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Model Making
Tips and techniques to make and paint better scale models and plastic kits for model railways, military plastic kits, miniatures and wargaming
Not just trains: cars, vans and boats for model railways
Want a car for your OO gauge level crossing? A fishing boat for your N scale harbour? A cycle outside the signal box? Who wouldn't.
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The next level of modelling – is it real or a model?
Looking for ideas and inspiration for your modelling? Look no further than the models of Marcel Ackle, it's hard to tell if you're looking at a model or the [...]
Best Static Grass Applicator for Model Railways in 2026
Static grass applicators can help you create lush, realistic grass for your model railway layout, miniature landscape, or wargaming mini. In this article, [...]
How to make your own buildings
Looking to save money in the construction of your railway and want lovely buildings to complement your track and trains without the cost of buying pre-made [...]
Dremel 3000 review: the best Dremel for model railways
I'm a long time fan of Dremel's versatile rotary tools and the Dremel 3000 is one of my favourite tools — no make that my number one most used model making [...]
Adding realism to your plastic buildings
Plastic kits make it easy to add buildings to your layout but they often lack the finishing touch and can look like fake. Here's an incredibly quick and easy [...]
Short and Sweet Sunday Scribblings: Free Brick Paper
Looking for quick, free, way to create brick and stone walls surfaces for your buildings? [...]
Making Statues for Town and City scenes
This tip, sent in by Bill Hughes, is possibly the easiest I've heard but it's great for making statues.
For OO scale railways, take a soft drink bottom top [...]
How To Make A Model Garden
Look around any English landscape - town or countryside - and you'll see gardens so why not on your model railway. But that was easier said than done until [...]
DIY People – Making Your Own OO and N Scale Figures
I'm constantly on the look out for tiny plastic people in new or unusual positions that will add interest to my model railway. While browsing the other day I [...]
The Beginnings Of A Cornish Tin Mine: Landreath Model Railway – Update
At long last I've got around to starting on the foam board scratch-build of my Tin-mine engine house. [...]
Build Fences For The Price Of A Box Of Matches
Fences are everywhere and if you want your model railway to look realistic you'll want them on your layout.
Here's a how to make fences yourself for little [...]
How to add realism and life to your model railway – a tip from award winning layouts
If you ever look at your railway and think there's something missing, this is for you. [...]
When Dry Brushes Die
Dry brushing is a great technique for weathering and wall painting but it kills your brushes. What then? [...]
Making Glass Windows
If you create buildings for your model railway, at some point you'll want to simulate glass for the windows. Here's what did and didn't work on my models. [...]
Why Didn’t I Think Of This Earlier – DIY Sawdust
If you're creating a railway that feature a wood yard or forest you'll love this tip. [...]
An Easy 8 Step Technique To Create Aged Wood
In the search for authentic model railways, having aged woodwork is vital. You could paint your wood but hand painting every plank and timber is hard work and [...]
A New Home For Your Old Broken Trains
Every model railway builder has them. Old, broken, trains and wagons that no longer run. Here's a obvious but overlooked tip for putting them to good use and [...]
How To Make A Cornwall Tin Mine
I'm now getting to one of the two main focal points and most demanding model making elements of Landreath, my Cornwall mine themed model railway. Here's [...]