Model Railway Features
The Class 14 - Swindon’s big misjudgement
Of all the diesels built during the modernisation of British Railways the Class 14s stand out as one of the shortest lived – not because they were a poor design but because they were built to the wrong specification at the wrong time. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks at the history of this small class.
British Rail’s tiling test - the Class 370 APT
Perhaps one of the most spectacular failures of railway engineering that has ever taken place in this country was the tilting Advanced Passenger Train, a multi-million pound project that failed to enter reliable public passenger service, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
The Vanwides - BR’s last vacuum-braked pallet van
The Vanwide or VEA van is the currently being developed as a new ready-to-run model in ‘OO’, ‘N’ and ‘O’ gauge by Bachmann, Sonic Models and Dapol respectively. DAVID RATCLIFFE explains how BR’s last vacuum-braked pallet van came to be.
STAFF PROJECTS: Richard's new New Junction
The baseboards are here and RICHARD WATSON’S plans for a new New Junction ‘OO’ gauge layout are off to a flying start. He reveals the story behind the layout and its first steps.
WORKING DESTINATION SCREENS
Modern electronics are opening up new possibilities for miniature displays. MIKE LOMAX explains how he installed a working LED matrix screen into a ‘OO’ scale double-decker bus.
Parkend North: Part One
With a brief to create a layout set in the dying days of steam in the Forest of Dean in ‘OO’ gauge, DAN EVASON explores how a workable track plan was created – and how the permanent way was laid in the first of a two part series on this layouts construction.
The Caledonian ‘812’
Functional and workmanlike goods engines were very much a feature of the late Victorian railway scene, but few matched the beauty and level of performance of the Caledonian Railway’s ‘812’ 0-6-0s, a real maid of all work, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
STEP BY STEP: Paint fading techniques
You can almost taste the tobacco smoke and touch the threadbare upholstery as TIM SHACKLETON evokes the unique character of carriage stock from a bygone age using simple weathering techniques to fade the paint on a series of Hornby Maunsell carriages.
Enhancing Hornby’s Colletts
The quality of ready-to-run carriages is outstanding today, but can they be made even better and more realistic? MIKE WILD says yes, with simple painting and additions.
Farewell to the 'Deltics'
London, a Saturday night 40 years ago. Hordes of fans mob the platforms at King’s Cross station cheering the star of the day while thousands of cameras record the remarkable scene. The occasion is not, however, the appearance of a Hollywood film star, but the final run of one of the most popular diesels – the ‘Deltics’. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks back to January 1982.
STAFF PROJECTS: Bachmann Class 37/4 restoration
The discovery of a partially stripped chassis and a tatty Class 37 body prompted MIKE WILD to assess returning this Bachmann model of 37411 to frontline service. Here’s how he did it.
FAIRLIE AMBITIOUS LAYOUT BUILD | PART TWO
Scenic modelling is one of the most enjoyable and creative parts of a model railway. MIKE WILD gets to grips with the landscape for the new ‘OO9’ narrow gauge layout in our second and final feature including the first chance to watch our brand new feature video.
Digital sound for the Hornby 4-VEP
With the prospect of a new and upgraded 4-VEP from Hornby in 2022, MIKE WILD looked back at the first versions to introduce digital sound while also improving the front gangways in this modelling guide.
SUPER SOUND FOR THE BACHMANN GRESLEY ‘V2’
Bachmann’s all-new Gresley ‘V2’ has been designed with digital sound in mind, but is there a way to introduce a bigger and more powerful speaker in the 2-6-2? MIKE WILD explores the options with a brand new sound file from Locoman Sounds.
Gresley’s experimental ‘Hush-Hush'
In the quest for ever more efficient steam engines there have been some remarkable designs produced, some of which have been more successful than others. One of those that showed great promise, yet which failed to deliver, was the LNER’s ‘Hush-Hush’ 10000, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
Modelling a car dealership
The return of MKD plastic kits to the British market through Hornby Hobbies was the perfect opportunity to make a realistic car dealership for a ‘OO’ layout. DAN EVASON explains the process step by step.
Races to the North
Victorian era saw intense competition between rival companies for traffic between London and Scotland, which reached its zenith in a thrilling series of events that were to become known as the ‘Railway Races to the North’. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES relays the fascinating story from a forgotten era of rail travel.
TIME MACHINE
Hornby Magazine’s resident Time Lord Tim Shackleton fast-forwards a GBRf Class 66 and simultaneously backdates a British Rail Class 50 with intriguing results.
BR’s unique ‘Pacific’ Duke of Gloucester
Although it was a failure in service and lasted a mere eight years with BR, Duke of Gloucester has been transformed into a phenomenally powerful masterpiece in its preservation career. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks back at the history of this remarkable, and unique, engine.
VIDEO: Hornby's Tornado with Locoman Sounds
The A1 Steam Trust's new build Peppercorn 'A1' 4-6-2 60163 Tornado is the subject of our latest sound demonstration video to go with our full installation guide in Hornby Magazine Yearbook No 14 for 2022 - on sale now. Watch our completed installation which uses Hornby's BR lined blue liveried model of 60163 plus Locoman Sounds' all-new sound profile for the high-profile main line registered 'Pacific' here.
Railhead Treatment Trains
While leaves on the line have become a regular topic for those who wish to make fun of our railways, for train operators they represent a very real danger and one that has demanded the introduction of special counter measures, which include the Rail Head Treatment Train, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
Whatever the weather
Snowploughs, Railhead Treatment Trains and much else besides – with one eye on the weather forecast, TIM SHACKLETON looks at some of the specialised vehicles that keep Network Rail running.
Gresley's 'P2' 2-8-2
One of the most spectacular designs of the steam era was Gresley’s huge semi-streamlined express ‘P2’ 2-8-2. However due to mechanical problems these locomotives never realised their full potential and saw less than 10 years service before they were extensively rebuilt, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
Super signalbox
Building a signalbox is one thing, but what if you could give it a full interior, lighting and realistic sound? That’s exactly what DAN EVASON did with this super-detailed Ratio kit in 4mm scale.
The ‘Western’ diesel hydraulics
One of the most distinctive locomotives of the early modernisation era was the ‘Western’ diesel-hydraulic, a design which had a very short life on the main line and which was rendered obsolete almost as soon as it was built, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES reveals.
‘Western’ ambassadors for sound
The distinctive note of the ‘Western’ hydraulics is highly sought after in model form. PAUL CHETTER installs sound into Heljan and Dapols model of the Class 52 in ‘OO’ scale and compares the steps required and the results achieved.
Weathering a ‘Western’
TIM SHACKLETON turns a Heljan model of Western Enterprise into a detailed portrait of a real locomotive at a specific point in time to capture the elegance of these beautiful machines.
British Railways’ War of the diesels
One of British Railways most controversial decisions was to standardise on electric, rather than hydraulic transmission for diesel locomotives. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks at the background to this choice and and assesses whether it was correct.
'J50' sound and stay alive
Compact tank engines aren’t always the easiest when it comes to digital sound installations, but Hornby’s ‘J50’ 0-6-0T can be equipped with sound and stay alive. MIKE WILD shows how he did it in this step by step guide.
FAIRLIE AMBITIOUS LAYOUT BUILD | PART ONE
The arrival of Bachmann’s new ‘OO9’ Double Fairlie 0-4-4-0T put MIKE WILD’S modelling mind into overdrive resulting in a new project entering the works with a Ffestiniog theme.