Welcome to my modelling and model railway blog! With well over quarter of a million readers a year, a growing community of model railway builders and hundreds and hundreds of articles, tips and guides you’ve come to the right place if you looking to build a model railway.
What’s on this site
Whether you’re building your first model railway, returning to the hobby after a mid-life break, an experienced modeller looking for tips and inspiration or building a layout for your kids/grandkids there’s something here to help, including:
| Hundreds of tips, guides and ideas from beginner to expert, | |
| The latest techniques and technologies explored, | |
| My journey and experiences as a lifelong modeller, | |
| Money saving ideas, | |
| Reviews and field tests of tools, accessories and products. |
Below are some of my favourite and most popular articles from the last seven years of this blog. You can learn more about me here.
Beginners and Basics Guides
| The best train sets to start with | |
| Setting up a train set | |
| How to expand a Hornby train set | |
| How to keep a floor or table train set in tip top condition | |
| From train set to model railway |
For those returning to the hobby after a break
| What’s the difference between DC and DCC | |
| DC or DCC what do modellers prefer and why |
Layout Construction Guides
Fixing, Repairing and Maintaining Model Trains & Track
| 7 tips that will make your trains run smoothly | |
| How to clean locomotive wheels | |
| Track cleaning: How to, the definitive guide | |
| How to oil and lubricate locomotives |
Money Saving Tips
| Six golden rules to successfully using second-hand track | |
| Making your own flexible track | |
| How to make your own scatter material |
Useful Tools & Accessories
| The best aid to help you see when your eyesight fades | |
| Static grass applicators tried and tested | |
| The best soldering iron for model railway construction | |
| The best tool to clean locomotive wheels |
> A final, personal, note: I spend a huge amount of time testing, photographing, writing and researching techniques for these articles and pay for all the running costs of MRE out of my own pocket. If you found this article useful you can support me by making a donation on my fund-raising page. Thanks and happy modelling, Andy.