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Don't forget to read our latest modelling tips and unboxing videos located at the bottom of the newsletter.
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This week in history
On Tuesday
23rd October 1906, Brazilian aviation pioneer
Alberto Santos-Dumont conducts the
first 'heavier than air' flight in Europe. For the flight, Santo-Dumont used a biplane he had designed powered by a 50hp Antoinette water-cooled piston engine. The flight took place at the
Chateau de Bagatelle in Paris and was deemed a great success with the aircraft achieving a height of 3-4 metres off the ground over a distance of 50 metres under its own power. Santos-Dumont was awarded the sum of 3,000 Francs for this significant achievement. Buoyed by his success, he declared that he would soon aim for the 100-metre prize which he duly achieved weeks later on
12th November after flying a distance of 220 metres.
Tool for thought
This week's tool for thought is the Professional Archimedes Drill Set, by Expotools. This hand-operated drill uses Archimedes Principle in a hand drill for its operation. Simply push down on the drill handle and the working end of the drill will twist accordingly. The set comes with three High Speed Steel (HSS) drill bits in 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0mm sizes. Also included are two interchangeable collets that will allow the fitting of the provided drill bits. These collets will also allow the modeller to use other sizes of drill bits as needed, making it ideal for precision drilling requirements in awkward locations.
Animal husbandry
Sometimes space on a layout can be at a premium and it is not always possible to create too many additional scene items.
Small vignettes and cameos can add real visual impact but don't have to take up too much space. In the case of rural layouts or dioramas, there is always the option to bring in something a little different when involving animals or animal husbandry. All of the sets in this piece will add great visual detail to the layout and many can be used in combination but still be economic on space.
There are a great many varied trades within the scope of animal husbandry and many of these are supported by a wide selection of figure sets by the major manufacturers. We will look today at
what is available in OO/HO Gauge but many similar sets are available in N, O and other Gauges as well. A wide selection of skills can easily be incorporated into your layout, from the local farrier and smith and gamekeepers as included in Bachmann's '
rural tradesmen' set to the activities of
dairy farmers as in the set of the same name from Woodland Scenics and Noch's appealing '
calf transportation' set. Preiser's '
horse drawn plough and '
shepherd with flock' sets can easily be incorporated into a wide variety of rural settings whilst being compact and visually appealing. For variety why not consider Noch's '
on the farm deco scene' with its poultry house for the resident geese together with 6 willing helpers of all ages.
Noch's 'stable workers and horses' is a diverse set that would go well in a stable or smallholding scenario. Sometimes it may be necessary for workers to be mobile and visit the animals in the field. Busch's 'mobile milking machine' and 'sheep shearing' sets are examples of this pastoral work. Back at the farm, it's time for the next generation to get involved and interact as it's time for 'calf feeding'. Rural environments are no place for the faint of heart, as our intrepid vet is discovering in Busch's eye-watering 'insemination' set. Not all animal husbandry specialists operate on farms or smallholdings and can be found in urban environments, such as the backyard. The 'parrot aviary' set from Busch is a compact but eye-catching set that could be incorporated into any number of layouts or dioramas.
Animal husbandry is such a diverse subject and the figure sets available truly represent the wide scope of the subject. Interactions between animals and people are an everyday activity and occur in a wide variety of environments both urban and rural. The sets themselves are small but can have a significant impact on a layout or diorama adding a clever counterpoint to the layout and a significant interest factor. Why not consider incorporating an 'animal husbandry' themed set into your next layout or diorama?
Modelling tips
Or re-discover these slightly older ones:
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
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