Tabla de contenidos para September 2025 en Model Rail

Revealed shortly before the ‘8F’ at The Greatest Gathering, and somewhat smaller in stature, is Bachmann's ‘OO’ gauge NER ‘E’ Class 0-6-0T, later reclassified as a ‘J71’ by the LNER. There's never been a ready-to-run model of the 1886-1895-built locos, and none survived into preservation either. While Bachmann's interpretation builds upon its own ‘J72’, new tooling has been incorporated to properly represent the earlier engines, including different cab, tank and bunker mouldings. There's all-wheel pick-up to a coreless motor with a Next18 socket for those who want to convert to DCC, although there will be sound-fitted examples available with ESU LokSound Micro V5 DCC sound decoder pre-fitted. All models will have a built-in speaker and firebox lighting, whether analogue or DCC. The three initial versions will be in NER lined…

The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway in Porthmadog recently celebrated 45 years since passenger services began operating in preservation. To mark this special occasion, Peco has produced a commemorative ‘009’ van. Finished in bright yellow with the Welsh Highland Railway crest and August 2 dates (marking when the first single coach passenger train departed Porthmadog for Pen-y-Mount in 1980), the wagon is limited to a run of just 100 examples. The model is available exclusively from the WHHR's gift shop. Price: £30.00 Web: www.whr.co.uk…

‘N’ gauge modellers assemble! One of the premier events for the small scale is almost here, with the International N Gauge Show returning to Leamington Spa over September 13-14. This year, over 30 layouts and displays from individual, clubs and societies will be exhibited, demonstrating the sheer versatility of 2mm – from one that manages to pack a station, canal and Roman ruin into a small suitcase and another that squeezes a farm scene into a French brie box through to large stations and expansive main lines plied by lengthy passenger and freight services. Themes will include modern, steam, UK, continental and American plus there will also be live demonstrations. And if you're inspired by ‘East Anstey’ in this issue (see page 28), there will be the chance to check…

Dave Lowery's fleet of ‘O’ gauge Class 69s continues to grow, with 69009 Western Consort the latest to enter service on his extensive layout. The real 69009, converted from 56060, began work with GB Railfreight early last year, decked out in the classic British Railways maroon livery, in tribute to the original Western Consort, D1065. Apparently, D1065 was GBRf CEO John Smith's favourite ‘Western’ diesel hydraulic during his youthful trainspotting days. Like most of Dave's previous ‘69’ models, it has been created by converting a Heljan Class 56 with the aid of 3D-printed components from Simon Brooking, the full process being described in MR289.…

 What makes this layout great? “Wayne has managed to capture the look and atmosphere of a genuine West Country rural backwater, with the versatility to run Western and Southern steam and diesel. He's cleverly squeezed a lot of real world Devon village into a tight space.” For many of us, a model railway can recapture memories of past times. Such sentiments certainly influenced Wayne Webb when he started his ‘N’ gauge ‘East Anstey’ layout - at least in terms of what he wanted to run, if not the actual location. For although he lives around Milton Keynes, it was to the bucolic south west of England that he turned his attention, driven to revisit the types of trains he recalled growing up around Northolt in West London. “Western Region locomotives…

MODEL Hornby SR Rebuilt ‘Merchant Navy’ ◆ Price around £80-150 depending on condition AVAILABILITY Second-hand stockists or eBay I suspect I'm not alone in preferring to model trains and locomotives with which I have some personal connection, either trains I have ridden on, or locomotives which have a particular memory from my trainspotting days. In the latter category, the Bulleid light ‘Pacifics’ are right at the top of the list. When I was about five years old and living in a block of flats beside the railway at Weybridge I was mightily impressed when a ‘West Country’, restarting from a signal stop, slipped, threw a column of black exhaust and set the cutting side on fire! No. 34030 Watersmeet was the culprit and has been a favourite ever since. Hornby…

