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What was the Mainline Railways company?
Posted in: Model Railway
6th March 2025
Mainline Railways was a British model railway brand that operated between 1976 and 1983, introduced by Palitoy, the...
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What is a Wickham Trolley?
Posted in: Rolling stock
5th March 2025
A Wickham Trolley is a small railway maintenance vehicle once widely used across Britain's railways. Built by D...
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What was the Bachmann 'Blue Riband' subbrand ?
Posted in: Model Railway
4th March 2025
The Blue Riband subbrand was a significant step in the evolution of Bachmann Branchline, the UK division of Bachmann...
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Do I need to apply a camber to a tight curve of track on my layout?
Posted in: Tracks
3rd March 2025
Applying a camber to a tight curve of track on your model railway layout can help improve the realism and operation...
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Avoiding the "Toy Train Look": Realistic Track Arrangements
Posted in: Model Railway
27th February 2025
A well-designed model railway is more than just a collection of tracks and trains: it’s a miniature world that...
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How can you tell the complexity of a kit?

The complexity of a model kit can often be subjective depending on a modeller's experience and dexterity, so how can you tell if a particular kit is for you?

That is a very big question considering the sheer number and types of kit on the market. Some manufacturers such as Airfix and Revell offer a rating system on the box to suggest a modelling ability their kit is aimed at, but what about the rest?

If you are in a shop, you can always ask for a peek inside the box. If you're doing this, take note of the number of parts in the kit. If you don't like big or complex projects, the chances are you will not enjoy a 200-piece kit.

Once you have found a suitably sized project, pay particular attention to the size of the components in the kit. Although none of us like to admit it, the clock only ticks one way, so make sure that you are happy and capable of putting together the smaller parts. It's important to be honest with yourself at this point because the shopkeeper is probably not going to make any assumptions, and rightly so.

If you are shopping online, the task of identifying the complexity of a kit becomes more, well, complex! Most listings will give little away, concentrating more on the details and what's included, and an internet search for the product will likely only succeed in bringing up lots more listings, so you end up going round and round in circles.

If that frustration sounds familiar, try looking on YouTube for your answer. There are thousands of model reviews and unboxing videos out there as well as a generous library of tutorials. These are great for assessing a kit because even if the audio doesn't directly address your questions, the footage will certainly help you.

Finally, if you prefer your communication in a more traditional way, you can always chat to your local modelling club or phone your local model shop, both of which are always happy to help!

Posted in: Kit building

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