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

Bill Pinfold sent us the following pictures from his layout.

He explains: "Many thanks for the latest newsletter. Your comments on OO9 scale modelling apply to my own project that I started and completed in the first lockdown earlier this year. As you can see from the attached pictures, the narrow gauge scale makes a suitcase - or in this example a briefcase - layout possible, which is important when storage space is at a premium. Some of the scenery supplies are thanks to your good selves. The loco and coaches are from an old Egger Bahn set, so strictly speaking they are HOe (1/87) narrow gauge, running on OO9 track. The up-cycled wooden case was found at an eco-charity event. With the roaming bison it also keys into a previous newsletter about fitting exotic animals into a scene."

Click on the pictures below to see them in full size and access a few more photographs.

If you are used to painting, you know the importance of mixing the paint correctly to avoid streaks and get a consistent finish. Timodel has just released their paint shaker which is compatible with most hobby bottles and jars. Click on the pictures for full details including videos.



This week in history - On November 17th 1941, Prospector multiple-units started operation on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, they operated services between Denver and Salt Lake City.




Canals, rivers and docks go hand in hand with railways, and many have been modelled in the past with fantastic results. But what do you do with it once created? This question has been pondered by many modellers over the years, when it comes to trains and railways we all know our stuff, but waterways are a whole new ballgame.

The topic is best approached from the same perspective as modelling a railway. Firstly you need some rolling stock (or in this case boats), you will also need some lineside buildings (or water's edge equivalent) and then you can finish it all off with some figures going about their business (people doing boaty things). The best way to research what kinds of buildings, vehicles and figures to model is the same way that modellers have been researching railways for years, by looking at pictures or even better the real thing!

There are many models available to help you achieve a realistic diorama, from wooden kits of horse-drawn covered narrowboats, holiday cruisers and even canal maintenance boats to plastic kits of modern tourist or fishing boats. If kits aren't your cup of tea then why not use a ready-to-plant resin boat like the one from Bachmann with a removable hull so that you can set it into your water feature or place it on top.

Many of the buildings that you can find at the side of a waterway are similar to the ones that we see all of the time adjacent to railways. There are pubs, car parks, houses and farms, so these kinds of models will look very much at home at the side of your canal or river too, but there are also some models designed specifically for a river scene such as the special river/canal bridge by Wills, or you could try using their toilet block to make a facilities station. Other models designed for a watery diorama include a lift bridge, fisherman (in and out of the boat) and for a more touristy feel some boaters bobbing around in their boats.

 

• What are catch points?
• What is the Hornby Railroad range?
• What is the British Rail TOPS system?
• How do I clean brushes used with acrylic paint?
• How much scenery should you have on a layout?