Best model railway books for Christmas
Published November 5, 2011It’s getting near that time again when everyone is thinking of what to buy for Christmas.
For the railway modeller it’s always nice to receive a present that’s related to their favourite hobby. So with that in mind we’ve done some research and compiled what we think are the top 5 best model railway books for Christmas. Perhaps a gentle hint to someone who may wondering what to get you at Xmas may just do the trick.
Our top 5 books (not in any particular order of preference) are….
Realistic Railway Modelling: Layout Design by Iain Rice
The Professional Approach to Model Railways by John Wylie
Model Railway Layout, Construction and Design Techniques by Nigel Burkin
Aspects of Modelling: Weathering locomotives and Rolling Stock by T Shackleton
Fine Tuning and Maintaining OO Gauge Models by Nigel Burkin
For a wide selection of model railway books available to buy online click here
Model railway track planning
Published November 5, 2011As we all know, one of the simplest and easiest track layouts to set up is the oval shape layout. Because of the simplicity of the design the track pieces required to build the layout are relatively inexpensive, which is a major consideration when planning and building your first model railway. The reason this type of track is cheaper to build is simply because the only two types of track needed are straights and curves.
One of the main advantages the oval track has compared to more intricate layouts is that, due to it’s simple design, the size of the layout can easily be increased. By extending the straight sections the length of the track can be extended, which enables the enthusiast to build larger tracks. With a longer track, the longer the straights, the more speed can be gained, which allows the model trains to reach their maximum speed potential. Of course, the oval shape track can also easily be reduced in size to fit a limted space if necessary.
This flexibilty in design should not be overlooked when planning your layout. However, some enthusiasts see the oval model railway track plan as too basic. But by incorporating interesting buildings and scenery, you can still produce a great looking layout.
If you’re more ambitious and want to build a more complicated layout then it pays to have some decent plans to help guide you. The ‘Big Book of Model Railway Track Plans’ track plans available from Amazon provides many different track plans. The book is an American publication but many of the plans can easily be adapted to suit British layouts. Some of the plans are also extremely complex and only really suitable for club modellers. But the scarcity of these types of book still makes it a worthwhile addition to the railway modellers bookshelf.
Collectable model trains and rolling stock for sale
Published September 5, 2011There’s always a wide choice of model trains, rolling stock, track and accessories for sale online if you know where to look. One of my favourite places is ebay where you will even find complete railway layouts for sale occasionally.
No matter what guage you’re interested in you are bound to find something of interest.
To help you search and find what you’re looking for we keep a constantly updated list of items being auctioned and sold on ebay and you can view them by selecting the guage you’re interested in from the menu in the right hand column.
The most popular model railway guages are the OO Guage, the N Guage, the HO Guage, the O Guage and the G Guage
Model railway videos
Published September 5, 2011An increasing number of railway modellers and clubs are producing their own model railway videos. And why not? A lot of pleasure can be gained in filming the results of a beautifully built model railway layout, either for reference, inspiration or ideas. And capturing the action of model trains moving through a scenic landscape, village scene or town can bring each scene alive, and with imagination and carefully chosen camera shots, can make it seem almost real.
More and more model railway videos are also cropping up on You Tube, including some very good ‘how to’ videos with some excellent tips and techniques for building model scenery and weathering locomotives and buildings etc. To see some of the best ones, I have chosen a few and added them to our Model Railway Videos page.
I hope you enjoy them and find them helpful.
It’s all in the detail
Published September 3, 2011As you would expect, most model locomotives bought new are in pristine condition when taken out of the packaging.
But of course the real trains on which they are modelled on don’t look like at all like this. All trains are affected in some way by the weather. Whether it’s rust, grime or chipped paintwork, even after a relatively short period of time, the effects of weathering are usually quite evident. Most real locomotives and other rolling stock can quickly become very dirty, especially if they are not cleaned regularly.
It therefore comes as no surprise that many model train enthusiasts gain a great deal of satisfaction from detailing their locomotives and rolling stock to look like the real thing.
If the idea of adding extra realism to your model trains is of interest to you then take a look at the videos on how to weather a diesel train and other models on our model railway videos page.
Historical Model Railway Society open day
Published September 2, 2011The Historical Model Railway Society is opening it’s doors to the public on 24th September at the Wansdyke Room, Saltford Hall, Wedmore Road, Saltford.
The HMRS was founded in 1950 by historians and modellers to collect train and railway related information, including drawings and photographs, to aid modellers build historical models in more accurate detail.
You can find more information about the Historical Model Railway Society through their website. [ click here ]
If you’re planning on visiting please check for the latest information before leaving.
Toy and train collector fairs
Published September 1, 2011On September 6th the Toy and Train Collectors Fair held at the Benn Hall venue at Rugby takes place, with over 80 Stalls and thousands of collectables up for grabs. Not just trains and railway accessories but also a wide range of popular toy collectables including model cars and buses, aeroplanes, Scalextric, action figures, Star Wars collectables, display cases and much more.
Admission is £1.50 for adults, £1.20 for senior citizens, and for Children 50p. Refreshments are also available.
For more details click here
Bachmann Robinson Class 04
Published September 1, 2011There are some great articles to be found at the Model Rail Forum about various trains including the Bachmann Robinson Class 04
Here’s an excerpt from one of the many articles I found which details some of the background history of these trains.
The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class O4 initially consisted of the 131 ex-Great Central Railway (GCR) Class 8K 2-8-0 steam locomotives acquired on grouping in 1923. The engines were designed by John G. Robinson and built at the GCR locomotive works at Gorton, Manchester.
Robinson developed the Class 04, from the GCR 0-8-0 Q4, adding a front pony truck to support the extra weight of the larger cylinders and valve gear. A superheated boiler that was used on the C4 Atlantics was … [ read full article ]
€1.5m to rehouse a model railway
Published August 30, 2011Dublin Tourism, which owns the Fry Model Railway, says it is unaware of an anonymous donor reported to be offering €1.5m to re-house the museum in Malahide.
According to a newspaper report, the donor offered the money to have the railway museum set up in Casino House in Malahide, Co Dublin. A spokeswoman for Dublin Tourism said the organisation is not aware of this offer, but is currently negotiating the sale of the collection with another buyer. [ more details ]
Model railway workshop
Published August 30, 2011Model railway enthusiasts are being given the opportunity to build a semaphore signal at the Head of Steam, Darlington’s Railway Museum.
On Saturday September 10th, members of the Institution of Civil Engineers and Robert Stephenson Trust will be running a workshop to help railway buffs build their own model signal. The workshop which is free, runs from 11am to 3pm, and is part of the museum’s exhibition ‘The Art of Robert Stephenson: images of the man, his life and his works’ For more information and contact details click the following link…. [ Railway museum workshop ]