News from your model shop - 6th June 2021
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Modellings tips and answers - Inspiration - White metal figures in OO and N gauge - Videos

Hello

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

Inspiration

Robert Lewis sent us a picture of his garden layout. He explains: "I purchased the Hornby / Lionel (wrongly advertised as G Gauge) Harry Potter Hogwarts Express set. At first I was dismayed that it had its own gauge of 50mm, so would not run on LGB 45mm track. However, as I quite liked the set, I made a small garden railway. I purchased some extra track and opened out a long straight section of LGB track to 50mm. As a modeller, I close-coupled the coaches, added flexible corridor connections, then improved the white windows with printed glazed inlays. I also painted the interior of the loco cab and added a crew. As I was quite impressed with the set, I have purchased the Lionel 'READY TO PLAY' THOMAS TANK SET and a NEW YORK CENTRAL DIESEL set. " Click on the picture to see it in full size.
This week in history

On the 6th of June 1944, the French Chemins de Fer to Calvados narrow gauge railway was destroyed during the Normandy Landings.



Just the job in white metal

There is no doubting that ready-painted plastic figures exhibit incredibly high levels of detail these days, but what about white metal figures? Figures made from white metal are far from an outdated option, for a lot of modellers their weight and appearance has helped them retain popularity, for others who started out modelling in white metal, it makes sense to carry on to maintain continuity.

Certainly the popularity of white metal figures in 00 gauge has kept manufacturers interested in developing them resulting in a plentiful range of models that are both well detailed and often come ready-painted. This is particularly evident in a range depicting workers undertaking various jobs such as window cleaning, coal merchants, newspaper vendors, road workers and milkmen. There's even an adorable scarecrow to keep crops safe from pesky birds!


 


And if you thought traditional white metal figures were reserved only for the more traditional 00 gauge, then think again, white metal figures in N gauge cover a whole range of subjects, and they too often come ready-painted and displaying good levels of detail such as P&D Marsh's depiction of an AA patrol, a modern forklift truck, a lollypop man seeing children across the road, postmen, gardeners and coal merchant workers.

With a desirable weight, decent range offered, good levels of detail and ready-painted options readily available, white metal figures are far from becoming models of the past and are likely to be around for many years to come.


Modelling tips

We keep on adding modelling tips to our website. Here are the latest ones:
You can also access all the articles by visiting this page or simply click the link called "tips" on our website.

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 below to see the latest ones:

You can access all the unboxing videos by visiting this page or simply click on the link called "videos" on our website.

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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