Do you enjoy running model trains but want to improve your layout? Do you want to gain expertise over a wider range of railway modelling skills and acquire the confidence to tackle modelling tasks that you have previously shied away from? If so, this is the book for you. Brimming with advice and tips, this well-illustrated book covers a wide range of modelling skills, including designing a layout, choosing the right scale, building baseboards, selecting the right track, controlling the trains, building the landscape, making realistic grass and weeds, and adding figures. Particular attention is paid to more modern techniques such as DCC train control, laser cut and downloadable kits, and the use of hard foam in baseboard construction. Step-by-step explantions of many techniques are provided accompanied by over 400 instructional colour photographs. Information is provided about the tools and materials required and the extensive range of commercial railway modelling products that are now available.

The landscape through which railways run is often the inspiration and reason why people choose to model a particular line. Therefore creating a realistic setting in which to operate your railway is an essential aspect of modelling, yet it is often overlooked or left until the last moment. Creating authentic and believable scenery without spending a fortune or buying it 'ready made' is a skill that, with patience and understanding, can be achieved by anyone. In Creating Realistic Landscapes for Model Railways, highly skilled landscape modeller Tony Hill shows you, through step-by-step photo sequences and clear instructions, how you too can re-create a realistic landscape for your model railway. With chapters on modelling trees, grass, water, fences, rock, walls and hedges, this book will tell you everything you need to know to design and create a unique and special setting in which to operate your model railway. Superbly illustrated with 395 colour photographs.

This invaluable book is essential reading for all railway modellers, whatever their level of expertise. The author provides an overall understanding of the purpose of making buildings for a model railway and covers their construction, their positioning and how to light them.Topics covered include railway and non-railway buildings, explaining how the latter can also enhance your trains; modelling attitudes, the use of scale, levels of detail and both regional vernacular and railway architecture; ready-made buildings and how you can adapt them to your own particular purposes; different materials available for building structures and ways of choosing, finding, measuring and recording suitable prototypes; step by step construction of a cardboard building kit to illustrate the use of basic modelling tools and to explain essential procedures and techniques; using and modifying 'out-of-the-box' model buildings. Also explores the subtleties of making model railway buildings from scratch without the use of a kit, or anything more than hand-tools and a few sheets of suitable material, giving guidance on the appropriate use of texture and colour, and shows how walls, doors, windows, roofs and chimneys can be created, painted, detailed and finished off. Discusses the many aspects of lighting, including external lighting, such as street and platform lights, and the internal lighting of buildings, the problems they pose and how they can be resolved. Lighting can create dramatic effects with reference, for example, to the installation of illuminated ground signals in N-gauge using the latest 'surface-mount' technology, and by producing brilliantly illuminated back-lit sunsets. Superbly illustrated with 622 colour photographs.

European railways are characterized by a huge and contrasting range of locomotives, liveries, rolling stock, stations and infrastructure. In addition, the network incorporates standard, narrow and broad gauges, private and nationalized railways, high-speed corridors, single-track branch lines and rack systems. If that was not appealing enough for the railway modeller, these fascinating railways are also located in dramatically diverse landscapes ranging from the industrial Ruhr to the majestic Alps. If you wish to explore the new and exciting railway modelling opportunities that Europe has to offer, if you need a helping hand and information about where to go, what to read and what to buy, then this is the book for you.It considers how to carry out research across the Channel, and is written by an enthusiastic railway modeller who has been modelling European railways for twenty-five years and who passionately believes that railway modelling should be fun. It contains information about the modelling tools required, the products that are available and the companies that manufacture them and demonstrates in detail how to install catenary. It also describes, step-by-step, many of the techniques that can be used to create different types of scenery in several European locations. With top tips and advice throughout and including many interesting 'modelling interludes' describing and illustrating models of various railway subjects, this lavishly illustrated book, with over 440 beautiful colour photographs, will appeal to anyone plannning to model European railways.

N gauge is the most rapidly expanding of all the model railway formats and if you want to take advantage of its huge potential, then this is the book for you. The author explains exactly what N gauge is, its history, its advantages and some of its possible disadvantages. He begins with a train set and progresses through choosing a prototype and designing a layout, to a practical demonstration of how to build a baseboard, to designs for open-topped baseboards and fiddle yards. Tells you all you need to know about the different track products that are available and the differences between sectional and flexible track. Provides detailed, yet easily understandable, descriptions of how to lay track, cut it to size, join it, and connect it between baseboards. Explains the terminology of turnouts and the different ways to operate them. Explores the differences between DC and DCC control, and how to get power to the track. Considers wiring for turnouts and isolation sections. Discusses all the types of ballasting and presents comprehensive advice on how to apply and fix loose ballast. Examines ready-to-run rolling stock available in N gauge as well as kit building and conversion of locomotives to DCC. Provides guidance on couplers, from the traditional types to the latest designs such as knuckle couplers and close coupling mechanisms. Covers modelling the railway infrastructure, such as platforms and signal boxes, how to make realistic rural and urban scenery, and how to bring your layout to life by adding details such as people, road vehicles and signs. Lavishly illustrated with 285 colour photographs and 20 diagrams.

