Model Railway Features
Staff Projects: Topley Dale scenic overhaul
Over time scenic materials can fade and lose their impact . MIKE WILD explains what he did to bring a fresh finish to the ground cover around Topley Dale station in this step by step guide.
Bachmann 'J72' 0-6-0T sound installation
Bachmann’s recently released, newly designed ‘J72’ 0-6-0T model reveals its advanced internal features to PAUL CHETTER as he installs sound and stay alive capacitors.
Farewell to the ECML HST
On December 15 2019 the curtain came down on one of the most significant eras of the East Coast Main Line when the last HST was withdrawn from regular service on that route, marking the end of a 40-year period, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
Staff Projects: Model me
At the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition MIKE WILD visited the ModelU 3D stand to be immortalised in miniature as a ‘Western’ driver. The results are in and he’s now at the controls of a pair of Dapol Class 52s.
Planning a model railway
Building your first model railway calls for a little planning and understanding before you get underway. We highlight the most important considerations from choosing a scale through to finding a location to build your first railway to get your project underway.
BASEBOARDS made simple
Baseboards don’t have to be difficult or complex. We explain three ways to create a solid foundation for your model railway covering DIY, kit and readyassembled boards.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Every model railway needs track. We offer our top tips for laying track so that you can build a smooth running layout which will work reliably on every use.
POWER & CONTROL Analogue vs Digital
Choosing the right type of control system for your layout from the start will set you on the right track for the future. We explain the key differences between analogue and digital control for model railways.
Scenery top tips
Hornby Magazine presents its top tips and products to start your journey to a full scenic model railway.
Class 158 and 159 DMUs
The Class 158 family of DMUs revolutionised secondary services all over the country on their introduction 30 years ago and have been reliable performers with many more years of service planned. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES tells us more about this popular class.
Maintaining the new diesels
The change from steam to diesel traction in the 1950s and 1960s brought with it a huge number of new challenges, not least at depot level where a whole new approach to maintenance had to be established. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
Class 50 afterlife
BR’s Class 50 diesels are some of the most popular locomotives ever built, and this has been reflected in the number preserved, which currently stands at just over a third of those constructed, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES discovers.
Narrow gauge sound
PAUL CHETTER explains how he fitted sound to ‘OO9’ narrow gauge model locomotives from Bachmann and Heljan revealing how a model’s basic design can greatly influence the ease with which this can be achieved.
Staff Projects: Detail matters
With the long winter evenings upon us, MARK CHIVERS has been adding fresh details to his Southern Region Class 33 and 73 fleet including new numbers and etched nameplates.
PCA weathering
Having looked at Presflos and Cemflos, TIM SHACKLETON turns to Blue Circle’s present-day fleet of PCAs, now operated by Freightliner in partnership with Lafarge.
Rail Centres: Eastleigh
Situated between Winchester and Southampton on the former LSWR mainline in Hampshire, Eastleigh was amongst the last places to see steam operation on the Southern Region. MARK CHIVERS looks back at this railway hotspot and highlights a selection of passenger and freight formations from the final decade of Southern steam.
Gresley's pioneering ‘A3' class 'Pacifics'
Much is known about the exploits of Gresley’s famous ‘A3’ Pacifics, including Flying Scotsman, but far less is known about the wider impact the class had on services on the East Coast Main Line. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES finds out more to mark the arrival of Hatton’s new ‘O’ gauge model.
BRITISH RAILWAYS Western Region
Chocolate and cream, lined green 4-6-0s, Brunel’s ‘billiard table’ and the torturous grades of the South Devon Banks were just a few of the components of British Railways’ Western Region. MIKE WILD looks back at what made this region of British Railways different to all the rest.
TRANS-PENNINE TRACTION
With its intense traffic levels, fearsome gradients and challenging timetabling, the north Trans-Pennine corridor has always held great interest for enthusiasts. Now services on this line are undergoing a radical upgrade, the latest in a series of improvements which have been continuously carried out since Victorian times, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES discovers.
Staff Projects: Thinking ahead
Following a busy autumn season of projects MIKE WILD is already thinking about what to build next in both ‘OO’ and ‘O’ gauge.
MODELLING THE WESTERN REGION
Recreating the Western Region in miniature calls for signature items. MIKE WILD offers 20 top tips to help you get the appearance of a 1948-1968 period layout right.
ROCK CUTTINGS
Rugged rock cuttings can make for dramatic and impactful scenery. MIKE WILD shows how you can create realistic cutting sides in simple steps using Woodland Scenics products.
Western Region Train Formations 1948-1968
BR’s Western Region has operated a huge variety of trains and classes over the decades. Mark Chivers looks at some modellable examples from the 1940s - 1960s.
Oxford ‘N7’ sound
The chunky lines of the Great Eastern ‘N7’ 0-6-2Ts are hard to resist. MIKE WILD completes his GER collection by installing sound in Oxford Rail’s new BR black model of Stratford allocated 69612.
SAUSAGES BY RAIL
Colourful advertising liveries are commonplace on today’s privatised network, but this wasn’t always so. TIM SHACKLETON builds a high-quality kit for one of the most distinctive and unusual vehicles that ran on our steam-era railways – the Palethorpe’s six-wheel van.
A new village for Knight's Hill
MALCOLM BRIGGS explains how he modelled Cornish vernacular architecture quickly and at practically no cost to create a new village scene for his ‘OO’ gauge layout.
Autumn finale
Adding trees and foliage to a landscape adds height, colour and a sense of scale to a scene. ANTHONY REEVES puts the finishing touches to the autumn diorama to create a realistic vista.
Staff Projects: On your marks, get set, go…
The Hornby Magazine team put on a special display of four layouts in four different gauges for the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition in 2019, but one had only just been started at the beginning of the month. MIKE WILD explains all.
The Collett ‘14XX’
No model of the quintessential Great Western branch line would be complete without one of that company’s little 0-4-2Ts and matching autocoach. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES traces the origins of this attractive tank engine back to the mid-19th century.
Sound for the 48DS
The brand-new Ruston 48DS might be tiny, but it can still be equipped with digital sound by choosing the right components. PAUL CHETTER describes how the much admired and tiny 48DS can be transformed for digital operation.