Do you enjoy running model trains but want to improve your layout? Do you want to gain expertise over a wider range of railway modelling skills and acquire the confidence to tackle modelling tasks that you have previously shied away from? If so, this is the book for you. Brimming with advice and tips, this well-illustrated book covers a wide range of modelling skills, including designing a layout, choosing the right scale, building baseboards, selecting the right track, controlling the trains, building the landscape, making realistic grass and weeds, and adding figures. Particular attention is paid to more modern techniques such as DCC train control, laser cut and downloadable kits, and the use of hard foam in baseboard construction. Step-by-step explanations of many techniques are provided accompanied by over 400 instructional colour photographs. Information is provided about the tools and materials required and the extensive range of commercial railway modelling products that are now available.

0 gauge (scale 7mm to the foot) is the 'senior scale' and it has existed for almost as long as the hobby of railway modelling itself. With the advent of high-quality ready-to-run 0 gauge locomotives and rolling stock, it is enjoying a huge surge in popularity. This fascinating book covers the history and the benefits of 0 gauge; discusses the various prototypical gauges that can be successfully modelled in 0 gauge; examines making a start in this gauge and practical layout planning and it also shows the modeller how to successfully create scenery and model buildings.

This beautifully illustrated and practical book covers a wide variety of materials and processes, and tells you everything you need to know about building model railway coaches. Master modeller, George Dent, guides the reader through the necessary techniques and skills. All aspects of the subject are covered from kit building in metal, plastic, resin and wood; soldering, weathering, painting and lining; 3-D printed kits and components; adding passengers to the carriages; upgrading off-the-shelf models; kit assembly, scratch-building and finishing.

Comprehensive in its coverage, Modelling the Southern Region - 1948 to the Present presents an historical overview of the post-war Southern Region of British Railways before guiding the reader through a series of detailed modelling projects, illustrating all of the techniques and equipment required, from building freight, locomotives and architecture, to modernization, electrification and the third rail. These projects make use of the best available commercial model-making products and provide an introduction to scratch-building your own lineside items. Each project is supported by a short historical background section and suggestions as to how each project could be further developed. The result will be a set of models that sets the modeller on track for a first-class model of the Southern Region.

Despite modern appearances, colour light signalling has been around since the 1920s and is just as full of subtle details and variations as 'traditional' semaphore signalling. The inclusion of a working signalling system within a model railway layout is technically challenging but adds realism and 'wow' factor. This new book contains a brief history of the development and deployment of colour light signalling in the UK; a basic explanation of how track design influences signalling design; an overview of the different types of point motor and, finally, descriptions of the different components that make up a signalling system and how these components are used and controlled. It is an extensive guide to developing and adding realistic colour light signalling to a model railway layout.

This book demonstrates the many different modelling techniques used in the creation of realistic historical buildings and convincing imaginary or fantasy structures. Aimed at the railway and diorama modeller, it includes photographs of existing structures, detailed illustrations and plans, followed by step-by-step photographs of the various stages in their creation; practical tips and constructive advice are provided alongside. Special emphasis has been placed on the use of scrap and low-cost materials. It gives guidance on modelling imaginary buildings and structures, with an example project presented from start to finish and also a complete fantasy-based model railway diorama, from concept and design through to the completed layout is covered. The author has written this book to inspire the modeller to try something innovative, and to attract new entrants to this creative hobby. Drawing on his own experience, he shares practical guidance to help the reader to produce models they will be proud of.

Whether in a rural or urban setting, the addition of railway infrastructure can transform a train set into a railway layout. Modelling Tunnels, Embankments, Walls and Fences for Model Railways demonstrates how to build these essential features and place them into a railway layout. It describes the unique challenges, techniques and materials for each element, and provides plenty of practical advice on how to realistically model these crucial aspects of a landscape. Topics include: incorporating topographical features into a layout, from planning to execution; the importance of baseboard construction and track laying when modelling a landscape; practical considerations and techniques for building tunnels; the use of vegetation, animals and small buildings to bring layouts to life and finally, the use of ready-to-plant items, and kit- and scratch-building techniques.

'My Miniature World' discusses the philosophy behind building certain model locomotives, passenger and freight rolling stock with Companies represented from 1880 to 1947. Help is given regarding the necessary research, leading to the drawings and photographs for each model. The reader is pointed in the direction of available items through trade sources, particularly castings, motors and wheels. Readers of this book will discover techniques old and new which, applied to railway modelling, will both enhance enjoyment and keep the pound in your pocket! 'This book is a celebration of a lifetime of railway modelling by the founder of the Railways in Miniature Museum. Eric Rawlins makes clear his astonishing diversity of inspiration and detailed knowledge of railway history, while readily revealing decades of carefully acquired practical information.' PAUL ATTERBURY - Railway author and long-standing member of the BBC's Antiques Roadshow team of experts.

