News from your model shop - 3rd September 2023

Hello

We have just added to the website a large amount of second hand items including Hornby Dublo, Wrenn and Tri-Ang TT as well as Hornby, Graham Farish and Bachmann locomotives. You can easily find them in the "newly arrived" page on the website.

Most images in this newsletter are clickable for more details.

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

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There are a wide range of aspects to developing a layout from building the baseboard to developing the theme for the layout and electrifying the track.  All are important tasks and demand specific skill sets of the modeller.  All are integral in creating a practical and engaging layout for both the modeller and casual observer to enjoy.  One of the final steps will be developing and integrating scene elements, those final touches of realism and day-to-day life that help the layout to really spring to life.  Here, we will be specifically looking at N Gauge layouts and considering a selection of items from a range of manufacturers that might be used to add those final flourishes.

Layouts provide a landscape for locomotives and rolling stock to move through.  Creating an immersive environment can be a significant task but inevitably it is quite often the small and fine details that have the greatest visual impact.  The Climbing Roses set by Tasma is an ideal example of this, with its colourful floral arrangements it will add colour and visual impact.  Likewise, the Pear Trees set by the same company will add realistic detail to a garden or smallholding.  For those looking to create a little more visual impact, the Sunflower Field by Busch may well fit the bill.  With its 96 individual sunflowers with bases, this set is guaranteed to provide an eye-catching scene.



Allotments and smallholding seem to be one of those features of urban life that quite often co-exists in close proximity to railway lines.  For modellers looking to develop this as a scene element, the Ploughed Field by Busch is a good option.  Measuring 480mm x 280mm, the supplied layout mat can easily be cut and shaped to size to fit the specific requirements of the scene.   The Four Greenhouses by Kestrel Design offers the modeller a simple structure that can be used to populate either an allotment or a small domestic garden scene.  The Security Fencing with Barbed Wire kit by Ancorton could well be utilised in a large variety of trackside locations as a means of keeping trespassers and members of the public from inadvertently straying onto the railway.



In addition to allotments and smallholdings, domestic gardens are also an area that can significantly benefit from additional scene elements that help turn an ordinary building into an individual home.  The Conservatory, Chairs and Tables set by Langley is an unpainted kit that allows the modeller to incorporate a selection of items into a Garden and paint them as desired.  Also included are a selection of decorative garden benches.  Developing the garden theme further, Metcalfe has produced the versatile Garden Sheds kit that includes two distinct structures, one being a standard shed, the other being a compact potting shed.  Similarly, the Summerhouses kit by Gaugemaster offers the modeller three distinct structures that can easily be utilised to fill the roles of summerhouse, children's play zone or man cave as desired.



Another area of the layout landscape that can easily benefit from additional scene elements is the immediate trackside environment itself.  This inevitably is fairly spartan in nature and as such benefits from a less-is-more approach.  Telegraph poles are a regular feature of the trackside region and the 10-pack kit by Ratio offers the modeller a cost-effective and practical means to integrate this important infrastructure into a layout.  The signal box is inevitably one of the most iconic of trackside buildings and brings an extra dimension to any layout.  The Signal Box kit by Metcalfe has the added benefit of providing not just one but four trackside buildings.  In addition to a large and small signal box, the kit also provides the modeller with a platelayers hut and a lamp hut.  Although most track attempts to maintain a consistent gradient, undulating terrain may dictate that the surrounding landscape may vary in elevation.  In order to protect the track from landslip it may be necessary to integrate some form of buttressing support, such as the Brick Retaining Wall kit by Metcalfe.  This impressive structure not only ensures essential protection but also helps create a stunning visual trackside landscape.



Scene elements are a very effective way of bringing extra detail and immersive real-world touches to a landscape that helps really bring a layout to life.  They can be used on a large scale or selectively to offer balance and essential contrast to other aspects of the layout.  As many of these items are small they offer a simple and cost-effective means for a modeller to add those final touches to a layout.  Why not examine the 'scene element' options available for your N Gauge project?

• For accuracy, what size thread should I use to connect my telegraph poles in OO/HO and N gauges?
• What advantages do aerosol-based paints and sprays have when compared to airbrush and brush applied alternatives?
• How did train drivers read semaphore signals at night?
• What colours should I use to create realistic-looking tracks for tanks and other armoured vehicles?
• What was the purpose of the deflector plates fitted to the front of some steam locomotives ?

• Are model railway layouts dangerous because of the use of electricity?
• What is the smallest radius Peco curve for N gauge?
• How to maintain a curve when joining flexible track?
• Which railway was the SNER?
• How can I safely ballast points?

• Roden 732 Type B Omnibus 'Ole Bill' in 1/72 scale
• Javis BZB17 Battlezone derelict building 17 / 28 mm Scale
• Peco KNR-48 10 Foot Wheelbase LMS Goods Brake Van 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.