First introduced in 1999, the Class 357 four-car units were ordered from Adtranz in Derby (now Alstom) and designed to operate intensive commuter services on c2c's London, Tilbury & Southend route out of Fenchurch Street. Built to replace the veteran Class 310, 312 and 317 electric multiple units from the British Rail era, a total of 74 units were eventually assembled, over two batches, with the last set entering service in 2002 Unlike fellow members of the Electrostar family, the Class 357s do not feature gangway connections at the cab ends, instead sharing the appearance of the Class 168 and 170 Turbostar diesel units, albeit with significantly shorter bodies. All feature a single PTSO intermediate vehicle equipped with a pantograph to collect 25kV AC power from the overhead lines. Power…

The British Railways ‘Pacer’ DMUs (classes 140 to 144) were loathed by many who travelled in them, but they could be an essential part of any model railway scene from the 1980s onwards. The substantial fleet carried many livery variations, even before privatisation, and they ranged far and wide. Only the Southern region avoided their presence completely, with some Class 143 units working briefly in Scotland on Bathgate services. However, most of the ‘Pacers’ were to be found in North East and North West England, in South Wales and into the West Country, where the Class 142 briefly gained the nickname ‘Skippers’. The ‘142s’ didn't fare so well out west, although the entire Class 143 fleet would later be concentrated in Devon and Cornwall and the South Wales Valleys. In…

What makes this layout great? “The addition of a scenic break and wagon maintenance facility has made ‘Bluish Moor’ even more fascinating, expanding its operations and increasing opportunities for diverse stock to run. Adding the canal section has introduced a welcome patch of countryside and wildlife to an otherwise very industrial location.” If ‘Bluish Moor’ looks a little familiar, then that's probably because Model Rail featured it in its original form last year. Back then, it was known as ‘Bluish’ – a witty reference to the inspiration taken from Reddish depot on the much-loved and missed 1,500V electrified Woodhead route in the Pennines as well as its setting in the BR blue era of the 1980s – and comprised a compact traction maintenance depot. However, builder Phil Mason has been…

◆ GAUGE ‘O’ ◆ MODEL Lionheart Trains LHT-S-5502 Class 55XX, No. 4594, GWR green ◆ PRICE £512.30 (DCC-ready), £672.77 (DCC sound) ◆ AVAILABILITY Dapol stockists Web www.dapol.co.uk Having released an excellent 7mm scale model of the Churchward GWR ‘45XX’ class 2-6-2Ts in 2022, Lionheart Trains has now delivered an equally impressive follow-up, depicting the later batches of ‘Small Prairies’ built under Collett's tenure. This all-new model is based specifically on ‘45XX’ Nos. 4555-74 and all the later 4575 Class (Nos. 4575-99 and 5500-74), each boasting outside steam pipes and the distinctive sloping water tanks. Nine livery options have been produced, encompassing GWR and BR schemes, with un-numbered models also available to ease customisation. All have been produced in limited quantities and, given the popularity of the prototypes and competitive pricing,…

With around 140 exhibits – including standard and narrow gauge steam locos, diesels, electrics, multiple units, coaches, wagons, and on-track plant – The Greatest Gathering was Britain's biggest ever display of historic and modern rolling stock. Held at Alstom's Litchurch Lane works in Derby, the event was the centrepiece of this year's ‘Railway 200’ celebrations, with around 40,000 people visiting the former Midland Railway's Carriage & Wagon Works over the three public days, on August 1-3. Tickets sold out well in advance. Visitors could ride on one of Alstom's new Class 345 Aventra Elizabeth Line units and behind ‘Jubilee’ No. 45627 Sierra Leone (actually No. 45699 Galatea) on the two standard gauge test tracks within the site. Rides were also available on the temporary 2ft and 15in gauge railways, operated…

The eastern theme also continues in ‘N’ gauge, with Graham Farish unveiling NER ‘P7’/ LNER ‘D12’ coal hoppers. These wooden-bodied 20-ton wagons were introduced during the first years of the 20th Century, and the LNER eventually inherited over 17,000 from the NER. Many survived through to BR days, after which they passed into private ownership, National Coal Board use and ultimately preservation. The models feature differences such as wooden end pillars (extending to the bufferbeam or below) or steel uprights, single or double axle guards and handrails, and safety chains where applicable. The chassis is weighted for smoother running. Liveries span NER, LNER and BR colours as well as NCB and British Sugar Corporation forms. Prices: £29.95 When's it due? Early 2026 Availability: Graham Farish stockists Web: www.bachmann.co.uk…

