Valid to UK only - excludes oversized items
Yes, using semaphore signals is still a valid option on a modern-themed layout. Historically semaphore signals were...
The purpose of the regulator on a steam locomotive is to control the flow of steam from the boiler to the cylinders....
Flatbed wagons, often referred to as flat wagons or flatcars, are railway freight vehicles designed with a flat, open...
7/0.2 wire is what railway modellers most commonly use for wiring auxiliary features to their layouts and to carry...
There are a few options for motorising a level crossing on a model railway layout: Servo motor: One option is to use...
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There are a couple of reasons why a modeller would want to know how much their railway is worth including: for insurance purposes, to sell, or sadly a family may need to know after bereavement for various administrative purposes.Valuing a...
Setting your couplings to the correct height is more important than you might think. If the height difference between your rolling stock's couplings is too great, you could be heading for a derailment.Fortunately, setting your couplings to the...
The correct height and other dimensions for HO gauge couplings are covered by NEM document 360 which states that couplings should be positioned at a height of 8.5mm above rail height. OO gauge couplings appear to follow suit with most...
Masking fluid works the same way as masking tape, only it comes in liquid form and is brushed on.Once painted on and allowed to set, masking fluid will keep an area paint-free while painting the rest of a model. Masking fluid can be...
If you are planning to install a decoder into a DCC ready locomotive, it will need to be the correct one. There are many different factors to consider when ascertaining which decoder is the absolute best one for your model, including, the number...
Rust prevention is pretty much at the top of the list when it comes down to criteria for military primers. Because of this, a primer containing red oxide is generally their primer of choice.Red oxide is used in high-performance primers to...
Hydrocal can be easily painted using acrylic paints.Hydrocal is a plaster-like substance many modellers use for moulding scenic items such as bricks, stones and rocks. It is a lot lighter than plaster of Paris and does not crack.Once set,...
Regardless of whether your locomotive uses analogue or DCC to operate, the principles of its motor will be the same, and both can come with either a 3-pole or a 5-pole motor. But what's the difference?Ignoring any posh or sophisticated...
In real life, the distance between parallel track centres differs depending on factors such as when the track was laid, where the track was laid, line speed and the surrounding infrastructure. Most standard UK railway lines have a distance of...
AFV stands for Armoured Fighting Vehicle. These versatile military machines come in many shapes, sizes and forms but generally are manoeuvrable, have armour plating and often have some sort of weaponry incorporated into their design.Armoured...
The Metcalfe Castle System (as it has become known) is a range of individual cardboard kits that combine to create a castle, its walls, a gatehouse and watchtowers.The kits are produced in both N gauge and OO gauge and allow modellers to add...
A flywheel is a heavy metal disc-shaped weight that is used to aid the momentum of a motor.Flywheels are added to some model railway locomotives for exactly that reason and are typically located on the driveshaft just after it leaves the...