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Don't forget to read our latest modelling tips and unboxing videos located at the bottom of the newsletter.
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Railway song of the week
"Plastic Man" by The Kinks, released in 1969, takes on a clever new layer of meaning when viewed through the lens of scale modelling. The song’s playful tale of a man literally made of plastic mirrors the modeller’s world: crafting lifelike figures and machines from synthetic materials, shaping perfection from something artificial. With its jaunty rhythm and witty lyrics, it captures both the fun and irony of working in miniature: building tiny, flawless replicas that echo real life but never quite breathe. Much like the modeller’s creations, "Plastic Man” is charmingly polished on the surface, yet slyly aware of the artifice beneath. Click on the picture to listen to it:
This week in history
On the 13th of October 1901, the London & South Western Railway finished installing experimental automatic semaphore signals near the village of Grateley in Hampshire. This was the first project
of its kind in the UK and used pneumatic technology and track circuits
to achieve the automation.
Let's have a look at what we've got here: a lovely selection of pre-owned railway modelling items that prove you don't always need to buy brand new to add quality pieces to your collection.
Starting with motive power in OO gauge, there's the Lima Class 37 wearing the distinctive Loadhaul livery. The Class 37, affectionately known as the English Electric Type 3, became one of British Rail's most versatile workhorses during the modernisation era and this particular model is in very good condition with a full service completed. If you're after something rather different, there's Thomas the Tank Engine complete with his faithful coaches Annie and Clarabel. This 2012 Hornby version features the more modern motor and is in immaculate condition, perfect if you're setting up a layout for younger enthusiasts or simply fancy a bit of nostalgic fun. Moving up in scale, we have the Accurascale HOP24/HUO 24.5-ton hopper wagon set. This set of three wagons represents British Railways' coal traffic beautifully and comes in as-new condition with all the fine details you'd expect from Accurascale, including sprung buffers and individual wagon numbering.
Now, if it's scenery you're after, there are some cracking bits here to help bring your layout to life. The scenic bundle includes Metcalfe card buildings built to a high standard (including a farm or country house) along with trees, scatter material and polystyrene rockfaces that can be trimmed to suit your needs. Speaking of rockfaces, there's also a separate box of cork bark rock face pieces that's absolutely brilliant for creating realistic geological features. Cork bark has been the go-to material for modellers for decades because it naturally looks like weathered rock, and this collection comes with simulated lichens, moss, brush and some OO scale trees to help you achieve that convincing natural appearance. Both of these scenic offerings give you excellent starting points for adding character to any corner of your layout without breaking the bank.
Make a feature of your water feature
Installing a
water feature on a model railway is not a decision most modellers take lightly. It is perceived by many
as being difficult to do and sometimes finding the inspiration to create
effective dioramas can be challenging. But once the decision has been
made, and the brave soldier on towards the reward of achieving a watery
scene, they soon realise that actually,
it's really quite easy!
Installing a water feature such as a river follows almost the exact
principles as laying track: You have to plan its route, prepare the
foundations, lay the water (okay, that bit is a little different, but
still easy!) and then
build the scene up with details and accessories. Often, it's that last step that many modellers find difficult, however, with a little thought and planning, it needn't be.
The first thing to consider is any structural features that are to be
included in your scene as these will need to be accommodated in your
river's design. There are plenty to choose from and a short stroll along
most riverbanks will present useful inspirational features such as
sewers, drains, sluice gates and many different types and sizes of
footbridge, all of which can be easily modelled in
OO gauge. If you fancy a larger feature that will make more of an impact on your scene, why not consider a water mill.
Wills Kits produces a
water mill that will certainly turn a few heads, it is part of their
'Craftsman' range for
advanced modellers, so although reasonable modelling skills are
required for the construction of the model, there is a great opportunity
to add your own finishing touches to its design and finish.
If you were hoping for an
easier solution for a water scene,
Busch's 'Lake with a Bridge' set may well be of interest. As far as boxed dioramas go, this set is
ideally suited for family fun layouts, however, used as a base onto
which you can add your own detailing, it has the potential to be a very
convincing model.
Once you have installed your river or other water feature incorporating your structural features, it's time to consider the finer details. Again, ideas are plentiful using models such as Peco's 10mm tall grass tufts as reeds, sets of trees specifically designed to be placed near water, wildlife such as ducks, geese and swans, and man-made features such as lifebelts or wharf clutter.
These are just a few ideas to create an attractive and realistic water scene.
Why not take look at some real rivers and see for yourself the
abundance of features you can model to make a feature of your water
feature?
Modelling tips
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 website.
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 more 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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