Valid to UK only - excludes oversized items
Yes, it is generally recommended to use ballast with a trackbed on a model railway layout. Here are a few reasons...
It goes back to the old saying: you get what you pay for. The more expensive locomotives out there have slightly...
The only difference between normal paint and airbrush paint is that the airbrush paint has been thinned with a...
Starting a model railway layout is an exciting endeavour, but one of the first decisions you'll need to make is which...
In the early days, railway tracks were made from iron, but cast iron was considered to be too brittle and wrought...
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A programming track is used to read or program a DCC locomotive's decoder. It comprises a short section of track that's completely isolated from the main layout and connects to the controller via a dedicated programming port.Using a...
For many regular airbrush users, the size of their needles is of the utmost importance.The range of needle sizes available for airbrushes can be thought of in three distinct categories: Fine, Medium and Large.The 'Finer' category includes...
If you're considering installing dropper wires to your model railway track, you may be wondering where and how to attach them for the best results.There are several ways you can attach dropper wires to your track, for example, power clips or...
Electrofrog points are model railway turnouts with no isolated sections.Regular turnouts require a small plastic isolated section to avoid a short circuit where the outer rail passes over the inner rail as the route diverges. The isolated...
Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring was a German politician and military leader during WWII. During that time, he implemented a standardised system of colours for military aircraft camouflage. Each colour was allocated a numbered code to assist...
If you are thinking about installing turnout motors (also referred to as point motors) on your layout, you may well be wondering which type is best for you.Firstly, it would be fair to say that no particular type of motor can be declared the...
There are several reasons why a modeller may choose to use a CDU (Capacitor Discharge Unit) to provide power to their point motors, but essentially, it is because they want more 'oomph'.Although a point motor (turnout motor) will happily...
There are many types of glue available to modellers, all of which are good at adhering to different materials. But which should you use for photoetched parts? Quite simply, you should use a cyanoacrylate adhesive (Superglue). There are many...
Solenoid turnout motors, or point motors as they are sometimes called, are powered by a 16v auxiliary power supply just like the one found on the back of many controllers.All turnout motors will have instructions included specifying their...
Trying to figure out how much ballast you need to cover your layout is an interesting battle and one you will probably lose!Some manufacturers do give an approximate track coverage on their bags or tubs of ballast, which is both useful and...
The standard height for a station platform in the UK is three-feet (915 mm) above rail height. That equates to a correct OO gauge platform height of 12mm above rail height.Many ready-to-plant plastic platform sections are a couple of...
When applying varnish to protect a model's paintwork, you should aim for a finish that exhibits the least amount of texture humanly possible as it will likely be your top and most visible coat.For that reason, it is best to use an airbrush or...