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Modellings tips and answers - Embankments and viaducts in OO gauge - Videos

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This week in history

On 1st May 1928, a new non-stop service was commenced by London North Eastern Railway running the 393 miles to Edinburgh Waverley from London King's Cross. This service used LNER Gresley Class A1 4-6-2 locomotives with tenders to permit crew changes en-route. The initial service from King's Cross was conducted by the locomotive 4472 Flying Scotsman.

Tool for thought

This week's tool for thought is a five-metre long pack of ribbon cable by DCC Concepts. Ribbon cables feature a number of independently insulated wires running through a single moulded sheath making them easier to route and keeps wiring jobs neat and tidy. This set features a three-wire ribbon cable with 16 x 0.2 wires running through it, which is more than adequate for most modelling applications including point motor installation. Although the ribbon acts as a single cable, the three individual wire sheaths are colour coded red, green and black for clarity and simplicity.

OO gauge retaining walls and viaducts in card and plastic

There's no doubting the impressive effects a raised landscape can have on a model railway, and because of this, many modellers choose to feature hills or embankments on their layouts to achieve a 3D diorama. If you are at the planning stages of an embankment or cutting on your railway, you may be wondering what type of retaining walls to use.

In many areas of modelling, the first choice you'll make is whether to use ready to plant models or building sheets/materials to create a bespoke design. However, when it comes to retaining walls, there is a third option as many models fall somewhere between the two and are supplied as kits that require construction but with the finer details taken care of.

A good example of this is Metcalfe's OO gauge range of cardboard kits that exhibit embossed and fully decorated details whilst allowing modellers to construct their walls to a track design bespoke to them. Basic retaining wall sections are produced to portray either stone or red brick and are complimented by kits of matching tapered wall sections that can be used to bring walls to a neat and natural-looking end. At the business end of the wall, a road bridge can be used to add an interesting focal point to the feature.

For designs with even more complexity or grandeur, a Metcalfe card viaduct or tunnel portal will not disappoint. Portals are manufactured in both single and double track variations but are only available in a stone design at this time, however, Metcalfe's impressive 725 mm long double-track viaduct is available in either stone or red brick.

If plastic is your modelling weapon of choice, there's something for everyone. Ratio's 350 mm long retaining wall section is a good place to start if you desire the flexibility of a scratch build but don't relish the thought of having to craft details. It features moulded stonework with structural arches to give a canvas on which you can paint or apply weathering to provide a compelling and realistic effect.

For larger plastic structures such as bridges and viaducts there's a huge choice available, just a few of these include Wills' viaduct kit, extension kit, and stone piers kit that combine to allow a build of virtually any length while Kibri's steel girder bridge kit creates a HO gauge single-track bridge that measures over a foot long and can be extended further (or wider) using additional kits and bridge pier sets in the same style.

Modelling tips

We keep on adding modelling tips to our website. Here are the latest ones:

You can read all the articles sorted by categories or from the most recent published one on our website.

Unboxing videos

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

Events and exhibitions

Find all the latest events and exhibitions for the model railway world, on the UK Model Shop Events directory. Hopefully, 2022 will give us plenty of opportunities to attend events all over the country.

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!

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