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Make. Paint. Build: Hints, tips and advice for model train enthusiasts, model makers and miniaturists


Layout Construction

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

Improve Locomotive Running with Graphite Pencils – How and Why

Using a graphite pencil to improve electrical conductivity and smoother locomotive operation on a model railway
Want to improve the smoothness and reliability of your trains? All it takes is a pencil. [...]

Pentewan Track Plan

Model railway layout plan Pentwan
Here's a plan for one of the most enjoyable layouts I've built. [...]

Peter Pan Layout

Peter Pan model railway
Embark on a magical model railway journey around Neverland with this plan designed for the forever young at heart. This captivating layout idea, crafted [...]

Don’t Get Derailed

Photo of model railway track
New to track laying? Read these eleven beginner-friendly tips to laying track like a pro. [...]

Getting crafty with track: Ballast Collection with Polymer Clay

Using polymer clay to clean up model railway track ballast
An unconventional but cheap and effective technique for removing rogue ballast from your track. [...]

Never Use These Three Materials For Your Baseboard

Just don't use these. Trust me. [...]

How to attach wires to model train track

soldering wire to oo gauge track
Moving up from track clips to attaching power wires to track? Here are 3 techniques, how to do each and the pluses and minuses of each. [...]

Is cork underlay needed for track?

Track Laying Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
This is question that comes up frequently, here are my thoughts. [...]

Signalling – Basics: Point Roding

point rodding
How steam-era railway signalling was controlled. [...]

Backscene Selection

Tamar valley
For me, the back scenes of layouts are critical. [...]

A prototype inglenbook track plan

Inglenook shunting puzzle prototype
Love industrial heritage? Fancy an inglenook model railway shunting puzzle layout? Here's an industrial narrow gauge line that has an inglenook built in. [...]

Plywood – what you need to know before buying

Plywood is a simple material, very versatile and great material for a model railway baseboard top. Here's what you need to know before buying. [...]

How to make the three most common woodwork joints

Wood work joints for model railway baseboards
If you're building a model railway baseboard from wood you'll need to join various bits of wood together. Here's how to make the three most common wood work [...]

Don’t use this for baseboards

I'm always on the look out for new, cheaper or better materials to build model railways with so when someone wrote in suggesting fibreboard I had [...]

Protecting your rails while painting track

Most model railway track come with black sleepers. These look nothing like the real thing and many modellers paint them a more authentic colour. Browns for [...]

The Best Ballasting Tool For N Gauge Model Railways

Best N Gauge Ballast Spreader
Ballasting is one of those tasks you either love or hate on a model railway. It transforms your track work but is a slow laborious messy process that's hard to [...]

Which Xuron track cutter to get (and how to use them for perfect cuts)

cutting model railway track
Struggling to get clean, straight ends, for your N, OO, and HO track when cutting it? Here's how I use the Xuron cutters to get the perfect track every time. [...]

A surprising but ideal ready-made base for a fun small model railway

table with N or 009 train
It's not an obvious choice but this baby accessory turns out to be a perfect small model railway base. [...]

Adding point motors to already laid track

fitting point motors without removing the points
Now filed in a draw marked 'why on earth didn't I think of this' is this marvellous tip from MRE community member Lee Maylon for installing point motors on [...]

An easier way to hold your track in place while gluing

Holding track in place while gluing
Is this the quickest way to fix track down for gluing? [...]