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On-A-Budget
Tips, tricks, and money saving ideas to build a model railway or model railroad on a budget.
How to make your own common modelling materials
Locked down due to Coronavirus? Can't get out to get model making supplies? Here's how you can make your own. [...]
Make your own ground foam
Making your own ground foam for scenery is fun, much cheaper than buying the commercial stuff and gives your more flexibility in your scenery.
But [...]
15 recycling ideas for model making
Fifteen things from around your house you can recycle and use for model making, wargaming and model railways to save money and the environment. [...]
Boot fair bargains – How I picked up a locomotive and controller for under £10
Who says model trains are expensive? [...]
How to make scenic cement: my foolproof 3 part recipe for the best ground cover
There's a lot of misunderstanding around scenic glue but it's surprisingly simple once you know how to make it. [...]
The best paper mache (papier-mâché) recipe for model hills and mountains
Here's my trusted recipe for papier-mâché, sometimes spelt paper mache, that I use for landscape building on my model train layouts, railways and wargaming [...]
How to make your own scatter & why I’ll never buy scatter material again
I'll never buy scatter for my model railways again. [...]
How to work with Styrofoam and polystyrene
Styrofoam and Polystyrene are amongst my favourite landscape construction materials. [...]
The Cheapest Technique For Making Model Trees
I go full Blue Peter for this tip. [...]
Model Railway Backscene, what is it
What is a model railway backscene? Find the answer here in the Internet's biggest model railway glossary. [...]
Building Forests On A Budget
I've just read about a great idea that I haven't seen before. It's from the book Scenic Modelling by John de Frayssinet and if you haven't got this book I [...]
Recycle for your railway — money saving ideas
I'm always on the prowl looking for ways to save money and help the environment when building my model railways. [...]
Making Your Own Engine Shed Ash
Hot on the heals of the previous post on making your own model railway grass, comes another tip from Stephen Fay, this time a low cost technique to making [...]
The best price on Hornby trains – model railway money saving buying tips
Looking for the best price on a Hornby train set or trying to find the the biggest discount for that model train you’ve been saving for? These tricks will [...]
Short and Sweet Sunday Scribblings: Free Brick Paper
Looking for quick, free, way to create brick and stone walls surfaces for your buildings? [...]
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 [...]
What I Wish I’d Known Before Starting A Model Railway
Building a model railway can be fun, challenging, and rewarding, but it's easy to make mistakes and overlook important details when starting. Here are some [...]
How To Get A Hornby Train Set Without Breaking The Bank
Let's be honest, model trains and railways aren't a cheap hobby. It can cost a LOT but it can be done on a budget. [...]
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. [...]
Adding Lights to Your Model Railway – The Low Cost Option
When adding lights to your railway you can either buy expensive off-the-shelf lights or use this low cost technique for building and street illumination.
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