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Layout Construction

Tips, techniques and guides to model railway construction, including baseboards, track planning, backscenes and track work.

Yard Design 101: What you need to know about designing model railway yards

fiddle yard design
Think creating yards for your model railway layout is simple. There's a lot to them than you may think.  Watch this and get the inside information plus loads [...]

Model Railways In Small Spaces | Ideas for The Space Limited

train in case
They may be small themselves but most model railways take up a fair chunk of space. You may think you don't have enough room in your home but there are still [...]

How To Get A Baseboard For Under £30 | Model Railway Baseboards

When first starting out building a model railway, it usually comes as a shock to find building a baseboard isn't quick or cheap. Here's a tip that'll get you a [...]

Layout elements for beginners

Inglenook, switchbacks and wyes. Confused by layout elements? Here's a handy beginners guide. [...]

A Space Saving Idea For Compact Model Railway Layouts

If you're tight on space for your model railway layout or want a efficient way of moving trains over a large vertical distance you'll love this idea. [...]

Why You Shouldn’t Use Brass or Steel Rails

Buying railway track? Here's a great short and simple piece of advice that will let your trains run smoother and mean less work for you. [...]

Model Railway Baseboard Construction | Avoid These 3 Painful Mistakes

There's nothing worse than building a model railway layout only to realise you've made a basic error. Avoid these 3 painful but easy mistakes when designing [...]

Hornby, Peco or Gaugemaster Track Pins… Which are best?

What's the difference between one track pin and another? You wouldn't think much, but there are important variations between the pins from Peco, Hornby [...]

Budget Techniques To Clean Your Track

model railway track
Looking for tools and techniques to keep your railway track clean on the cheap? ModelRailwayEngineer finds 3 popular budget solutions from model railway [...]

The Best Wood For A Model Railway Baseboard, updated for 2024

Model Railway Baseboard Wood
Thinking of building your first real model railway? Arguably one of the biggest jobs you'll face is making the baseboard for your layout. Once you've decided [...]

Going Underground – The Secret of Authentic Model Railway Track

Railway Track Bedding
This is a simple short tip but an often overlooked and important one if you want authentic model railway layouts. [...]