Modellings tips and answers - Inspiration - Hustle and bustle - Videos

This week in history

On the 22nd of October 1917, the world's longest straight section of railway track opened in Australia. The section of track is without curves or bends for a staggering 297 miles, and forms part of the Trans-Australian Railway.

This week's tool of the week is a handy A4 size cutting mat. For any modeller who builds or adapts their own models, a cutting mat is a good idea. They not only protect the surface beneath, but are also 'self healing' which simply means any cuts made today, will not cause problems tomorrow when your next project comes along. The handy A4 size will not take up too much space and the durable design will ensure your mat lasts the test of time.

There are many considerations to take into account when planning a model railway, era and location are the obvious ones, time of year is another, but what about the time of day?

At first glance, this might not seem that important, but assuming your layout has some figures on it, you will need to give them an activity to do if you're to avoid them appearing too randomly. To help give your little people purpose, try thinking about the time of day. Mid-day on a quiet branch-line, for example, will have a relatively relaxed feel about it, with just a few shoppers or tourists milling around enjoying their travels. Rush hour, on the other hand, is a very different story and there's plenty of hustle and bustle to be modelled during this time of day.

Sourcing figures for rush hour scenes is no problem, there are plenty of serious and comical sets to choose from including (in OO gauge) calmly seated passengers patiently waiting, or in contrast, sets of commuters going for it hell for leather to catch a train. But don't forget to give your rush hour figures a scene to validate their activity. Not all rush-hour activity involves catching an actual train, morning commuters will often buy a book or a coffee, they often have to queue at a ticket barrier, if they're lucky, they will find a bench to take the weight off their feet while waiting and most will travel either to or from the station on another mode of transport. So try to add a few kiosks, vendors, seats, ticket barriers and maybe a taxi rank to your diorama, it will give you places where you can concentrate your rush hour activities.

N gauge fans will be pleased to learn that rush hour is just as easy to model in their gauge too. The same rules apply, be sure to include plenty of figures rushing around and queuing, but don't forget to give them plenty of reasons to be doing so. Why not model a platform buffet or a book stand? And if you don't like the sound of a taxi rank, try some bus stops instead. Also, don't forget the subject of luggage, rush hour is when station porters are at their busiest, so include plenty of baggage carts and trolleys to give your station and forecourt a good helping of hustle and bustle.

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