Welcome

The price of model railways has been a

Meet the team behind the UK’s best modelling magazine

Chris Leigh Active in the hobby for over

Model Rail essential information

Q: Looking for an old feature but can’t

The Big Picture

The latest happenings from the world of model railways

BACHMANN GOES LARGE WITH NARROW GAUGE

7mm SCALE In a surprise announcement, Bachmann Europe

HARBURN HOBBIES WINS ACCOLADE

Bachmann Europe’s prestigious Retailer of the Year award

HELJAN’S ALL-NEW CLASS 26 GETTING CLOSER

Decorated samples were revealed by Heljan, showing off

IMPROVED ‘O2’ IN PROGRESS

Production of Heljan’s long-awaited re-run of the Gresley

‘TWENTIES’ INBOUND

Also nearing completion is Heljan’s re-run of the

‘SKATEBOARDS’ IN COLOUR

Heljan has also shared the artwork files for

‘88’ BREAKS COVER

Direct Rail Services’ Class 88 electro-diesel locomotives were

OLE SAD EYES IS BACK

The aesthetically challenged Class 28 ‘Co ‐Bo’ returns

RAPIDO GETS UP TO SOMETHING FISHY

Fresh fish was once a major commodity for

BULLEID’S OATS SERVED UP BY IRM

Yet another variation of Oliver Bulleid’s innovative twin-axle

WHAT’S COOKING AT REVOLUTION?

Revolution Trains’ Ben Ando recently paid a visit to Model Rail HQ, with a bag full of model samples for us to admire, displaying progress on various fronts.

NEW ARRIVALS FROM HORNBY

Landing at Model Rail HQ just before we

BIG BADGERS AND MORE FROM OSBORN’S

Osborn’s Models has added a handful of new

‘OO’ LAYOUT STARS IN NEW WELSH CRIME DRAMA

A model railway takes centre stage in a

Modeller’s Bookshelf

George Dent presents four recent rail-themed titles to inspire and inform your modelling projects.

CELEBRATE A COMEDY CLASSIC

Buggleskelly Station has commissioned two new limited-edition wagons

SNACK ATTACK

A new addition to the 00 GAUGE Bachmann

CAUGHT IN THE RUSH HOUR

00 GAUGE HO SCALE Noch’s ‘XL’ figure packs

PASSENGER PACKS

00 GAUGE Two new packs of seated passengers

TT RACERS

TT:120 GAUGE Noch’s range of prepainted figures continues

BOXING CLEVER

GAUGE O The Ukrainian MiniArt range of injection

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

FACTORY FINISH

Staff Show & Tell

Inside track with Ben Ando

Ben Ando is the founder of Revolution Trains and a regular contributor to Model Rail.

EXHIBITION DIARY – MAY–JUNE 2024

May 11 BUSHEY, HERTS. South West Herts Model

Hornby RailRoad Plus Class 101 two-car DMU

◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Hornby RailRoad

Present your case

If there’s a prototype that you think needs to be offered ready-to-run, here’s the place to voice your opinion…

Backscene

Too many projects, too little time. It’s a conundrum faced by many modellers. CHRIS LEIGH plans to organise his way out of it.

Mine of inspiration

Theo Thomas combined technological prowess with good old-fashioned research to compose a narrow gauge layout that tells the stor y of the collieries of the Forest of Dean.

3 things we like

1 The operational semaphore signal, with shunt arm.

Shelf-fulfilling prophesy

Pete Matcham employed a shelf as a baseboard for this tight-focus china clay-themed scene, but there’s nothing off-the-shelf about his expertly crafted layout.

Rolling back the years

Phil Mason and Ian Willis joined forces on a layout that re-imagines the final days of the Derwent Valley Light Railway in the early 1980s.

Workbench

Inspirational projects, advice and top tips that show you how

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN UNIQUE INDUSTRIAL LOCOMOTIVES

George Dent rose to the challenge of repainting a steam locomotive without taking it apart, while also creating suitable diesel traction for his low-level colliery line. As a result, he now has two distinctive new models in his collection.

REPAINT A STEAM LOCOMOTIVE – WITHOUT TAKING IT APART

1 Preparation began by removing the printed numberplates

HOW TO CREATE A CUT-DOWN DIESEL SHUNTER

The low-level colliery line on my latest

Internet inspiration

Watching a YouTube video prompted Roger Marsh to build his latest ‘OO’ gauge layout ‘Marpit Sidings’.

BUILDING FOWEY

Peter Marriott continues to build his Cornish layout, inspired by Carne Point’s harbour, by adapting a Kibri kit to recreate the vital pilot boat.

HOW TO USE GRASS MATS

AS A BASE FOR REALISTIC SCENERY

Heljan Class 37/0

◆ GAUGE ‘O’ ◆ MODEL Heljan 3727 Class

Revolution Trains Class 59

◆ GAUGE ‘N’ ◆ MODEL Revolution Trains Class

Hornby LMS ‘Black Five’

◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Hornby R30224

Accurascale SR banana vans

◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Accurascale •

Farish SECR ‘Dance Hall’ brake van

◆ GAUGE ‘N’ ◆ MODEL Graham Farish

Bachmann TTA tank wagon

◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Bachmann Branchline

Bachmann Scenecraft S&DJR station & canopy

◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Bachmann Scenecraft