In modelling, a tree armature is the plastic skeleton of a tree (the trunk and branches) with no foliage attached. They are mainly used by modellers who wish to make trees themselves for their layouts.Making your own trees will inevitably save you...

Smoke generators are a great idea for introducing an extra level of realism to your locomotives. The concept is simple enough, you can buy a kit containing a smoke generating chimney with two wires attached to connect to your locomotive, some...

Installing a driver or fireman into your locomotive can really bring it to life and add realism. After all, in real life, if you saw a steam locomotive hurtling down the tracks without a crew on board, then something has gone very wrong!Fitting...

In the world of model railways, there is no physical difference between a point and a turnout. They are simply different terms that refer to the same thing, however, in the real world they are very different.When modellers refer to a point, they...

The concept of putting together a white metal kit is very much the same as with plastic ones: you have sections or parts that need removing from sprues, followed by a spot of sanding before sticking them all together and painting. So if you fancy...

Brown! everybody knows that a tree trunk is brown! end of story! or is it?The question "What colour is a tree trunk?" is more about modelling as a whole than a debate about tree trunks, and the point to be suggested is that what we have learnt and...

Thompson bogies were the metal framework and suspension units that housed the wheelsets on Thompson railway coaches. They were hailed a great success due to their smooth running capabilities and were even retrofitted to earlier coaches and later...

A Beyer-Garratt locomotive is a type of articulated steam engine with three sections. Technically, as two of the sections have their own powered wheels it could be described as two steam engines with a connecting boiler in the middle, however, the...

White metals are bright metal alloys made to possess varying qualities depending on their intended use. Some white metals are particularly suited to being cast with fine details and are also highly polishable making them a perfect material to...

Catch points (sometimes referred to as trap points) are a kind of turnout usually positioned at the end of sidings to prevent rolling stock accidentally venturing onto the mainline without clearance.There are different types of catch points,...

Hornby Railroad models are a range of locomotives and rolling stock manufactured by Hornby to be a little less delicate than their standard models.Standard Hornby models have a similar specification and durability as those produced by other...

The TOPS system (Total Operations Processing System) is a computerised system used to keep track of a locomotive/rolling stock's location and servicing requirements. TOPS was developed in America to enable the railways to track their rolling stock...