Latest news and features from model railway on Key Model World
Steam Around Leeds in the 1960s
Leeds was a real hotspot for steam in the 1960s with its leading shed 55A Holbeck home to the last of the Stanier ’Jubilee' 4-6-0s. Yorkshire was one of the crucibles of the railway and steam lasted almost until the very end of BR service there.
JONATHAN NEWTON
Exploring Britain’s Disused Railways
The Victorian ’railway mania’ resulted in the UK being covered near and far with main lines, secondary lines and branch lines. With the introduction of motorways and families being able to afford their own motor car, many of these railways were closed, lifted and lost forever.
JONATHAN NEWTON
Electrics for the Railway Modeller
In this fast-paced world, little stays the same for long, it seems. This certainly applies to the seemingly complex topic of model railway electrics, which is often the very aspect of the hobby that is the most daunting and off-putting for both experienced modellers and those new to the craft.
JONATHAN NEWTON
Kilve - a Western Region branch line in 'OO'
A station that was could have been built in Somerset is the setting for Darren Berry’s ‘OO’ gauge exhibition layout.
Darren Berry
Making buildings from scratch
Creating bespoke buildings for your layout may sound daunting, but as MALCOLM BRIGGS shows in the start of a new series, it is far easier than you might think.
MALCOLM BRIGGS
Hornby's all-new High Speed Train
The iconic British Rail Class 43 power cars have held sway in frontline main line service for more than 45 years and Hornby has revisited the high-speed diesels with a brand-new tooling. MIKE WILD takes a closer look.
MIKE WILD
The final HST wind down
British Rail’s Inter-City 125 is one of the most recognisable and successful trains in railway history but is now reaching the end of its operational days. Some units, however, are enjoying a second life, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
ZIMO Digital sound for the Hornby HST
The scream of turbochargers epitomised the High Speed Trains when they entered service. PAUL CHETTER sets out to recreate the spectacle with digital sound in ‘OO’ gauge using the Hornby 8-pin chassis HST power cars as the basis.
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Latest model railway videos
FLYING SCOTSMAN DIGITAL SOUND WITH ZIMO
The National Collection’s famous Gresley ‘A3’ became a must-have addition to the roster for our modern era layout, West Coast Cement. MIKE WILD explains how he installed a Zimo sound decoder, stay alive, speaker and firebox flicker into the popular Hornby ‘Pacific’.
Heljan’s ‘O’ gauge Class 37/4
The fleet of 31 ETH fitted Class 37/4s have had a strong following since their introduction in the mid-1980s. MIKE WILD reviews Heljan’s new 7mm scale model of this popular class which is bringing a fresh splash of colour to its range.
MIKE WILD
Making Class 37s’GROWL’
The English Electric Type 3 is one of the most popular diesel locomotives and it has been the subject of many models over the years. MIKE WILD tackles the Bachmann and ViTrains ‘OO’ models in this double sound installation.
Darstaed delivers 7mm scale Mk 1s
Ellis Clark Trains teamed up with Darstead – a renowned name in ‘O’ gauge tinplate locomotives and rolling stock – to produce a new range of BR Mk 1 63ft 6in corridor carriages for 7mm scale which were first released in 2018.
Kernow’s 4-TC debuts
Southern Region multiple units have gained much popularity since introduction of the Bachmann 4-CEP in 2009, but now we have a go anywhere unpowered 4-TC unit available too. MIKE WILD takes a closer look at this surprisingly enticing and versatile offering.
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Latest model railway reviews
Legacy Power-Points
New from DCC Concepts’ sister company, Legacy Models, are Legacy PowerPoints. Similar in appearance to the parent company’s original baseboard alignment dowels (HM128), these clever PowerPoint examples incorporate electrical connections.
Brimal universal connections aid wiring
Brimal Components has added a useful universal wire termination board to its range of electrical components and modelling aids.
Pacific Models ‘Mogul’ numbers
Extending its range of customisation sheets for ready-to-run models, Pacific Models has issued a set of replacement 4mm scale cabside and smokebox numberplates for Dapol’s recently introduced ‘OO’ gauge GWR ‘43XX’ 2-6-0s.
HobbyTrax magnetic corner clamps
HobbyTrax has added magnetic corner clamps to its range of modelling tools. These 3D printed clamps are ideal for building models of all shapes and sizes from a range of materials.
Deluxe Materials carbon fibre
Deluxe Materials’ extensive range of adhesives and modelling materials includes these useful packs of carbon fibre mat and carbon fibre tissue.
Supercast Stephenson
Mike Pett’s 4mm scale Supercast range of white metal accessories is bolstered with a new statue of Victorian railway engineer Robert Stephenson and a standalone church priest figure.
Railways of Oxford book review
Oxford's rail scene has undergone significant transformation in recent years with the introduction of a new route to London Marylebone together with new Intercity Express Trains on London Paddington services as well as infrastructure and signal upgrades.
Impermanent Ways - Volume 15
Continuing the Impermanent Ways series of books is this latest volume taking a somewhat broader approach to the usual focus on disused lines and stations of yesteryear in specific areas.
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