For nearly thirty years, John Haining (under the pen name 'Countryman's Steam') contributed a vast range of designs and constructional articles to the pages of Model Engineer magazine. These covered all types and sizes of engine:- steam traction engines for the road and field and standing engines, and the way they worked with ploughs, cider mills, elevators and threshing machines. The articles were always popular with those seeking steam experiences away from the railways, and as a result the author built up an authoritative reputation for the extent of his knowledge in this area. As a technical consultant to Model Engineer, the author built up an enviable reputation for the extent of his knowledge and the immense trouble he took to reply fully and clearly to readers' queries and problems. This book was originally written in 1982 to expound on some of the problems encountered by engine owners, both in full size and in small scale. It places particular emphasis on design and construction, and the care of steel boilers, with formulae and data used by the top firms. A new and enlarged edition was extended to cover more fully the design, construction and care of steel boilers in general, with formulae and data used by firms of repute. An extra chapter was included covering the author's designs of three vertical boilers, the Sentinel, the Caradoc and a 3 inch scale version.

Once seen as a niche practice, the craft of weathering has now become firmly rooted in the railway modelling mainstream. Not simply a means of rendering models in layers of dirty paint, weathering involves a myriad of techniques aimed at improving realism, including distinctive surface textures, highlights and shading, burnishing and peeling paint finishes. The weathering process beings out the best in a model, making moulded relief or a lustrous livery really stand out. As well as replicating the real world more closely, weathering also helps a model to look at home within a scenic setting. Aimed at modellers of all abilities and eras, this book is an essential guide to creating the most realistic locomotives and rolling stock in any scale.

The author had spent six years building a 7-1/4" gauge model of an LNER B1 locomotive, 'Bongo', and wanted to paint it to a high standard. This turned out to be easier said than done. The complete process of painting, lining and reassembly of Bongo took two years of frustration, mistakes and wrong directions but, finally, he won a gold medal at the 2004 Model Engineer Exhibition and the Charles Kennion Memorial Trophy for the best finished model in the show. It was this success, together with the lack of published help on the subject, that led to his decision to put pen to paper. This is not an academic treatise on painting, but a practical 'cook book' from someone who did finally achieve a good result, starting from zero knowledge. With 168 pages, 130 colour photographs and 30 diagrams, this book takes the beginner through all the necessary stages and processes in painting a model engineering subject. It includes selection and making of equipment, paint, preparation, spray and hand painting, fixing blemishes, lining, transfers, tips on how to look after the paintwork and a list of suppliers. The many trials, tribulations and disappointments are related, together with the author's solutions to them. It was only when the job was finished and sense of humour restored that people admitted that they had hardly dared to visit any longer because of the endless tales of woe and disaster: Paint running, rough finish, dust, insects, touching the still wet paint, dropping the tender, power failure in the middle of a job, faulty paint, water in the air supply...If the reader avoids just one of these pitfalls then the cost of the book will have been saved, perhaps several times over.

This lavishly illustrated book provides guidance on how to transform your model from its bare structure to a realistic finish. This new book provides: a guide for both beginners and the more experienced, covering all scales and gauges; advice on the selection of airbrushes, compressors and essential tools; a simple three-step process to clean and prepare your model for painting; guidance on dealing with faults and paint problems; instruction on the pros and cons of the different ways to produce lines; tips to help you produce consistent fine lines with a bow pen; how to get the best out of transfers and the different types available, and finally, basic weathering techniques using a variety of methods. With over 500 colour photographs it will help even the beginner to produce a realistic life-like model.

Model railway baseboards are like the foundations of a house, and failure to build a rigid baseboard that has no movement will inevitably lead to problems. Accordingly, this invaluable, well-illustrated book is essential reading for all those who wish to be guided through the potential pitfalls of making a baseboard and who require practical information about the different kinds of boards and how to construct them properly. Describes in detail how to build several different types of baseboards from the simple box frame, through the monocoque flat board, the drop board and insulation board, to multi-level boards and the helix. With the less adept modeller in mind, the author also explains how to make a baseboard with only a drill, a screwdriver and glue.

This fascinating, well-illustrated and informative book presents a straightforward guide to points, signals and level crossings and provides all the information that railway modellers need in order to get the trains on their layouts moving effectively. The history of semaphore and colour light signals is outlined and the implications for modellers is clearly explained. A variety of different types of points, signals and level crossings is then illustrated with detailed instructions describing how to make them work. Simple, tried and tested mechanical and electrical methods used by modellers are explained together with modern electronic approaches, which are described in a way that enables them to be easily understood. The reader is taken step-by-step through various projects, and clear diagrams and photographs are provided throughout, including wiring diagrams for frogs, signals and level crossings. Written by an electronic engineer, this book contains invaluable information gained in a lifetime's experience of railway modelling.

