HOW TO: model a maize field
I’d like to add some variety to the fields on my layout by adding rows of crops, ready for harvest, such as maize. What products are available?
Edith Longshaw, by e-mail
Peter says: When modellers replicate rural areas, the tendency is often to recreate plain grassy fields of pasture. However, a visit to the countryside will reveal that, in real life, the land adjacent to railway lines is often more varied.
Fields used by animals may contain just grass, rough ground and weeds, but other fields are full of crops at different stages of growth, especially in lowland areas.
Over the last decade, a number of scenic accessory firms have introduced miniature crops in the most popular scales. Individual maize plants are available from US firm JTT Microscale, in both ‘HO’ scale, and ‘OO’ and ‘O’ gauges. Both green and brown versions are available, allowing modellers to tailor their crops to the season (brown signals a crop ready for harvest).
Supplied ready-assembled, each ‘HO’/‘OO’ maize plant stands 2.5cm tall and is simple to install using white glue (PVA) or contact adhesive. The JTT range also includes tomato plants, sunflowers, lettuces, pumpkins, cabbages and broccoli.
Alternatively, miniature crops are also offered by Busch (www.busch-model.com), including pumpkins, grapevines, hops and wheat fields, in ‘HO’/‘OO’ and other scales. Each pack contains plastic components in a number of colours. These kits are a bit fiddly to assemble but the results are worthwhile. Etched brass maize (‘N’ and ‘HO’/‘OO’) is also available from Alkem Scale Models (www.alkemscalemodels.com).