A ballast spreader is a plastic box about two inches square. On the base, there are two grooves that sit on the rails. Inside the spreader there is a slanted piece of plastic with three slots in the base, one in the centre and one either side and...

Crackle medium is a weathering agent in a bottle, it has the appearance of a varnish. When you have primed your model and added the base coat of colour, simply paint on the crackle medium and leave to dry. You will see that the paint now has a...

The purpose of a varnish is to protect the paint of your model. This is especially true if you are using your models for wargaming as the models are being handled frequently. Without the varnish the paint will start to fall off with constant...

The main thing to remember about primers is that the brighter the primer, the brighter the topcoat. So if you want your model to really stand out when using bright colours, use a white primer. For example, if you were to paint a post box red, if...

The purpose of signals is to let the driver know if there was another train on the line, pretty much the same as traffic lights on the roads. These are vital to avoid collision, before the days of signals it was done by telegraph and hand, there...

It goes back to the old saying: you get what you pay for. The more expensive locomotives out there have slightly better detailing when it comes to paint and overall finish. You can feel the quality when you hold them. They are also usually...

Voltage drop is the decrease of voltage in an electrical circuit. On a model railway layout and it layman's terms, it is when the current can not make it all the way around the track. This is mostly caused by the resistance of the track and...

This is really a matter of personal choice and what you want to get out of your model railway. There is a lot to be said for DCC as it allows you to control your locos with more accuracy and true to life performance, such as acceleration,...

The Inglenook layout was created by Mr Alan Wright (1928 -2005) and designed on a four foot by one-foot board. This is also known as a shunting puzzle. The idea is to have your loco and five wagons starting on the main line/shunt head and three...

This will very much depend on what space you have available. The best starting point would be to get a starter set. You will then have everything you need to create a model railway, with controller, track, and train plus accessories. This is good...

Using several shades will add more realism to your layout and create depth. This is how trees are in real life: when you are next going past some trees, stop and take a look at the different shades of green, even take some photographs for...

It sounds like you are using a clear two-part casting resin, which although very smelly when mixing and setting, is a good medium for creating rivers. I would say that when mixing the resin, not enough hardener went in. You may be able to...