Valid to UK only - excludes oversized items
The term 'Bolster Wagon' refers to a type of railway wagon specifically designed for the transportation of long and...
The two-rail wiring principle is a fundamental concept in model railway wiring. It refers to the use of two separate...
Acetate is a term used in modelling to describe many types of plastic film or sheets and is so called because it's...
A back to back gauge is an instrument for measuring and setting up the distance between wheels on an axle of a model...
Occasionally, a modeller will have a requirement to paint a model with contrasting colours or tones. Sometimes this...
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A briar patch is a thicket formed from thorny plants and can often be found growing in abandoned or derelict sites as well as by the side of railway lines in more rural areas.Because it's such a common feature, briar patches are often modelled...
The word 'digital' when used in model railways usually refers to a model or product being specifically manufactured to work with DCC.DCC stands for Digital Command Control and is a method whereby trains and accessories are controlled via...
The term CCT van stands for 'Covered Carriage Truck'. These Railway vans were designed specifically to carry motor vehicles. First built in the 1950s these vans were subsequently banned by Motorail in the mid-1960s. Clearances for carrying motor...
Hornby's curved platform sections feature on many home layouts, and although there are arguably more realistic looking platforms available, they do serve a valuable purpose on a lot of layouts that are more focused on the fun aspect. But as they...
Adding real smoke to your model locomotive can significantly enhance its appearance, but is it easy to do?Well, that depends on the amount of space you have to play with inside your bodyshell! When fitting anything inside a model locomotive, space...
To model a freight train prototypically, one must first know how long the prototype is, but that information is difficult to come by as there is no set length.That statement may not be helpful for modellers looking for a definitive answer, but...
The toothpaste technique is very similar to the hairspray chipping technique and achieves roughly the same effects.The principle is to apply a basecoat that will eventually be seen through the finished topcoat to replicate damage or wear. The...
Brake vans (originally called break vans) were first employed on early industrial tramways and cableways to provide braking should coupling fail. They were needed because early wagons didn't have brakes of their own. These types of wagons are...
Vacuum pipes can be seen on the front and rear of many older railway locomotives and rolling stock. They are usually located either on or around the buffer beam and are used to provide a 'through' vacuum to operate the train's braking system....
Most model railways struggle to accommodate full-sized passenger trains, to do so would require huge platforms and therefore a huge baseboard, and that's a luxury most of us don't have. So how long (or in this case short) can a passenger train be...
As a modeller, but not necessarily an electrician, you may have read many 'how to' articles advising the use of a reed switch, but also wondered what they are and what they do.The quickest way to understand a reed switch is to forget about the...
Ballast inlays are sponge strips designed for placement under model railway track to cushion it whilst replicating ballast.Inlay for straight and curved track sections is typically supplied on a roll but specific sections are required for...