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Author: Andy Leaning
Making A DIY Table For A Children’s Railway
Looking for a quick, cheap, table to hold a small model railway? If you have a drill and a few nails why not build your own? [...]
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 [...]
The Man Who Built 600 Model Trains – Monday Model Railway Factoid #8
While many of us buy trains and vehicles preassembled from manufacturers like Hornby and Graham Farish some model railway builders make their own but none [...]
The Best Toy Trains – everything you need to know about Brio and wooden railways
Looking for the best toy train set for your toddler? Want to get them the most enjoyable and educational trains?
Or maybe you want to expand a Brio-style [...]
Model Railway Baseboards – A Low Cost Alternative
Looking for an easy, quick, alternative to setting up your model railway on the dinner table or floor? Here's a low cost alternative that won't break the [...]
The Best Wooden Trains From Brio, Thomas and Bigjigs in 2026
Need a helping hand in finding a wooden train your son or daughter will love to play with? Here are the brightest, most colorful, fun-filled trains from Brio, [...]
Make Your Own Tree Stumps And For Free!
Take a look at any railway banks, you'll see stumps and branches where trees have been cut back to prevent damage to passing trains and prevent falling [...]
How to make hills – 5 steps from model making gurus
How to build model hills for your railway, the definitive guide.
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St Blazey Model Railway Prototype Pictures – Close Ups
I spent the early May bank holiday week in Cornwall and not being one to miss an opportunity I sneaked off to do some more research on the railway at St Blazey [...]
We’re Going To Need A Bigger Room – Monday Model Railway Factoid #7
Struggling with Papier-mâché and plaster on your layout? Spare a thought for these model railway builders from Germany,California and New Jersey who build [...]
How to make N and OO gauge model hedges
Using the pre-made commercial hedges on your model railway can be expensive. What if there was a way to get garden hedgerows for a few pounds. Here's how you [...]
Making a model river in 5 easy steps
Water is a key feature of our environment so it should naturally be a key feature on your model railway or diorama but creating a credible water look is [...]
The Top 5 Reasons Wooden Trains Derail and How To Fix Them
If your child's wooden train set doesn't run smoothly and the trains derail frequently it can be super frustrating for all concerned. Here are the top 5 [...]
Everything You Could Want To Know About Sleepers – Monday Model Railway Factoid, #6
Sleepers are critical to railways and to vital for authentic model railways but what are their origins? How many are there? Here's all you could want to know [...]
The secret to applying static grass without breaking the bank
This tip is so obvious it's frequently overlooked yet it's possibly one of the most effective and certainly cheapest alternatives to off-the-shelf static grass [...]
How To Pick The Right Ballast For The Most Realistic Model Railway
The ballast on railways wasn't always grey and if you want your model railway to be authentic you'll need to get the colour and texture right on your layout. [...]
The Origins of Ballast – Monday Model Railway Factoid, #5
Even wondered what the origins of ballast are and why it's even called ballast? Read on for the fascinating history of the small grey stones found between [...]
Where to put a simple model railway: 3 suggestions
If you're building a simple model railway for your children or perhaps are just starting out and only want to dabble you don't need a fixed dedicated home for [...]
How To Make Landscape Scatter Materials On A Budget – Thrifty Thursday Model Building Tip, #1
If you're looking for soil, dirty or sand material for your landscape, park any thoughts of buying scatter materials and head to the kitchen with this weeks [...]
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 [...]