News from your model shop - 5th February 2023

Hello

We have just added quite a large amount of items to the bargains section of the website. Not only does the section contains quality second hand items such as analogue and DCC fitted locomotives, wagons and track but you will also find end of lines and clearance items, including Linka moulds, Eddie Stobart lorries, tarpaulins and much more. Simply click here to have a look.

We also have limited quantities of Humbrol enamel paints as well as Humbrol acrylic paints. These will not be restocked. Please note enamel paints are only available from our website.

Vallejo Game Color is changing and we are also clearing the existing lines.

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

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In the week of the hundredth anniversary of the delivery of the 'Flying Scotsman', it seems fitting that the subject for this week's newsletter is the parent company of that famous locomotive, namely the London and North Eastern Railway.  The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was one of the 'Big Four' Railway Companies formed by the Railways Act of 1921.  Together with the London Midland and Scottish (LMS), Great Western Railway (GWR) and Southern Railway (SR) the new Company would dominate the Rail Network of Great Britain until nationalisation in January 1948.

There has never been a better time to model an LNER-themed layout with a wide range of manufacturers offering comprehensive coverage of the subject.  LNER inherited a number of locomotives from their forerunners, such as the B12 Class which were passed on from the Great Eastern Railway (GER).  The Hornby B12 in OO Gauge is resplendent in an eye-catching apple green paint scheme.  Also inherited from the GER were the J15 Class and this has also been faithfully reproduced by Hornby in OO Gauge.  World War Two saw a significant increase in the demands placed on the rail network.  In order to support this a number of new locomotives were produced, often in large numbers such as the War Department 'Austerity' 2-8-0.  Graham Farish has faithfully reproduced the 'Austerity' in N Gauge in a standard LNER unlined black paint scheme typically used by freight locomotives.



LNER relied on freight traffic for a large part of its revenues and this aspect of its operations is well supported across a number of Gauges.  The LNER 20T Brake Van has been produced by Bachmann in OO Gauge.  This wagon is ready-to-run and is presented in a weathered bauxite finish for extra realism.  For those who prefer kits for their wagons, there are various options to choose from, including the LNER horsebox by Parkside also in OO Gauge.  There is also a good selection of options for N Gauge aficionados, including the LNER Conflat with container by Peco.



Although remembered as a large-scale freight carrier, LNER still operated on a number of long-distance commuter routes, such as London to Edinburgh, via York and Newcastle.  The OO Gauge Thompson Brake Composite by Bachman is a typical example of an LNER carriage operated on long-distance routes.  Resplendent in its eye-catching crimson and cream paint scheme, this carriage is supplied in a ready-to-run configuration.  The rail network covered by LNER ran to almost 6,600 miles and serving these routes were a large number of stations, both large and small.  The LNER/SR Country Station kit by Dornaplas allows a modeller to build a fairly typical station building of the time.  In support of its rail operations, LNER also had a large amount of supporting infrastructure, much of which was synonymous with the company ranging from the colours of its locomotives and rolling stock down to its iconic signal posts.  The lattice post signals kit by Ratio Models allows a OO gauge modeller to build up to four different lattice post signals in a variety of single and multiple combinations.



The Thompson Coach Bogies pack by Graham Farish is an interesting option that allows N Gauge modellers the scope to adapt and configure their own rolling stock.  Two bogies are supplied with the pack and are specifically configured to work with models that have chassis-mounted close coupling mechanisms.  The round sprung buffers will allow OO/HO gauge modellers to add that extra level of authenticity to their locomotives.  Each pack has 8 individual buffers that can be retrofitted to locomotives.  Covering a large area and a diverse array of regions as it did, LNER offered considerable travel options for holidays and excursions within Great Britain.  For youngsters of the time, many a holiday or trip would have started with the excitement of a train journey to far-flung destinations.  Gaugemaster allows the modeller to capture this spirit of adventure with its LNER Travel posters in N gauge which can be added to a station billboard thus capturing the promise of adventures to come!



LNER will rightly be remembered as one of the 'Big Four' Companies that conducted operations during the Golden era of rail travel prior to the nationalisation of the railways.  Whether as a regular commuter for work or as a child at the start of a holiday adventure, for many the distinctive LNER colours and identity will be forever synonymous with nostalgia during a glorious period of rail travel with Great Britain.  The 'Big Four' offer considerable opportunities for modellers in a variety of gauges.  Why not consider an LNER-themed layout for your next project?

• Is ballast scale or gauge specific?

• Will older locomotives and rolling stock run on Code 55 N Gauge track?
• What is the difference between a primer and a surfacer?
• How do you determine the scale of a model ?
• Do I need to apply a gloss surface to my models before applying decals?

• What is a B4 bogie?
• What is forced perspective?
• Is acrylic paint safer than enamel paint?
• Is there a smaller model railway gauge than N?
• Can you run a model train from batteries?

• ICM 48801 Spitfire Mk.IX with pilots and ground personnel 1/48 Scale
• Busch 7881 Car engine on fire - OO/HO Gauge
• Ratio Models 506 Square Water Tower - OO/HO Gauge

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