Tabla de contenidos para December 2025 en Railway Modeller

In last month’s issue I began the construction of this etched locomotive kit by first completing the 3,500-gallon tender, before moving on to the locomotive itself and making a start on the frames. This month sees the completion of the build. As explained in part one, these articles do not provide a blowby-blow account of the assembly, but rather give some pointers and guidance for anyone looking to build their own outside-cylinder locomotive model in one of the larger scales. For further details about the Churchward Star Class 4-6-0s, refer to the Scale Drawings feature that accompanied last month’s article. Building the locomotive (continued)…

Supplied for 4mm:ft scale (1:76), this latest complimentary kit from Metcalfe Models is ideal for new entrants to the hobby or those wishing to embark on a first kit-building project. It can be completed in only an hour or so of modelling time – a perfect project for a winter evening. Based on an archetypal small wooden lock-up shop, the kit – which comprises printed pre-cut card components – contains everything required to create a finished model, with only a basic set of modelling tools required. Whilst the signage supplied with the model is that of a small fish and chip shop, the structure could be adapted very easily to represent an entirely different establishment – such as a hardware store or even a small garage and workshop. Constructing your…

It was confirmed in our January 2021 issue that Heljan was to develop models of the British Rail Class 104 Diesel Multiple Unit in OO. Nine versions form the initial release, covering exclusively two- and three-car formations in a cross-section of BR green, BR blue and BR Sectorisation liveries – including Scottish celebrity unit 104 325 in its unique ScotRail ‘Mexican Bean’ white & maroon guise. Our sample in detail For review we received a sample of ref.1450, a three-car set comprising Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS) M50422, Trailer Composite Lavatory (TCL) M59134, and Driving Motor Composite Lavatory (DMCL) M50426 – one of the initial batch of four three-car units delivered to the London Midland Region in May 1957. The model reflects the unit as introduced, with a single marker…

Peco reveals Ffestiniog Railway train sets in OO9 Following the recent announcement of Peco OO9 Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways England Engine Train Packs (see RM October 2025 issue), the Devon-based manufacturer has also revealed FR England Engine Train Sets. These sets comprise not only a Peco/Kato George England 0-4-0ST+T locomotive and Peco Ffestiniog Railway carriages, but also an oval of Peco OO9 Setrack with a siding, a Gaugemaster ‘Combi’ dc controller, plus a screwdriver for making the connections, a re-railer and a Peco Setrack plan book. The first pack (ref.GR1051) is the Peco Great Little Trains Palmerston Passenger Electric Train Set, featuring the 1864 veteran Small England engine Palmerston in the lined red livery it carries today. Rolling stock in this set comprises a four-wheel ‘Bug Box’ and a…

Locomotion Models has announced that its latest exclusive OO gauge model will be of LNER Class 91 electric 91 150, which will be made for the retailer by Hornby. The model will feature the National Railway Museum 50 Years 1975-2025 nameplate carried by the prototype along with its colourful NRM50 vinyls marking both the National Railway Museum golden anniversary and the long-standing partnership between rail operator LNER and the museum, with its sites at York and Shildon. The livery runs across both sides of the locomotive and features some of the best-known objects in the museum’s collection, including locomotives Mallard, No.1 Locomotion and Duchess of Hamilton. The special livery was unveiled at an event at the NRM on Tuesday 8 July 2025 and the locomotive featured at the Alstom Railway…

Held over the weekend of 11 & 12 October at Statfold Country Park near Tamworth, the second Warley at Statfold Model Railway Show attracted hundreds of enthusiasts and family groups to the site’s narrow gauge railway museum. The now annual event is a collaboration between the Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust and Warley Model Railway Club – itself a charitable incorporated organisation – and aims to foster wider interest in railway modelling and railway history. In recognition of these joint objectives, a permanent model railway display has been created within the roundhouse section of the Statfold museum, and was formally opened during the show by His Worshipful The Mayor of Tamworth councillor Chris Bain. Assembled by members of Warley MRC, the permanent display includes working layouts and historical dioramas, and…

Having made the decision to sell Whithorn, which had been featured in the March 2018 edition of RAILWAY MODELLER, I was ready to start a new layout. Inspiration came from an archive photograph I had seen of Killin station with a Caledonian Railway 0-4-4T at the head of a one-coach train, set against a mountain backdrop. To me, this had possibilities for a new project – I even went as far as scratch-building a model of Killin station building, which I then set aside. As my new layout would have to be considerably smaller than Whithorn, I referred to a copy of Creating Cameo Layouts by Iain Rice (published by Wild Swan), in which the author describes a cameo layout as being, “…a representation which conveys the nature and character…

Pictured here is a small snow scene that I constructed last year to display under our family Christmas tree. I had long wanted to create such a model and it was watching a video on YouTube (demonstrating how 0-4-0 locomotives could traverse very tight curves), together with an article in the January 2024 edition of RAILWAY MODELLER (describing how to make a snow scene), that gave me the impetus to make a start. The OO gauge circle of track has a radius of just 25cm, this being laid on a 61cm x 61cm (2' sq) baseboard. Track power is provided by a 9V battery, which is sufficient for the Hornby 0-4-0T that is used. Buildings were salvaged and repurposed from old layouts, whilst the snowman and Christmas tree are actually…

