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Modellings tips and answers - Modelling a station - Videos

Hello

Another week, another set of additions to our website, including the latest Metcalfe corner shop or pub kits and lots of second hand locomotives, coming from a collector who never ran them and kept them in boxes. Discover them all by clicking here.

This week is the Walk The Wight event where people walk across the Isle of Wight to raise funds for Mountbatten Hospice. This is why this newsletter will be about walkers and hikers. If you want to support the hospice, you can click here to learn about their work and donate. Many thanks in advance.

Don't forget to read our latest modelling tips and unboxing videos located at the bottom of the newsletter.

Most images in this newsletter are clickable for more details.

Feel free to send this newsletter to your friends, family and club members if you think they will benefit from it. They can subscribe for free.

Railway song of the week

"Trains" is a song by the British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, featured on their 2002 album In Absentia. Written by frontman Steven Wilson, the song showcases the band’s signature blend of acoustic instrumentation, layered textures and intricate rhythms. It was released as a single and quickly became one of Porcupine Tree’s most recognisable and acclaimed tracks. The song opens with a distinctive acoustic guitar pattern and features a dynamic structure that moves between mellow verses and more intense instrumental sections. Notably, it includes an unconventional percussive break using handclaps and samples, contributing to its progressive character.

Click on the picture to listen to it:

This week in history

On the 7th of May 1957, USA's streamlined 'Flying Yankee' was retired after 22 years of revenue earning service between Portland and Boston.

Do you have one?

Mr Dissolved Putty by Mr Hobby is a putty that is ideally used as a filler for modellers working with styrene-based models. The solution is a creamy-based liquid that is ideal for filling in gaps and imperfections encountered during the build process. The putty can be applied in a number of ways, including by brush, spatula and toothpick. To thoroughly cure the solution should be allowed to set overnight. Once fully cured it can easily be sanded or shaped with a hobby knife and is also thoroughly compatible with primers and surfacers. The solution is lacquer-based and as such should only be used in a well-ventilated space to avoid the build-up of hazardous fumes. All tools used to apply the solution can be cleaned up on completion by the use of a suitable lacquer-based thinner.

Hiking and Rambling Figures

Are you looking to add some life to your outdoor scenes? Whether you're creating a bustling countryside, a serene mountain landscape or a lively park, adding hikers and ramblers can bring your diorama to life. Let's explore some fantastic figure sets that will help you achieve just that!

For those modelling in OO/HO scale, Noch offers some delightful options. Their "Dog Walkers" set brings a touch of everyday life to your layout with four figures accompanied by their canine companions. If you're after a more diverse group, the "Walkers" set features six figures on a pilgrimage, perfect for creating a scene of peaceful contemplation. For a younger, more adventurous vibe, consider the "Backpackers and Hitchhikers" set, which includes six figures ready for their next adventure.

Noch continues to impress with their range of hiking figures. Their "Hikers" set offers a diverse group of six figures, including men, women and children, perfect for family-friendly scenes. For a more comprehensive family outing, the "Hikers family" set provides three generations of hikers, complete with accessories like backpacks and a bench. If you're modelling a mountainous region, the "Mountain Hikers and Cross" set is ideal, featuring climbers and a summit cross to create a dramatic alpine scene.

Preiser also offers some excellent options for your hiking scenes. Their "Hikers by the Cattle Trough" set provides a charming vignette of resting hikers, perfect for a countryside scene. For a more modern twist, consider their "Nordic Walkers" set, featuring six figures using trekking poles. If you need a larger group, Preiser's "Walkers/Wanderers" set offers an impressive 24 figures in various poses and styles, allowing you to populate a larger area with diverse characters.

For those working in N scale, fear not! Noch has you covered with scaled-down versions of their popular sets. The N scale "Mountain Hikers & Cross" set brings the drama of mountain climbing to your smaller layout. The "Backpackers and Hitchhikers" set is also available in N scale, perfect for creating scenes of young adventurers on the road. Lastly, the "Mountain Hikers with Cross" set provides six male figures and a cross, ideal for creating summit scenes in your N scale mountain ranges.

Remember, these figures are not just for railways! They can add life to any diorama or scenic model you're working on.

Modelling tips

We keep on adding modelling tips to our website. Here are a few:

You can read all the articles sorted by categories or from the most recent published one on our website.

Unboxing videos

You want to know what is inside the boxes of modelling products? We open them for you! Subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified before everyone else or simply click on this selection. Please note that videos are at the bottom of each page.

You can access all the unboxing videos by visiting this page or simply click on the link called "videos" on our websit e.

Events and exhibitions

Find all the latest events and exhibitions for the model railway world, on the UK Model Shop Events directory. Hopefully, 2025 will give us plenty of opportunities to attend events all over the country.

Do you need to order?

Send us an email or give us a call to check availability or to reserve anything, whatever scale you model in. As usual, if we do not have in stock what you are looking for, we will order it for you and you will get it fast (usually within a week if the manufacturer has it in stock). We place weekly orders with most suppliers.

Remember, you can park for free for one hour on the High Street. So no excuse not to come and visit us!

Upstairs Downstairs is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am till 4.30pm. Obviously, our website is open 24h a day and we can post to most locations, including Europe, USA and Australia.

Upstairs Downstairs
3 Pier Street
Sandown, PO36 8JR
Isle of Wight
Tel: 01983 406 616
http://www.trainshop.co.uk or find us on Facebook

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