News from your model shop - 2 October 2022
sendNewsletterForm.php (GIF Image, 3 × 3 pixels)
Modellings tips and answers - Modelling building sites - Videos

Hello

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

Feel free to send this newsletter to your friends, family and club members if you think they will benefit from it. They can subscribe for free.


This week in history

On Friday 4th October 1957, the World's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1 was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in what is now modern-day Kazhakstan.  Sputnik 1 was a spherical metal ball 23 inches (about 60cm) in diameter with four distinctive metal aerials.  The launch caught the rest of the world by surprise.  Amateur radio operators rushed to tune-in to the distinctive pulses emanating from the diminutive spacecraft.  Unfortunately, the onboard batteries only lasted for three weeks and two months later in January 1958 the tiny spacecraft finally succumbed to the Earth's gravity and broke up in the upper atmosphere after completing just over 1,400 orbits of the planet.  Although diminutive in size, Sputnik's place in the history of space travel is assured as it fired the starting pistol in the 'Race for Space'.



Tool of the week

This week's tools for thought are Micro Set and Micro Sol both produced by Microscale.  Micro Set and Micro Sol are both decal setting solutions that can be used either singly or in combination.  All waterslide decals are printed on a carrier film.  When dipped in water the decal will separate from the backing sheet on which it was provided.  It can then be placed as required on the subject model.  The carrier film on which the decal is printed has some degree of surface tension and rigidity.  Micro Set acts in two ways: firstly it helps the decal adhere to the intended surface and secondly, it helps to soften the decal carrier film.  This allows the decal to better contour the model surface.  In effect, it now flows into the surface rather than just sitting on top.  This can be useful when the decal is placed on curved surfaces or when it is required to flow into other surface details such as recessed panel lines.

Occasionally decals may have to be placed over an irregular surface or protruding surface detail.  The surface tension of the decal carrier film can make this difficult.  Micro Sol has been specifically formulated to work in these circumstances.  It has a stronger formula than Micro Set and this allows it to further soften the decal carrier film, allowing the decal to better take trickier or more challenging surfaces or significant raised or recessed surface details.



Getting the builders in

Creating the scene elements for any layout or diorama can be one of the trickiest decisions to make for any modeller.  The elements chosen should add to the layout and be complementary to other themes within the layout.  Sometimes space is also a factor.  This may require that the modeller adds elements that are visually striking but are economical on space.  Professional trades such as builders and their associated buildings and materials often work well with railway layouts as some of these elements are frequently found in close proximity to railway stations or marshalling yards.  Whether the subject of the layout is urban, rural or industrial, building or repair projects tend to integrate well with the overall theme.

So in this newsletter, we're reaching for our hard hats and work boots.  It's time to get the OO gauge builders in!  In order to supply the materials and tools of the trade for our builders, it will be helpful to create some supporting infrastructure.  Auhagen's separate 'Lumber Yard and Span Company' and 'Sheds, tools and Outhouses' sets can help establish the essential suppliers for local tradesmen.  Similarly, the 'Coal or Builders Merchant Depot' by Ratio will be a useful resource for our builders and will inevitably integrate well in close proximity to any Station or Marshalling Yard.   There is a wide selection of appropriate figures to choose from in order to populate any diorama.  Most are pre-painted plastic figures such as the sets below from Merten and Faller.  For those who prefer metal figures, either painted or unpainted then look no further than the figure sets from Langley.







Additional figure sets from Noch and Bachmann can provide further builders conducting a variety of activities around the building site.  The 'Site Circular Saw' set from Busch also adds an interesting counterpoint and dynamic to any scenario.  One of the advantages of using the theme of 'Getting the Builders in' is that the associated figure sets can be incorporated reasonably easily into an existing layout.  The 'Pulley Block' set by Busch and the 'Fordhampton Building Site' set by Gaugemaster both offer scaffolding and associated equipment which can be easily positioned around existing buildings to depict modifications or repairs.  the 'Topping Out Ceremony' by Busch is an interesting subject and is likely to add eye-catching detail to any building project as our trusty builders down tools for a short while to celebrate with a well-deserved beer!






Building works are an everyday fact of life.  When used as a theme for scene elements in a layout or diorama they can add a lot of eye-catching detail and bustle and offer a real-world perspective.  The associated elements are also very scalable in that they can be the basis for either a large activity using multiple figure sets and perhaps some of the buildings mentioned or, alternatively a small vignette using a few figures conducting repairs or maintenance on an existing building.  Whatever the scope, bringing in the builders can add significant visual impact to the supporting scene elements of a layout or diorama.  The scope for this subject is considerable and there are many other figure sets and scene elements that could help populate a 'Building works' or similar municipal-works themed layout.  Why not integrate 'Getting the Builders in' themed elements into your next layout?


Modelling tips

We keep on adding modelling tips to our website. Here are the latest ones:
Or re-discover these slightly older ones:
You can read all the articles sorted by categories or from the most recent published one 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 on this selection. Please note that videos are at the bottom of each page.
You can access all the unboxing videos by visiting this page or simply click on the link called "videos" on our website.

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!

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

If for some reason you do not want to receive this newsletter anymore, click this link to unsubscribe