In its OO gauge Branchline range, Bachmann has announced it is producing the first ready-to-run model of the British Rail Class 13 pairing of ‘Master and Slave’ diesel shunters, introduced in 1965 and each comprising two modified Class 08s. (A review of the manufacturer’s new tooling Class 08 was published in the August 2025 issue.) The prototype modifications were carried out at Darlington for use in the new Tinsley Marshalling Yard near Sheffield, which was a hump yard set up as a distribution hub where goods trains were reformed for onward travel to other destinations. Powerful shunters were needed to propel the wagons up the gradient onto the hump before they could then descend by gravity into their allocated sidings. The Class 13s had a greater tractive effort than any…

Volunteers who operate a unique model railway in Leicestershire have reacted with shock on learning that trustees of the charity which owns the buildings housing it want it to close and be dismantled before the end of this year, to make room for more retail space. The David Clarke Model Railway, located at Ulverscroft Grange in Whitwick Road, Ulverscroft, Markfield, Leicestershire LE67 9QB, is built to OO gauge and, unusually, is radio controlled, with the radio gear fitted, along with batteries, in the rolling stock behind each locomotive. The layout is noted particularly for its fully functioning signalling. The layout’s original creator, David Clarke, was a racing driver and raced with the likes of Stirling Moss and Enzo Ferrari. His family owned Clarke’s Boxes in Mountsorrel. However, due to a…

When the Peco RAIL200 Model Layout Competition was launched in our May edition, little did we know that it would be met with such an incredible response, capturing as it has the imaginations of hundreds of modellers throughout the railway modelling community. We are delighted to report that purchases of the competition baseboard kits (produced for Peco by White Rose Modelworks) numbered over 600 in total, with finished entries being submitted online and by post prior to the competition deadline of 30 September. Careful and thorough evaluation of all these entries was no small task, with this process being undertaken by a panel of representatives from Peco and RAILWAY MODELLER. Shortlisting five entries for each of the four award categories proved extremely difficult, such was the very high quality of…

From the outset, I planned to have locomotive facilities at Mallerstang Junction – something not too grand, possibly on a par with those at Garsdale, although space restrictions denied me the opportunity of including the famous stockaded turntable. The shed at Garsdale was built to cater for the London & North Eastern Railway branch services, terminating after their trip through picturesque Wensleydale from Northallerton; only one continued down the Settle-Carlisle as far as Hellifield. This particular service had the delightful name of ‘Bonnyface’. However, my proposed branch line was to be Midland Railway-built and operated, so I needed a shed of obvious MR style and pedigree. My original idea was for a small two-road shed, and I spotted the one from Wirksworth on p247 of LMS Engine Sheds Volume 2 written…

Some 20 years ago I discovered micro layouts and followed the monthly pages of Carendt.com, produced by the late Karl Carendt, who must have fostered thousands of people back into small scale modelling. The East & R Egg Cement Co Ltd (RM April 2007) was my first foray in a small space and a number of other layouts ensued, getting bigger and bigger, until I had taken over the small bedroom. A change of role for my wife meant a new study was required and the small bedroom became the obvious choice; goodbye Soazza (CONTINENTAL MODELLER October 2017). Alongside this change came alterations elsewhere in the house, resulting in a very large clock and a huge piece of cardboard nearly three feet square. Too good to throw away, it went…

We can only consider for publication letters which are accompanied by the writer’s full name and address (although we do not publish the latter except in the case of appeals). This also applies to all correspondence received via electronic means including email to: editorial@railwaymodeller.co.uk Correspondence for forwarding to any of our contributors must be addressed to them c/o RAILWAY MODELLER, Underleys, Beer, Seaton, Devon EX12 3NA. All correspondence published here represents the opinions of the authors only and not RAILWAY MODELLER. LMS locomotive matters – 8Fs and Patriots On reading your news report in the October issue about the new tooling Bachmann Stanier 8F and the different versions that the firm is intending to introduce, I was a little surprised not to see a version of the first 12 that…

Please send news items and images to: Peco Publications & Publicity Ltd, Beer, Devon, EX12 3NA Email: newsdesk@railwaymodeller.co.uk RAILWAY MODELLER was recently given an exclusive opportunity to visit the Rapido Trains UK headquarters in Staplehurst, Kent, to inspect factory decorated samples of some of the firm’s forthcoming new tooling releases in OO. On display were running samples of the Midland Railway ‘483’ Class 4-4-0 – as announced in our November 2024 issue. Received for assessment were examples in MR lined Crimson Lake (illustrated here paired with appropriate stock), Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway Prussian blue, London Midland & Scottish Railway lined black, and British Railways lined black with early emblem. DCC ready versions carry an RRP of £209.95, with the RRP of DCC sound-fitted models being £319.95. Arguably the headline…

Penarth, South Wales-based Minerva Model Railways has received the first engineering prototypes of its forthcoming 7mm scale Great Western Railway cattle vans (as announced in the September 2025 news pages). The tooling of these models allows for early or later central doors to be fitted. The roof is also removable and the model includes an adjustable partition. The GW cattle vans are expected to retail at £72.00 each, with orders for five or more giving a price reduction to £65.00 each. Minerva Model Railways is accepting advance orders and can be contacted by writing to PO Box 244, Penarth, CF64 9FJ, by phone on 02920 531246 and by email at sales@minervamodelrailways.co.ukwww.minervamodelrailways.co.uk…