A model railway layout is greatly enhanced by a good back scene. If a modeller is prepared to go to great lengths to achieve realism in the locomotives, rolling stock and buildings, this should be carried through to the scenics. This book is a comprehensive guide for both railway and diorama modellers to create convincing back scenes. It covers choosing the right materials; rural and urban back scenes; traditional painted back scenes; producing back scenes with camera and/or computer; the correct use of forced perspective and scale reduction; getting the transition from layout to back scene right and, finally, lighting and presentation.

This book details the construction of a range of simple miniature steam engines and boilers. The projects, each of which can be completed with only a basic workshop, range from a single-acting oscillator to more sophisticated twin-cylinder double-acting engines and a variety of boilers. A final project brings together engine and boiler for a simple steam railway locomotive. These projects are a perfect introduction to model engineering and an enjoyable exercise for the more experienced engineer or those who wish to pass on their hobby to a younger generation. Stan Bray is an experienced craftsman in engineering and metalworking; among his previous books is "Metalworking: Tools and Techniques."

Determining where and how to store a model railway when it is not in use can be difficult, especially if space is severely limited; a folding railway layout can be the solution to this problem. The author has designed an ingenious folding wooden case that accommodates his truly remarkable N-gauge multi-track layout, and which is also suitable for an oval track layout in 00 gauge. In this fascinating book, the author describes all aspects of how to build the folding case and how to construct the layout within using lightweight materials such as rigid foam. Some of the most remarkable features of the layout are how to construct and install a working cable car, moving road vehicles, a revolving children's roundabout, and a helicopter with motorized rotor blades. There are over 300 excellent step-by-step diagrams and photographs.

Although most models of railway locomotives are produced in a pristine condition, in reality the external condition of most locomotives quickly deteriorated as operation and weather took their toll. Of all the skills associated with railway modelling, that of weathering of locomotives is perhaps one of the most difficult. It is very easy to spoil an otherwise beautiful model by the careless application of paint but as increasing numbers of modellers seek to create an ever more authentic feel for their layouts, information on the best methods of application becomes all the more important. This informative new volume provides the modeller with a guide to the principles and practice of weathering locomotives, providing modellers of all levels and abilities with a step by step guide to the skills involved and the pros and cons of undertaking such work on models. Following the same format as the rest of the 'Aspects of Modelling' series, the book includes instructive text alongside detailed colour illustrations. Examples of weathering include multiple-units as well as steam, diesel and electric locomotives.As well as the popular 4mm scale, the author also includes examples of 7mm and 2mm scale models.

The 00 gauge train set was the ultimate `boy's toy' of the 1950s and '60s. Electric 00 gauge trains were introduced by Trix and Hornby Dublo in the mid-1930s, but the Second World War quickly halted production. However, they burst back onto the post-war scene with great success, and 00 quickly became the dominant scale in Britain, and was taken up by other large manufacturers including Tri-ang. Whilst the components of the sets themselves were often basic, they could be transformed into astonishing landscapes in the hands of imaginative builders. The sheer number of box sets, locomotives, rolling stock, buildings and accessories gave everyone the ability to form a bespoke layout. This beautifully illustrated introduction to the heyday of clockwork and electric 00 gauge trains tells their story up until 1975, when finer detailing and changing trends led to them becoming enthusiasts' models rather than children's toys.

This comprehensive book is aimed at all those railway modellers who wish to create a realistic model of a branch line. First of all it examines the origins, developments and future of branch lines in Britain and then provides useful insights into how to select a suitable branch line to model. It discusses in detail how to create scenic realism and an appropriate setting for the model, with reference to the landscape, the infrastructure, the lineside and the use of authentic colour. Detailed information about a selection of several real, and some fictitious, branch lines are presented in order to inspire the modeller and help him to select a suitable subject to lovingly recreate. Finally, track plans and superb drawings of the whole scene are shown which provides the modeller with a visual intepretation of what the completed model should look like.

101 Track Plans has been a classic for model railroaders since its publication five decades ago. Now, a new book follows up where the original leaves off. 101 More Track Plans for Model Railroaders evokes the look and feel of its predecessor, with a simple premise: a multitude of track plans to inspire modelers. Featuring plans from Model Railroader magazine from the '60s, '70s, and early '80s, each track plan has a newly written, informational description of the design. The track plans range in size from simple 4 x 8 foot and smaller layouts to room- and garage-sized showpieces, with the majority focusing on mid-size layouts.