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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
The Ballad of John Axon is the first of the famous BBC Radio Ballads, created in 1957 by Ewan MacColl, Charles Parker and Peggy Seeger. It tells the true story of John Axon, a Stockport-born locomotive driver who died in 1957 after refusing to abandon his runaway train, saving the lives of others at the cost of his own. Blending folk songs, recorded speech from railway workers and evocative sound design, the programme pioneered a new documentary form and stands as a powerful tribute to Axon’s bravery and to the working lives of British railwaymen. Click on the picture to listen to it:
This week in history
On the 1st of December 1909, the LB&SCR (London, Brighton and South Coast Railway) commenced operation of its very first electric multiple units.
The stock, known as SL Stock, ran off overhead 6.7kV a.c. wires and
operated between Victoria and London Bridge station. The units (and the
line) were later converted to third-rail operation in 1928.
If you're working in OO gauge and fancy adding some vintage character to your railway, you might be interested in this bundle of Tri-ang platform pieces complete with a metal Duplo station building and motorised trolley. These classic pieces have that wonderful retro charm that's hard to replicate with modern items. Speaking of stations, there's also a ready-made church diorama measuring 43 cm by 30 cm, complete with a lychgate, gravestones, fencing and even lighting fitted to the church itself, perfect if you're after an instant scenic feature for a corner of your baseboard. To complement your station scenes, a set of three Hornby four-wheel coaches in Caledonian livery are available, all in excellent condition with their original boxes and showing very little sign of use.
For those of you modelling British railways in OO gauge with a focus on motive power, there's a pair of Mainline Class 45 diesels available, both in BR green livery. These have been fully serviced and run well, making them ideal workhorses for your layout. If you're after something to haul behind them, a Bachmann Branchline 30-ton bogie bolster wagon in LMS grey has been weathered to a very high standard by its previous owner, though do note the couplings have been replaced with hooks for authenticity – easily swapped back if you prefer standard couplings.
Now, if you're one of the dedicated souls modelling in the delightful but often overlooked TT gauge, you're in for a treat. There's a Tri-ang Jinty that's been given some care and attention, the lining has been removed and new decals applied and it's been fully serviced so it runs very nicely indeed. Complementing this is a Tri-ang Britannia locomotive and tender which, whilst showing its age cosmetically, has been serviced and tested and performs very well on the track.
Finally, for those of you who've ventured across the pond into American railway modelling in HO gauge, there are a couple of interesting diesel locomotives on offer. An Athearn Santa Fe set comprising a powered A unit, a B unit, and a dummy A unit, all three in excellent condition and the powered unit running really well after a full service. There's also a Bachmann USA EMD F40PH in Regional Transportation Authority livery, complete with working lights and in excellent overall condition. Both of these would make excellent additions to an American-themed layout and represent good value for someone just starting out with US prototypes.
Wet your N gauge appetite!
Modelling in N gauge is
often (but not always) a choice taken for one of two reasons, either
because of space restraints or to feature more of a world outside the
railway. The latter is always a bit of a dilemma, with many modellers
worrying that if they model in N gauge, they will have the space, but
may struggle to find appropriate models to fill it. If that sounds
familiar, have you considered an
N gauge water feature?
Water features are a brilliantly cost-effective way to fill large
volumes of space while being scenically attractive and realistic. A lake
is tremendously difficult to find space for in other gauges leaving
many modellers featuring just a corner of it, but in N gauge, you have
the fantastic opportunity to model a lot more with amazing results. An N
gauge water feature such as
a lake or river can be created in the same way as for other gauges, by using a
Deep Pour water or similar product. From there, you can dress scenes to give them a natural, industrial or leisure-based identity.
Natural scenes are especially easy to produce as
many scenic modelling products are not gauge specific, such as the
innovative Wrinkle Rock sheets,
designed to be simply scrunched up and stuck on to create realistic
canyon or ravine rock faces. If you like the sound of wilder water,
Woodland Scenics' Water Waves can be used to create rapids, froth, splashes and waves, again
utilising a non-gauge specific product. Trees are often sold according
to their height not gauge, so keep an eye out for smaller options such
as
Woodland Scenics' 0.75-2 inch trees, perfect for at the side of an N gauge lake or river.
Water-based industrial scenes are ideal for inner-city locations, so why not create a network of canals on your N gauge layout? Models of canal boats, lock gates and dockside cranes are available from manufacturers such as Langley Models whilst Wills Kits produces a convincing N gauge canal bridge kit. If leisure is more your cup of tea, you will not be stuck for ideas thanks to models such as Woodland Scenics' 'Family Fishing' or 'Canoers' sets. Why not create a beach with some sunbathers relaxing, Noch's bathers set is ideal for portraying a modern-day family enjoying the sunshine.
Most modellers will agree that whilst there are plenty of models out there for N gauge layouts,
you do sometimes have to search for them. But when it comes to water
features, the models featured here are just a drop in the ocean!
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 still give us a few 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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