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

On Saturday 26th of November, the Isle of Wight group of the N gauge Society will hold its first open day. This will take place at Whitwell Village Hall (PO38 2PU - bus route 6). There will be a selection of layouts from the group's modular layout to individual members model railway layouts. Even if you are not modelling in N gauge, this will be a great source of inspiration. Click on the picture for more details.

The topic is best approached from the same perspective as modelling a railway. Firstly you need some rolling stock (or in this case boats), you will also need some lineside buildings (or water's edge equivalent) and then you can finish it all off with some figures going about their business (people doing boaty things). The best way to research what kinds of buildings, vehicles and figures to model is the same way that modellers have been researching railways for years, by looking at pictures or even better the real thing!

There are many models available to help you achieve a realistic diorama, from wooden kits of horse-drawn covered narrowboats, holiday cruisers and even canal maintenance boats to plastic kits of modern tourist or fishing boats. If kits aren't your cup of tea then why not use a ready-to-plant resin boat like the one from Bachmann with a removable hull so that you can set it into your water feature or place it on top.

Many of the buildings that you can find at the side of a waterway are similar to the ones that we see all of the time adjacent to railways. There are pubs, car parks, houses and farms, so these kinds of models will look very much at home at the side of your canal or river too, but there are also some models designed specifically for a river scene such as the special river/canal bridge by Wills, or you could try using their toilet block to make a facilities station. Other models designed for a watery diorama include a lift bridge, fisherman (in and out of the boat) and for a more touristy feel some boaters bobbing around in their boats.

 

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• Are there any liquid track cleaners and how do they work?
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• What is the minimum radius I can use on my model railway layout?
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