These trees I define as being in kit form because if they are to have any resemblance to the real thing then they must undergo four phases. They are supplied as an assortment in transparent boxes and first sight they appear very delicate, leafless and having trunk and branches much too light in colour. Being for the most part flat they are most adapted to being positioned near the background. After placing them vertically in a piece of polystyrene the first job is to spray them with a transparent adhesive in order to strengthen the structure. The second is to spray them with a dark brown matt paint. At this point a very liquid Vinavil solution is prepared in a small bowl and the outer edges of the branches are coated one at a time. Lastly, holding the trunk in one hand, with the other the chosen foliage is applied, dropping it from above. For my efforts I used various products having various sizes and colours, namely Woodland Scenic (Turf and Coarse Turf).

On the external part immediately before the tunnel entrance the morphology of the terrain of the background changes, and one can note sweetly rolling hills dotted with trees similar to large round bushes. To give a sense of continuity of the background I have tried to duplicate this type of vegetation. With the left over of the tree kit I formed three balls of differing sizes which I then squeezed in my fist. The fine and ramified structure means that by means of only finger pressure the various components come and stay together. A covering of the usual Coarse Turf by Woodland Scenic brings the operation to an end.

In the period that I am trying to recreate it was standard operating practice for the railway service to use weedkiller along the tracks to keep the both the lines and the surrounding areas clean. This search after cleanliness and tidiness could not however, eliminate the spillage of liquids from the locomotives in their usual work, and the resulting colouring of the tracks and sleepers with the characteristic matt black. This phenomenon is still evident even today where the trains are housed or are parked for long periods. In the short piece of track at the second platform I have created some small shrubs to underline the less usage of this part.

I found a small crucifix abandoned in a drawer for years which I seemed to remember had been a gift from Grandfather Giovanni to a young Enzo. I thought it unfortunate to leave it surrounded by junk and considered that it might be worthwhile inserting it into my model. To find an opportune space was easy. I built a small structure on which to place it and after having moved a tree I positioned it by the side of the road on the left hand bend immediately after the level crossing.

For the numbering of the points levers I find myself having to use the word “unfortunately” twice. The first occasion was to find that I could not find number transfers as small as I needed, and the second was that although I was sure not to have glued the moving structure of the levers I was not able to move even one of them. Given that the lever itself is very flexible I decided to work “in situ”. To draw the numbers I used a black Staedtler 0.05 with which, seeing that my hand does not yet tremble, and in any case I used a support, it is possible to create very fine lines.

I had never come across pigments. I realised however that they would be the icing on the cake. As in all the other things one needs experience, but in any case, with the practice I could gain in a few minutes I was able to use them quite well. They have practically illimited usage and can be used to negate the chromatic continuity that, specially in certain places, would be simply ridiculous. To illustrate all the operations where they have been used I would need to photograph the whole model and so I have selected just a few examples.