New additions to Bachmann's Scenecraft range cater for ‘OO’, ‘N’ and ‘NG7’ modellers. In 4mm, there will be a GWR standard station based on Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, a selection of depot mess and crew rooms, and coal barges and narrow boats. Releases in 2mm include low-relief terrace and Victorian tenement houses, plus the reintroduction of sectional lineside huts and Highley station yard crane. The narrow gauge range will continue to expand with a corrugated iron engine shed and metal water tank. Finally, Bachmann Collectors’ Club products will encompass an ‘N’ gauge Mk 1 high-security gangwayed full brake in EWS livery, along with REA translator vehicles, used to move London Underground stock on the national network. While these items are available for those outside of the BCC…

Hornby has unveiled a bumper crop of new ‘TT:120’ models, including two fresh Class 50 liveries plus ‘A4’ No. 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley joining Mallard in LNER blue. In addition, new wagons spanning both steam and diesel eras have joined the ‘table top’ line-up. The current Hornby ‘Hoover’ range of Laira celebrity 50007, Sir Edward Elgar, in GWR 150 Brunswick green, 50040 Leviathan in ‘large logo’ BR blue and 50049 Defiance in GBRf colours will be bolstered by two further classmates. BR blue 50016 Barham represents the type in early 1980s condition, while 50035 Ark Royal carries the original version of Network SouthEast livery, as applied in the mid-1980s. Differences between the two ‘50s’ include intermediate ‘domino’ marker lights on Barham, along with the earlier roof design with air intake,…

The Manchester Model Railway Society is celebrating its 100th birthday this year with a special event later this year. There will be 26 layouts in attendance at the Christmas Model Railway Show - Manchester 2025. In addition, traders such as Bachmann, Buggleskelly Station, North Western Models, the Locoshed and DC Kits will also have stands; other exhibitors will include specialist model railway associations as well as wider rail-focused groups. For children there will be a quiz, layouts to operate, a drawing and games area plus the original 80-year-old Thomas the Tank Engine layout built by the Rev. W. Awdry for his son. Some previous Model Rail feature stars will be on display, including ‘Copper Wort’, a ‘OO’ gauge Edwardian brewery and High Street depiction along with ‘Dewsbury Midland’, the MMRS’…

Shrewsbury shed's wandering ‘coal tank’ has appeared many miles from home at a remote spot deep in The Forest of Dean. In olden times, such occurrences weren't that uncommon, with railways being far more numerous than roads, especially in rural areas. With prior permission from the loco shed foreman, it was often possible to hire a locomotive for the weekend or even a week or two, much like we do these days with the motor car. This was very popular in the holiday season and was much enjoyed by railway employees. Here we see the hired locomotive being inspected by the foreman, who will check for damage before releasing the customers’ deposit, with the two chaps planning to head home ‘on the cushions’.…

I'm a self-confessed wagon nerd at the best of times, but the arrival of Rapido's BR Fish vans a few months ago really pricked my interest. As our review in the June issue (MR339) stated, the BR blue and Departmental versions produced by Rapido offer modellers of the 1970s and 1980s eras something a little different. Although based on earlier designs, the BR Diagram 1/801 vans emerged in the early 1960s, designed for the speedy carriage of freshly landed fish from coastal ports to urban centres, most notably to London's fish markets. The long wheelbase chassis, roller bearings and provision of vacuum brakes and through steam pipes, the vans could operate within express freight or passenger services, while the insulated bodywork kept the produce as fresh as possible. Alas, rail-borne…

HOW TO: ADD REAL COAL TO BUNKERS IN 15 MINS Peter says: Ballast Magic, from Deluxe Materials, offers a useful way to ballast your track in any scale, being a powdered adhesive that's designed to be blended with loose stone chippings. Once the ballast has been scattered over the track and neatly arranged, all one has to do is mist the area with water to activate the adhesive. The resultant bond is quick and durable, but it can also be broken again by the addition of hot water, allowing for track repairs or re-alignments in future. Ballast Magic is also suitable for bonding all types of coarse scatter material, including coal. Mineral wagons and lineside coal bunkers can thus be filled quickly and easily, but so too can locomotive bunkers.…

◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL • ACC2441 Class J68 No. 68646 BR black • ACC2426 Class J67/J69 No. 84 GER Ultramarine lined blue ◆ PRICE £139.99 (DCC-ready) £239.99 (DCC sound) ◆ AVAILABILITY Accurascale stockists Web www.accurascale.com Two years after the project was first announced, Accurascale's fleet of Class J67, J68 and J69 ‘Buckjumpers’ arrived in the UK during July. Covering the Great Eastern's R24, R24r (rebuilt), S56 and C72 classes, the tooling caters for a wealth of detail variations, and eight versions have been produced in this initial run, two of which are exclusives for Accurascale's own website and Locomotion Models. Received for review is an attractive pair of passenger tanks, consisting of ‘J67’ No. 84 in the gorgeous Edwardian GER ultramarine livery, lined in vermilion, plus British Railways black…

George Jackson Churchward's initial Class 44XX 2-6-2T mixed traffic locomotives, built at Wolverhampton in the early 1900s, proved to be a successful design, leading to further similar ‘Small Prairie’ types emanating from the GWR's Swindon Works over the following decades. The ‘45XX’, built between 1906-1924, was ostensibly similar to the earlier ‘44xx’, but with larger driving wheels. Eventually, 75 examples were constructed over several batches, the latter supervised by Charles Collett. Indeed, Collett took the design a little further, with 100 of his 4575 Class being built between 1927-29, featuring outside steam pipes and larger 1,300 gallon water tanks with sloping tops. Numbered 4575-99 and 5500-5574, the 4575 Class (also referred to as ‘55XX’) proved ideal traction for branch line passenger and freight operations, and were hugely popular with railway…

Summer may be drawing to a close, but there's still plenty for railway modellers to look forward to, with Bachmann revealing a host of new toolings, liveries, updates and catalogue returns in its autumn announcement. The big news is an all-new ‘OO’ gauge LMS ‘8F’, joining the Bachmann Branchline range for the first time. With 852 of these powerful utilitarian workhorses constructed from 1945 onwards, they were common sights across Britain and survived until the final day of BR steam in August 1968. Bachmann has promised a die-cast metal boiler and running plate to aid adhesion and pulling power, along with many individually fitted details to allow variations between engines. This includes the smokebox door, allowing different numberplate and lamp bracket configurations, while the cab is precision-moulded with flush-glazed windows…

Although the queue of BR Rail blue and Sectorisation era locomotives and stock continues to grow, I am at least making small inroads into the weathering and customisation jobs allotted to each. The latest specimen to be shunted onto my workbench is a Heljan Class 26 – one of Model Rail's exclusive renditions of 26043 in fact. A recent holiday in Scotland motivated me to get on with this job, which is just one of a handful of Heljan's latest raft of ‘26s’ that are earmarked for a lightly work-stained appearance. As much as I enjoyed riding on ScotRail's Class 156s and various EMUs, I couldn't help but dream of being in a Mk 1 behind a burbling Sulzer Type 2. But time marches on and, as well as installing…

Kolat Creations is likely to be an unfamiliar name to many model railway fans, but it has been around for some time, producing practical and decorative laser-cut items for domestic use. However, it also has a useful range of laser-cut bits and bobs for the railway modeller. With a new extensive model railway project on the go, with a GWR Cornish theme, I was attracted by Kolat's ‘Sarsden Halt’. It loosely depicts an unstaffed railway halt on the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway, located near Churchill, Oxfordshire. The prototype location featured a single timber platform with a ‘pagoda’-style waiting shelter, typical of the Great Western's basic halt design, something which could be found across the entire GWR network. Thus, the Kolat kit would be more than suitable for a railway…

