News from your model shop - 5 March 2023

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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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When most of us think of buying a train set or developing a layout for the first time we inevitably ask ourselves the question, how much space do I have to play with?  This tends to shape our thought process on which gauge we should use.  Perhaps the most familiar gauges for modellers to work in are OO/HO and N.  Both have pros and cons in relation to scale and the area available to work in.  Some modellers have a very specific scale in mind from the outset and then seek to develop their layout within the confines available.  Many modellers have chosen to work in O gauge specifically for the level of detail it offers and the fact that it can also be used outside.  With a scale of 7mm to 1 foot, O gauge equates to a scale ratio of 1:43.5 in the UK and 1:48 in the rest of the world.  Both of these scales are popular with plastic kit manufacturers which allows O Gauge modellers a useful pool of resources to tap into for other elements to develop their layouts.  In fact, so popular has O Gauge become in recent years that most major manufacturers now produce almost as many resources in O as they do in OO/HO.  The scope of this newsletter is to offer a taster of the range of resources available in O gauge for those who are considering working in this scale.

O Gauge is effectively double the size of OO/HO and as such O gauge rolling stock lends itself well to kit form.  A number of manufacturers have issued kits of various waggons in resin and injection moulded plastic.  The 5 Plank Square end open Wagon by Smallbrook Studios is a resin offering, whereas the 'LNER 20 Ton Hopper Wagon' and 'SR Standard Cattle Wagon' are both injected moulded plastic kits produced by Parkside.



There is good scope for supporting infrastructure as well as evidenced by the 'Motorised GWR Signal' produced by Dapol.  The Period Telephone Box by Langley Models is an unpainted Photo-etched brass and white metal kit that can add extra detail and authenticity to a layout.  Likewise, the '4 Station Seats' by Peco allows a modeller to help create authentic Station details, in this case with a set of GWR-specific seats.



Additional scene elements can be created by adding foliage to the layout.  A number of manufacturers provide O Gauge specific foliage, such as the 'Flowering tufts' and the 'Flowering pathway', both by Tasma Products.  There is a wide range of good options for populating a layout such as the 'O Scale Newsstand and 4 Figures' supplied by Woodland Scenics.



With an increase in scale comes a commensurate increase in detail and nowhere is this more obvious than in the buildings that will be integrated into the layout.  The  'O Gauge Level Crossing Gates' by Peco is a plastic assembly kit that can be painted and weathered as required.  Likewise, the 'Brick Base Signal Box' is a plastic kit that can be assembled and painted to provide an impressive level of detail and realism to a layout.  What sets 'O Gauge' apart from OO/HO Gauge is that layout detail can be taken to a higher level as evidenced by the 'Signal Box Interior' which can be integrated into the Signal box thus literally offering a window into a greater level of detail and realism and creating an eye-catching visual reference point on the layout.



If you are thinking of developing a layout and are considering the options for an appropriate scale then why not consider O Gauge?  The options for detail and realism are considerable, with many of the major manufacturers looking to increasingly develop their O Gauge ranges the future has never looked brighter for the O Gauge community.

• What are my options for motorising a turntable on my layout?
• Should I colour match my primer to the topcoat on my model?
• What are my options for displaying and storing a scale model?
• Can continuous high speed usage damage the motor of my model locomotive?
• What are my best acrylic options for painting bare metal surfaces?

• What is a DMU?
• What is the best way to hide or disguise sharp curves on a layout?
• How much track is too much track on a layout?
• When painting models, what is the toothpaste technique?
• What is an EMU?

• Ratio Models 413 Water Crane and Fire Devil OO/HO Gauge
• Wills Kits SS37 Market Traders Barrow Stalls (x2) OO/HO Gauge
• Peco 5133 - 1927 Maudslay ML3 Bus 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.