Most modellers know that flux should be used to make better soldering joins, however, too many articles on the subject assume a certain amount of knowledge and can leave the mere mortal a little baffled.But before we explain about flux, we must...

A motor car van is a railway wagon designed to carry a motor car; Motorail, on the other hand, is simply a service brand name introduced by British Rail in 1966.Motor car vans first appeared in the early 1900s, they were essentially little...

British Railways owned and operated many ships from when it was formed in 1948 until 1984. British Railways inherited much of its fleet from the former railway companies it replaced and also commissioned several vessels during the years that...

Sometimes when track laying doesn't go as smoothly as planned, you can easily end up with a slight step or jump in the rails where they join. When that happens, some modellers use a file to smooth out the step, but is that really ok?A suitable...

Generally, hardboard does not make a great baseboard because it can warp unpredictably and will not take track pins easily when laying track.Although there has no doubt been at least some modellers who have been successful using hardboard for...

Many modellers have enjoyed great success using hinges with the pivot pin removed to connect portable baseboard sections together.Split hinges do a great job of lining up portable baseboard sections accurately, although it has to be said,...

A lot of modellers replace the plastic wheels on their wagons with metal ones. But why do they do this? and is it a good idea?Many modellers change to metal wheels for aesthetical reasons, but also, they do it because they don't wear as much...

Most of you will be aware of the basic principles behind the workings of a steam locomotive, fire heats water, water turns to steam, steam moves pistons. But if any water was to find its way through to the pistons, significant damage could be...

Long before computer systems were introduced, signal boxes, stations and goods yards communicated with each other by sending telegraphs to ensure the safe and efficient running of trains. Telegraphs are a bit like an early form of text message and...

When constructing a kit, lengths of wire are often included for use as railings on buildings such as signal boxes and cranes etc. But is this the best material for the job?Well, for most modellers, the wire does the job just fine, and the metallic...

If you're thinking of weathering a model using an aerosol, have a good think about it first.Although it is not impossible to apply weathering to a model using an aerosol can, it is very difficult to achieve convincing or realistic effects....

Barrow crossings are designated crossing points found at some railway stations where staff and sometimes even passengers are allowed to cross the tracks between platforms.These days, physically crossing the tracks is not a favoured method for...