Model: CMAC Models Class 357 Electrostar 3D-printed kit, Price: £POA AVAILABILITY www.cmacmodels.co.uk Most modern liveries feature a wealth of different colours and stylishly crafted designs. For the modeller with an eye on replicating these schemes in miniature, this requires a good feel for the art of masking. Spraying the paint, especially from aerosols, is just an exercise in painting, there's not that much skill involved. Even airbrushing is simpler than people realise, once you master the basic principles. But careful masking for complex liveries? That is a skill! Our subject here is a ‘OO’ gauge 3D-printed model, produced by CMAC Model Railways, and purchased via the internet. Replicating the attractive Class 357 Electrostar four-car electric multiple units employed by the c2c passenger franchise, the kit comprises of four chassis and…

Peter says: One of the cheapest and easiest ways of laying areas of concrete hardstanding is to employ mounting card. Available from art and craft stores or stationers, in sizes from A4 up to A0, it can be purchased in all manner of colours, , which can speed up the painting process. Approaching your local picture framing business and asking for any waste card is also worthwhile, as they're likely to have offcuts that may be useless to them, but they can be helpful to us modellers. Depending on the brand, mounting card is typically just over 1mm thick and its dense texture looks a lot like concrete, especially once it has been painted. You'll need a stout knife and plenty of fresh blades to cut the card cleanly, preferably…

In addition to a major reorganisation of Stratford Works, James Holden also oversaw the development of numerous steam locomotive designs during his tenure as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Eastern Railway, from 1885 to 1907. Among them were the Class C53 (LNER ‘J70’) tram engines, the S46/D56 ‘Claud Hamilton 4-4-0s, various 0-6-0s and the unique Class A55 ‘Decapod’ 0-10-0WT. On a more modest scale, Holden's R24 Class 0-6-0Ts were aimed at shunting and suburban passenger work, with a sizeable fleet built between 1890 and 1904. As suburban traffic over the GER's routes increased, passenger stock had to adapt. So too did the motive power, with 95 of the ‘R24’ locomotives being rebuilt with higher pressure boilers and larger side tanks. In 1904, 20 Class S56 0-6-0Ts were constructed, to…

My own memories of the Class 60s are rooted mostly in the privatisation era, as their initial introduction into British Rail stock came when my late teenage attentions were moving elsewhere. It was only after moving to the Peak District as an adult that I began to fall in love with them, to the point where I'd plan my daily routine around the usual ‘60’-hauled departures from Dove Holes or Briggs Sidings. Revealed at last year's DEMU Showcase event, Accurascale's Class 60 project took many of us by surprise, not least as Cavalex Models’ high-fidelity ‘60’ was by then nearing completion (see review in MR338). With Hornby's popular Brush Type 5 still very much a part of the Margate company's range, we're now spoilt for choice. With a 100-strong fleet…

Representing British Rail's final diesel locomotive type, the Class 60 heavy freight locomotive came about during a time of uncertainty, as existing traction types were proving no match for the American-built Class 59s. Government approval was received for BR to procure 100 new Type 5 locomotives, to be built in the UK, with Brush Traction of Loughborough eventually winning the tendering process. Electrical equipment, traction motors and bogies were produced internally, but the bodyshells were fabricated and painted by Procor near Wakefield, while the Mirrlees MB275T diesel power units were built in Stockport. The class pioneer 60001 emerged in June 1989 but it would be March 1993 before the final Class 60 was accepted int traffic. Extensive testing by BR's engineers revealed numerous faults, while issues with the Mirrlees engines…

Produced by Sonic Models exclusively for Rails of Sheffield, the Great Central Railway ‘9N’ – better known as the LNER ‘A5’ – 4-6-2T originally debuted in the summer of 2023, and our full review appeared in MR314. The ‘A5’ happened to be Sonic's first ‘OO’ locomotive project and sales proved healthy enough to warrant a second run. The latest batch of models, manufactured in limited numbers, arrived into stock in late August, just as this issue was being completed. Four new versions have been produced, consisting of GCR and LNER lined green versions, plus a pair of lined BR black, all being offered in DCC-ready format only and at the same price as the previous run. Sonic's tooling allows for era-specific details to be accurately rendered, and having examined a…