1:35 Modern Gas pumps Mid Orient

Fuel pumps of the Middle Eastern type

Fuel pumps of modern design, cast in polyurethane resin, are cut for dioramas in 1:35 scale. The designation Mid Orient refers to the Middle East, and the shapes match the filling stations of that region as we know them from footage of present-day conflicts and from the everyday traffic of its towns. Production takes place in Italy under the brand Royal Model.

A filling station as a stage

A station by the road is a rewarding place for storytelling: civilian cars meet military hardware there, a patrol meets local people, calm meets tension. A pump also explains naturally why the vehicle in the scene is standing there, and gives the scene a reason. Plenty of small things can be played out around it, from hoses through cans to oil stains on the concrete.

Painting and wear

Paint does not resist the southern sun for long, so start from a lightened shade and only then draw the shadow in with a glaze. On the edges of the covers suggest scuffed metal, around the nozzle darkened traces of fuel, and at the foot a fine deposit of dust in a light ocher. Keep the lettering and the numbers sparing. It is assembled with cyanoacrylate glue and the surface calls for a filler primer.

What dioramas it belongs in

• Scenes from present-day conflicts in the Middle East
• Civilian scenes from suburbs and suburban roads
• A diorama with wheeled or tracked hardware at a stop
• Display cases where a figure is to gain a setting

Vehicles, figures and groundwork are not supplied with this set.