Hello,

Building a kit is a very rewarding experience. Not only do you get to add something to your layout that not everyone has, but also you can take the opportunity to modify it to suit your needs. I am not even going to mention the joy of building something yourself rather than simply opening a box.

One of the easiest way to get started with kit building is to build a wagon. They can be put together quickly, come in a vast array of versions and will be useful on your layout. Furthermore, as you would have a few wagons on any layout, you get the opportunity not only to save money by not buying the ready to run ones, but also to learn more every time you build another one.

In N gauge, Peco is the main manufacturer with about 25 kits covering the most common wagons types: 5 plank, 7 plank, cattle truck, brake vans, open wagons, conflat, tank ...

In OO gauge, there are a few manufacturers: Dapol, Cambrian, Parkside, Cooper-craft, Smallbrook Studio (producer of kits from the Isle of Wight)... with ranges varying from a few types to an extensive range of more than 100 different ones in the case of Parkside and Cooper-craft.

The building process is the same, regardless of the scale. Start by checking all parts are present and then clean them in soapy water. Once dry, the fun can really start.

Follow the instructions to put all the parts together. For plastic kits, we strongly recommend Plastic Magic to glue parts. This is not technically a glue but a solvent. What it means it that it welds the plastic and fuse the parts together. The result is something as strong as the kit itself. The advantages of Plastic Magic over similar products such as Liquid Poly is that Plastic Magic will work on most types of plastic including styrene, ABS, polyester, PVC, etc.

Once the kit is built, give it a coat of primer as explained a few weeks ago and then paint it. If you missed the article describing how to paint models, simply contact us and we will send it to you.

Once painted, all that remains to be done is to add some transfers and markings. Numbers, lining and usual logos (say the BR emblem) are available from sheets we keep in stock. Do not forget to give your model a coat of gloss varnish before applying the transfers for best result.

And after the transfers, if you want you can make everything dirty with a bit of weathering. Finally, enjoy your new wagon and start thinking about what you are going to build next!

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. And the car park in York Road is still free every Tuesday from 1pm so you can spend the afternoon with us. So no excuse not to come and visit us!

Upstairs Downstairs is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am till 4.30pm, Sunday from 1pm till 4pm. We are closed only on Monday.

Carole & Max

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

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