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

Bob Mears sent us some pictures of the layout he built recently. He adds "I have gone from an end to end with shuttle to a round one with a slight twist. Merry Christmas to everyone and a hope for back to normal soon."

This week in history - On December the 15th 1969 at ten-to-one in the morning, the very last train departed Gare de la Bastille station in Paris. The station is fondly remembered for being the last terminus station in Paris to be operated entirely by steam locomotives. The station building survived as an exhibition/concert hall until 1984 when it was demolished to make way for the new Opera Bastille concert hall.

How often do we go to an exhibition only to find ourselves in awe at the sheer skill of the modellers that are exhibiting their layouts, and all too often we can talk ourselves into believing that our layouts could never be that good? But it's important to remember that every modeller has had to learn their skills at some point and the only way to gain valuable experience and improve your skills is to have a go yourself.

If this sounds familiar then worry not, although very little can beat learning first hand from other modellers, if you wish to learn at your own pace then you might want to consider trying a learning kit.

Learning kits are a very much like Airfix's starter kits in that you get everything that you need to get you started and some instructions showing you how to construct your model, only with learning kits you will be constructing scenery rather than a model.

Woodland Scenic's range of learning kits cover topics such as rock faces, tree construction, rivers/waterfalls, road systems and scenery details. The kits contain enough material (and instructions) to let you experience making small amounts of scenery without having to purchase vast amounts of materials. And don't forget there are many helpful publications out there giving tips and advice to those wanting to go it alone. Click on the picture of each kit to see videos of the content as well as tutorials on how to best use each kit.

Once you have had a play, are happy with the effects and know what to use and where then it's time to choose some materials. Our top tip, if you have a lot of scenery to construct, is to go for bulk bags or packets. You will always use it (and then some!) but this will help you save money in the long run. Have a good think about which products you are likely to use in large quantities, for example, lichen, foliage, figures or scatter and look out for larger packs of these items as well as any starter packs with a mixture of products in them. By shopping smart and always weighing up the cost of larger packs vs smaller ones, you could save yourself a small fortune throughout your layout's construction. Here are a few possibilities:

• Why do rail joiners and fishplates fail after time?
• What type of oil should I use in a smoke generator?
• What is a pin pusher?
• How do you create snow on a layout?
• What is the difference between a point and a turnout?