 3D printing seems to be the norm now for tiny accessories! Handy items to have at hand for the layout. |
2. Garage Junk
There are two parts to my gas station model, a small convenience store and a small mechanic's workshop. So the back yard will be split between the two for the storage of their 'junk'.
Obviously, the garage half will be a collection of automotive bits and pieces so it will resemble something like a mini-scrap yard! I could scratch build a few discarded car parts but there are some small items that were best sourced from the internet...
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| Above: N Gauge oil drums (8 pack) by Kestrel Designs. I know I could have fakes these shapes with pieces of plain styrene rod bits but the rims around the barrels would have been near impossible for me to replicate. |
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| Above: You can't have a garage without a pile of used tyres! Juweela do a nice job lot of tyres that can be used as cargo or as a junk pile, The tyres come as individual items so you can make the piles as small or as big as you like! |
3. General Store Junk
As to the convenience store side of things there will be a good amount of scratch building. Things like crates and boxes are pretty easy makes and I have some ideas for store related items. There are some really nice commercial sets out there for N Gauge but they are a bit pricey for what they are BUT they have given me some inspiration for the sort of things that I could make myself...
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| Above: Outland Models do a neat little 'Logistics Set', but looking at it I'm sure I could make most of these (minus the fork lift)! |
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| Above: Woodland Scenics do a smashing N Gauge Parcels & Boxes set...BUT... It's £14!!! I think I could print something similar! |
Sourcing the Items
I should mention where I find all this stuff. There are two particular suppliers that I have found most of the N Gauge accessories that I need, and they are also a great source for inspiration for things that I might want to make myself (some of the stuff is stupidly expensive for what it is)...
Note: Outland's 3D resin printed models are fantastic quality and great value BUT they come all the way from China, so expect a bit of a wait (usually about a week).
Also, even in these days of Amazon and the like I STILL like to shop the old fashioned way and actually go to a local store (yes, actually walk into town)!!! 😂
So, a big shout out to our local model railway shop - The Train Shop, of Scarborough (they don't even have a web site)!
I'll be busy sorting out the accessories that I have accumulated over the next week and scratch building a few small items. So, I look forward to featuring the finished 'back yard' soon!
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