News from your model shop - tools and accessories for all scales

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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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Railway song of the week

If you’ve never heard Indian Pacific by Slim Dusty, you’re in for a proper slice of Australian country music history. This song, released in 1976, is a tribute to the legendary Indian Pacific train, which runs from Sydney to Perth, crossing the vast Australian outback. With his signature storytelling style, Slim Dusty paints a vivid picture of this epic journey, celebrating the train’s role in connecting the country’s eastern and western coasts. The song is packed with a sense of adventure, movement and an unmistakable love for the land, making it a favourite among fans of country and folk music alike.

Slim Dusty, often regarded as Australia’s most iconic country musician, had a knack for capturing the spirit of the outback and its people. Indian Pacific is no exception, blending a rolling melody with lyrics that evoke the vast, untamed landscapes of Australia. Even if you’re not familiar with his music, this track is a great introduction to his style: warm, nostalgic, and deeply rooted in storytelling. For UK listeners, it’s a fascinating glimpse into a world far removed from British rail journeys, where the tracks stretch for thousands of miles through rugged, sunburnt terrain. Give it a listen by clicking the picture below and you might just find yourself picturing the endless horizons of the Australian outback.

 

Many modellers of war-themed dioramas opt for 1:35 as their scale of choice. The scale certainly seems to provide the best of both worlds with models large enough to exhibit fine details whilst being small enough to pack a fair amount into a scene. Being a long-established scale, there's no problem finding models of military vehicles to feature in a diorama, but what about everything else?

Well, many larger structures such as barns or bridges are often scratch built. Such projects are not too difficult to tackle in this scale, but where many modellers do get a little stuck is finding models to dress their scenes with. MiniArt is one model kit manufacturer that has risen to the challenge and produces numerous kits containing the most unlikely of subjects. You can see the full range by clicking here but an excellent example of this can be seen with their household crockery and glass set, their wooden barrels set, or their musical instruments set. Their kits do require a certain amount of assembly and will need painting and weathering, so don't worry, they have left you something to do!



MiniArt also produces a decent range of military, vehicular and industrial accessory model kits too, such as their High-Pressure Cylinder set, their Oil and Petrol Can set and their WW2 Allies Jerry Can set.



Whether you model in 1:35 scale or any other scale, all modellers love their tools, especially quirky, niche or job-specific tools. These lesser heard of tools can often provide a perfect solution to a modeller's problem, even when they didn't know they had a problem until they tried the solution! For example, did you know that you can get low-tack masking tape that won't wrench paintwork from your prised model? or what about masking sheets for masking larger areas?

Other tools that will surprise and impress with their existence includes shaped sandpaper holders for sanding curves, hollows, bends and corners; a mini putty tray and applicator set for smaller filling jobs, a copper wire bending tool for creating various sizes of handrails (grab handles) and a value plastic model clamp handy for paint spraying.

• What was the Mainline Railways company?
• What is a Wickham Trolley?
• What was the Bachmann 'Blue Riband' subbrand ?
• Do I need to apply a camber to a tight curve of track on my layout?

• What is a hospital train?
• Why are some trains equipped with two locomotives ?
• What different types of layout are there?
• What would I use Tamiya Smoke (X-19) paint for?
• What is a 3D printer?

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