Model Rail

Model Rail magazine is the UK's biggest-selling magazine dedicated to railway modelling. Every issue is packed with the country’s finest home and club layouts, stunning photography, unbiased and in-depth product reviews, expert tips, layout plans and step-by-step articles that really show you how. In our unique ‘Workbench’ section, we tackle a wide range of modeling skills and projects. Our expert writers and model-makers will help you to get the most from your hobby and build the layout of your dreams. Model Rail is published 13 times a year, every four weeks.

Welcome

ATOMIC FLASK WAGONS REACH DECO STAGE

LATEST HORNBY ARRIVALS

STOP PRESS!

FROM SCOTLAND TO THE SOUTH

SIZING UP THE ‘SIRDAR’ CLASS

EVER EVOLVING

‘PUG’ LIFE

LARGE SCALE INDUSTRY

MODERN ‘O’ GAUGE RETURNS TO CREWE

HELJAN UNLEASHES ANOTHER ‘RAT’ RUN

MORE ‘TUGS’ ARE ON THE WAY

TO THE ‘MANORS’ BORN

KERNOW’S CORNISH COMBO

GIANT REBRAND

SPACE-SAVER STATION

IT’S THE SMALL TINGS…

MORE CLASSICS FROM OXFORD

Modeller’s Bookshelf • Chris Leigh, George Dent, Peter Marriott and Richard Gunn present four new titles to inspire your modelling.

ON THE WORKBENCH • What new items have appeared in George’s workshop this month?

EXHIBITION DIARY – SEPTEMBER 27-OCTOBER 19

Unusual scenes captured by the lens of Chris Nevard

News Real • Our full-size railways are constantly evolving, providing fresh inspiration for modelling projects. BEN JONES looks at a few of the latest developments that could soon be appearing on our layouts.

Staff Show & Tell Mucking up a ‘26’ • With preliminary detailing work carried out last month, George Dent has begun applying a suitably weathered finish to his Sulzer Type 2.

LINESIDE HISTORY

HYBRID THREE-CAR CLASS 150 IN ‘O’

Inside track with Ben Ando

Back to their SCOTTISH ROUTES • Brian McCulloch’s layout encapsulates diverse locations around Aberdeen, and distils them into a charming whole, packed with family references.

3 things we like

STOCKTON & DARLINGTON: THE FIRST ‘PUBLIC’ RAILWAY • Although its primary function was to move coal from the vast Durham coalfields, the Stockton & Darlington Railway also offered passenger services from the outset.

EARLY S&D LOCOMOTIVES

GEORGE STEPHENSON AND EDWARD PEASE

FROM S&D TO HITACHI

HOW TO MODEL EARLY RAILWAY TRACK • With our focus drawn back to the early days of steam-powered public railways, George Dent takes his first steps in ‘Era 1’ modelling, trialling the use of ultra-modern track as a way of fooling the viewer’s eye.

Workbench • Inspirational projects, advice and top tips that show you how

HOW TO MODEL A SHABBY BR WORK VAN • Having been gifted a very shiny die-cast Ford Transit van, George Dent set about giving it a realistic lived-in appearance.

HOW TO SCRATCHBUILD A POLLARDED TREE FOR AN URBAN SCENE • Inspired by recently pruned, mature trees in his local area, Steve Nall set about building a replica from scratch.

HOW TO CREATE A DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE FROM LASER-CUT WOOD • Having taught himself how to design and produce his own laser-cut wood components, Stuart Moore set a target: to build an entire locomotives… that runs too!

PART 1 BUILDING PONTS MILL • Inspired by a plan in a recent modelling book, Peter Marriott begins construction of a new layout based on Ponts Mill, a china clay drying and loading facility in Cornwall.

HOME TO BEDS • For Bill Flude, a major consideration for his Leighton Buzzard-themed narrow gauge layout was that it had to fit into a Ford B-Max. But that didn’t limit his imagination or its versatility at all

3 things we...