Valid to UK only - excludes oversized items
Despite what most places will say, the voltage on the track when using DCC is not 16V. It is not 15V or 12V either....
Several factors will influence the age at which your child is ready for their first layout. These include the...
The era system is a way in which model manufacturers describe specific periods in railway history. This is to help...
There are several reasons why a modeller may choose to use a CDU (Capacitor Discharge Unit) to provide power to their...
If you ask forty accomplished modellers which brand of model paint is best, you will get forty different answers. So...
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When building a model railway layout, or any diorama for that matter, you will most likely want to place at least a few buildings on it. Whether it be a simple station or an all singing and all dancing village, buildings are a big part of a...
Traction tyres were used on many older model railway locomotives to improve their traction, not surprisingly, when they break the locomotive is often left unable to move little more than itself.This can be very frustrating and is a problem...
Screeching model railway locomotives are a common problem that most modellers come across at one time or another. If your engine is partial to the odd screech, it will likely be one of two things, but in either case, it rarely means it's the end...
The most realistic model brick walls are those with some of the individual bricks picked out in slightly different shades, but how is this achieved?There is no real shortcut to this effect, most modellers simply colour the bricks individually....
There are a few reasons why your analogue controller could be cutting out, but the most probable cause is a short circuit.Many controllers have a built-in safety feature where, if a short circuit is detected, it will automatically cut out. Some...
We are often advised to dry-brush models to achieve particular effects, but what is dry brushing, and when would you use this technique?Dry brushing is the process of putting just enough paint on your brush to leave a trace of it on your...
A composite coach is a railway carriage with accommodation for more than one class of passengers.In the early days of pre-nationalisation, this typically meant that a single carriage would have had first and third class accommodation. In later...
With so many functions on a modern or advanced multimeter, and so many reasons why you may want to use one, it would be impossible to answer the question 'How do I use a multimeter?' comprehensively. However, most modellers will only want to check...
When modellers talk about quartering, they are referring to the side-rods on their locomotives being set to the correct position in relation to each other.Contrary to belief, the side-rods on either side of a locomotive do not rotate level...
A wash is a thinned down coat of paint used by modellers to add details such as weathering, dust, grime, oil, rust or mud to the models and scenery on their layouts or dioramas.A wash is a coat of paint so thin, that when applied to a model,...
Interlocking is used in railway signalling to ensure that potentially dangerous combinations of points and/or signals cannot be selected.Interlocking works by either a physical mechanism or an electronic application preventing a signaller from...
When new to the world of model railways, it's likely you will read many articles explaining the best way to go about those crucial first steps, and you may well be advised to make a general-purpose locomotive one of your first rolling stock...