Determining where and how to store a model railway when it is not in use can be difficult, especially if space is severely limited; a folding railway layout can be the solution to this problem. The author has designed an ingenious folding wooden case that accommodates his truly remarkable N-gauge multi-track layout, and which is also suitable for an oval track layout in 00 gauge. In this fascinating book, the author describes all aspects of how to build the folding case and how to construct the layout within using lightweight materials such as rigid foam. Some of the most remarkable features of the layout are how to construct and install a working cable car, moving road vehicles, a revolving children's roundabout, and a helicopter with motorized rotor blades. There are over 300 excellent step-by-step diagrams and photographs. Brimming with practical advice and tips on how to build the folding case and how to construct the layout within and superbly illustrated with 315 colour photographs and step-by-step diagrams.

Before beginning construction work on a model railway it is essential to have a workable design. The plan needs to take into account the space, time, budget and personal skills available, as well as the type of railway to be modelled. Here, Cyril Freezer draws on more than 50 years experience in designing and building model railways to explain how each stage should be undertaken. Includes 150 specially-drawn track layout diagrams.

Whether you are just about to embark on your scenic modelling journey, or want to re-work an existing layout, this clearly written volume will be invaluable. The author guides you through the process of collecting field-trip information, both written and photographic, and then demonstrates, using step-by-step instructions, how the colours, textures and features depicted in the reference photographs can be replicated to create a wonderful model landscape. The author describes in detail the modelling techniques he employs to create long and short grass, crop, fallow and freshly ploughed fields, trimmed hedges, mature hedgerows, hedgerow trees, broadland trees in summer, Scots pine trees, silver birch, autumn and winter trees, as well as dead and fallen trees and trees in half relief. Finally, he brings together all the features that have been covered in the book and describes the building of a scale model representation of the field trip photographs in the form of a 3 x 2 ft diorama. Aimed at all those railway modellers who wish to create attractive, realistic scenery for their layouts, brimming with advice and tips and with over four hundred inspirational reference colour images and colour instructional photographs. A sister volume to Modelling Railway Scenery Volume 1 - Cuttings, Hills, Mountains, Streams and Lakes (Crowood 2013).

This comprehensive book, written by an experienced railway modeller, demonstrates how, with a little patience, you can produce accurate and realistic models of goods trains, sheds and yards. It presents detailed step-by-step projects and covers basic card-kit building, 'kit bashing' and scratch building. Written in an easily understandable style, this fascinating work is aimed at all those railway modellers who wish to authentically replicate the way goods were moved and handled on Britain's railways during the steam era. It covers the simple tools and materials that are required and is packed with information about steam-era goods workings and how to recreate them on a layout. It shows the reader how a typical goods yard operated and how it was constructed, and demonstrates how to detail, improve, modify and achieve the best results from card kits. It also examines the growing appeal of 'download' kits and shows the modeller how to improve the appearance and reliability of goods rolling stock. With many money-saving suggestions, this essential guide to transforming shiny shop-bought models and kits into convincing representations of the real thing will be invaluable to all railway modellers. Fully illustrated with 245 colour and black & white photographs.

Locomotive kit building remains the best route to achieving a varied range of motive power in most scales but it also retains a mystique, being associated with expert modellers and expensive tools. However, in this invaluable, richly illustrated volume, George Dent demonstrates how anyone can successfully assemble working kits with only a modicum of inexpensive equipment and experience. All aspects of assembly are covered in detail including working in plastics, resin and metal; the very basics of working and joining materials; installing ready-made power units and performing more complex operations, such as assembling etched metal chassis frames and intricate valve gear. Includes a full guide to essential tools, materials and adhesives, covers the art of soldering and explains the basics behind chassis construction and alignment. Presents an in-depth guide to the assembly of cylinders, coupling rods and valve gear and examines a range of power unit and transmission options. Demonstrates how to detail and modify kits for extra realism, illustrates painting, lining and weathering techniques and offers tips on running-in, testing and maintaining mechanisms. An essential guide to building locomotives and multiple units from kits and helps the modeller to achieve the best results from every kit. Aimed at railway modellers of all abilities, it is superbly illustrated with 537 colour photographs.