Model Railway Features
BEGINNERS GUIDE: Creating a model railway landscape
Scenery brings a model railway to life. We offer a whistle stop tour through the basics in this modelling guide to get you started.
MIKE WILD
TRACKSIDE EQUIPMENT - PART 3
In the final part of his series looking at lineside equipment, SIMON PALEY turns his attention to the all-important signs which provide vital information.
BARROW HILL ROUNDHOUSE
The circular engine shed, or roundhouse, was once one of the most common structures on the railway but over the years hundreds have been demolished, leaving the one at Barrow Hill in Derbyshire as the only example still working and in anything like original condition, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
Creating a sixties street scene
A street scene is a great addition to a layout. DAN EVASON shows you how he created this superb 1960s shopping parade from scratch.
YouChoos Class 47 sound upgrades
Digital sound specialist YouChoos has created a brand-new sound file for the ever-popular Class 47 diesel-electric utilising the latest ZIMO MS series decoders. MIKE WILD shows how it can be used to upgrade the outgoing 21-pin generation Bachmann Class 47.
MIKE WILD
How to model Consett iron ore trains
The famous iron ore trains which ran from Tyne Dock to Consett until the 1970s are recreated by TREVOR JONES in ‘OO’ scale using the recently released KR Models wagons as the basis.
Trevor Jones.
Choosing Speakers for your Sound Decoder
Understanding two values will ensure you always pick the right speaker set up for your sound decoder. MIKE WILD covers the basics in this beginner’s guide.
SPROG DCC Decoder Programmer
Configuring digital decoders for optimum performance can prove challenging, especially for beginners. MARK CHIVERS considers one such solution in the intriguingly named SPROG DCC decoder programmer.
Mark Chivers.
REALITY CHECK: ‘Peaks’ in preservation
The Class 45 ‘Peak’ diesel has always been one of the most popular of the early modernisation-era designs. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES finds out how the surviving ‘Peaks’ have fared in preservation.
EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
Scalescenes Terrace shop - A step by step guide
Hornby Magazine and Scalescenes present a brand new 4mm scale kit for ‘OO’ gauge layouts which models a low relief terrace shop which can be used as part of the backdrop on almost any town-based model railway. JOHN WIFFEN explains how to build this brick structure using the free kit included with this issue.
VIDEO: Building the Great Central Railway – Part 5
In the fifth installment of our Building the Great Central Railway video series MIKE WILD installs the missing piece to complete the scenic area: the reservoir bridge
MIKE WILD
VIDEO: Accurascale Class 37 sound demonstration
The latest sound fitted samples of the soon to be released Accurascale Class 37 for ‘OO’ gauge are here. Mark Chivers and Richard Watson find out what is in store.
MIKE WILD
Big Green Machine - breathing further life into the Accurascale ‘Deltic’
Working with what is already a superb model, TIM SHACKLETON breathes further life into the all-new Accurascale ‘OO’ gauge ‘Deltic’.
MODERN TRACKSIDE EQUIPMENT - PART 2
In this second installment exploring lineside equipment on today’s railway, SIMON PALEY focuses on track mounted infrastructure and outlines how you can model it.
KEEPING TRAINS MOVING
Although trains run on what is usually termed the permanent way, in fact it is anything but permanent and requires constant attention and replacement. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks at how track is maintained and how that process has changed over the years.
Landslip embankment scene - Step by step
The elements have combined to cause a landslip on this embankment scene. DAN EVASON explains how and why he created this novel diorama and the techniques employed.
REALITY CHECK: The Fell diesel locomotive story
In the quest to replace steam locomotives, one of the most remarkable designs was the one-off Fell diesel, which combined an innovative engine and transmission system with multiple power units, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
STAFF PROJECTS: Electrical endeavours for New Junction
With the build racing ahead, it was time to pause for reflection giving time to complete the more mundane tasks on this new ‘OO’ layout. RICHARD WATSON plods on with the essential but repetitive tasks.
British Rail's Mk2 DBSOs
Railway operators are always seeking ways to improve efficiency, and one of the most interesting results of this process was the conversion of a number of brake coaches to include a cab, enabling a train to be driven from either end. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks more closely at British Rail’s Mk2 Driving Brake Second Opens.
Bridge Building - a step by step guide
A bridge offers a useful scenic focal point on a model railway. DAN EVASON shows how he built a unique structure for a ’OO9’ gauge layout.
MODERN TRACKSIDE EQUIPMENT - PART 1
Have you ever wondered what the various items of lineside equipment are on today’s modern railway? In the first of a series of articles, SIMON PALEY outlines the role they play and how you can replicate them in model form.
Mail by Rail
At one time an important and profitable source of income for the railways, mail traffic has largely disappeared from the system. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES traces the history and decline of mail by rail.
Big ‘Cat’ sound for the Dapol Class 68
The Vossloh Class 68s are one of the most modern and powerful diesel-electrics running today. MIKE WILD installs the latest generation MS series ZIMO decoder into the feature rich Dapol ‘OO’ gauge model.
CLASS 769 BI-MODE UNITS
Repurposing and recycling are very much in vogue at the moment, but are principles rarely applied to trains. However, that is now all changing with the rebuilding of surplus electric multiple units into versatile and useful bi-mode trains, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
LOCOMAN CLASS 37 SOUND DEMONSTRATION
The English Electric Class 37 is one of the most popular diesel locomotives and this distinctive class is Locoman Sounds’ first digital audio project for a diesel. With one eye on spending, MIKE WILD installs a D&H decoder into an older generation 8-pin Bachmann model.
LASER-CUT ENGINE SHED BUILD
Some layouts require a signature structure, and DAN EVASON created just that by combining four Scale Model Scenery ‘OO’ gauge engine shed kits to create a very large facility.
STAFF PROJECTS: New levels for New Junctıon
The initial draft of the track plan is complete - but will it actually work? Eager to get trains running on his ‘OO’ gauge New Junction layout, RICHARD WATSON takes a cautious approach which uncovered some unexpected challenges.
RICHARD WATSON
Eastern promise... UNFULFILLED
The recent introduction of a model of the 1903-built petrol-electric Autocar has aroused much interest in early forms of alternative traction – many of which were pioneered by railways in North Eastern England, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
Accurascale Manor sound project
Mark Chivers was invited by Accurascale to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire railway (GWSR) to follow the behind-the-scenes process of what goes into creating an all-new sound file for their new 'OO' gauge GWR Manor.
BR’s Eastern Region Train Formations
BR’s Eastern Region covered a large swathe of England, operating an eclectic mix of main line, secondary and branch line services. MARK CHIVERS recalls some typical train formations from the 1950s and 1960s.