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Model railway trackwork
Free, easy, and straightforward tips and advice on model railway track planning, laying, ballasting and troubleshooting.
Trains stalling on Electrofrog points?
Trains stalling on Electrofrog points? Here’s the one solution I’ve found. I hope it works for you too.
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How to fill gaps between your rails
If you've ever laid track and found you have an unsightly gap between two sections here's an easy little trick to conceal it and help your trains run easier. [...]
The tale of the errant fish plate
Fish plates are fiddly things but I didn't think I'd spend most of a morning fighting with one. [...]
Stuck for space for your model railway? Here’s one uplifting solution
Stuck for space for your layout? Here's one modeller's solution. [...]
And it goes clickety-clack, clickety-clack
If you watch and listen to any real railway you notice a particular noise. [...]
Fitting Point Motors – how to save yourself time now and avoid disruption later
Point motors are expensive and fitting them under baseboards takes time which often holds up layout construction. Here's a great way to get your track laid [...]
Damaged Track, What Can I Do?
I was recently testing a locomotive on my layout and managed to damage a section of track in the process. Here's how I fixed it. [...]
An effective but surprisingly simple to making points look better: Sunday Scribbles
This is an effective but surprisingly simple tip to give your points a little bit of extra realism.
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Camouflaging Curves – how to obscure artifical looking curves
Curves and bends make model railways more fun and allow continuous running but they come with a problem. [...]
The ABCs of Fiddle Yards
Fiddle yards are the changing room of a Parisian fashion show catwalk for model railways.
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Reducing Track Noise Levels
Track construction techniques to minimise noise.
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How to make reliable track-carrying bridges across baseboards
Bridges between baseboards? Here are three components to span the gap. [...]
How To Make Your Own Rerailer – Z, N or OO gauge
This is a creative DIY tip for making your own portable rerailer is almost too simple. [...]
Track Cleaning: How to clean track, the 2024 definitive guide
Here's a little secret. [...]
Remove rail joiners without damaging your rails (or fingers)
How to remove fish plates without damaging your rails, or your fingers. [...]
Tiny Terrific Track Tweaks : how to make your track work look better
I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve the look of my railways. Just recently I came across these fish plates and wow do they make a difference to track [...]
How to make Hornby & Peco OO gauge track look more realistic
Hornby and Peco track is cheap and compatible with a huge number of trains but it has a problem. [...]
How to easily fit rail joiners perfectly, everytime
It's undoubtedly one of the most frustrating, annoying, downright infuriating jobs in constructing a layout. My fingers bleed and I've ruined track ends doing [...]
6 Golden Rules To Successfully Use Second-hand Track
Second-hand aka used track can be a bargain but also a right royal pain.
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Bending track or making your own flexible track
Standard track cramping your style? Don't want to buy flexible track? Here's how to make your track bend and go where you want it.
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