In the December edition of Railway Modeller, we announce the winners and runners-up in the Peco RAIL200 Model Layout Competition, which celebrated this year's 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, and set participants the challenge of building a layout or diorama in a space of just 750mm x 305mm. The winning and runner-up layouts, together with other selected finalists, are featured in this issue and will be on display at the National Exhibition Centre for the National Festival of Railway Modelling on 22 & 23 November. Other features include the Diamond Jubilee of the London & North Eastern Railway Society, and the story of how a group of modellers re-created the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway station of Sturminster Newton for display in that town's museum.

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Ryburn
A P4 model based on the Rishworth branch in Yorkshire, and set in the pre-Grouping era of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Ryecroft Arena
A modern era N gauge urban station in just 5' 7" x 2'; Bred Albin, an OO gauge Scottish terminus modelled in winter and set in the BR steam era; and Millfield, an OO9 narrow gauge layout built on a cardboard base. A suitably seasonal article also shows how a layout was built to run around the base of a Christmas tree!

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

The Ffestiniog Railway, located in North Wales, is the world’s oldest surviving independent railway company, founded in 1832. Originally built to transport slate from the quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog to the port at Porthmadog, it was engineered with a unique narrow gauge of just 1 ft 11½ in (597 mm), ideal for winding through the rugged Snowdonia landscape. Innovative features included gravity-powered slate trains running downhill and horses hauling the wagons back uphill.

In the 1860s, steam locomotives were introduced, making the Ffestiniog the first narrow-gauge railway in the world to successfully use them. After declining slate demand led to closure in 1946, dedicated volunteers began restoring the line in the 1950s. Today, it runs as a popular heritage railway, linking Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog once again, and is celebrated for its pioneering engineering, scenic beauty, and remarkable preservation story.

These latest PECO train packs celebrate that legacy with attention to authenticity and a passion for detail.

The Ffestiniog Railway, located in North Wales, is the world’s oldest surviving independent railway company, founded in 1832. Originally built to transport slate from the quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog to the port at Porthmadog, it was engineered with a unique narrow gauge of just 1 ft 11½ in (597 mm), ideal for winding through the rugged Snowdonia landscape. Innovative features included gravity-powered slate trains running downhill and horses hauling the wagons back uphill.

In the 1860s, steam locomotives were introduced, making the Ffestiniog the first narrow-gauge railway in the world to successfully use them. After declining slate demand led to closure in 1946, dedicated volunteers began restoring the line in the 1950s. Today, it runs as a popular heritage railway, linking Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog once again, and is celebrated for its pioneering engineering, scenic beauty, and remarkable preservation story.

These latest PECO train packs celebrate that legacy with attention to authenticity and a passion for detail.

During the 1960s, British semi-detached houses reflected a period of post-war recovery and growing suburban prosperity. As Britain rebuilt from wartime damage and expanded its suburbs, demand for affordable family homes surged. Semi-detached houses became the ideal solution — cost-effective, spacious, and suited to modern lifestyles. Built mainly from brick or concrete with simple geometric designs, they often featured large windows, central heating, and private gardens. Unlike the ornate Victorian or interwar styles, 1960s semis embraced functionalism and minimal ornamentation, echoing modernist influences. Many were constructed as part of large housing estates on city outskirts, supported by improved road networks and rising car ownership. These homes symbolised optimism, mobility, and the shift toward suburban living, forming a lasting part of Britain’s mid-20th-century architectural identity.

• Laser cut wood kits with finely rendered detailing
• Each kit representing a typical 1960s style semi detached block of two houses, front elevation, rear elevation and complete building.
• Can be joined up to create a longer block, terrace.
• Front porch can be fitted as an optional extra
• Scope for further interior decoration (not provided)
• Complement our earlier releasee of Victorian Houses – kits NB306, NB307, NB308, also in N
• Additional upsell products available form the ratio range such as:
  • 300 Guttering and Downpipes
  • 307 Chimneys

During the 1960s, British semi-detached houses reflected a period of post-war recovery and growing suburban prosperity. As Britain rebuilt from wartime damage and expanded its suburbs, demand for affordable family homes surged. Semi-detached houses became the ideal solution — cost-effective, spacious, and suited to modern lifestyles. Built mainly from brick or concrete with simple geometric designs, they often featured large windows, central heating, and private gardens. Unlike the ornate Victorian or interwar styles, 1960s semis embraced functionalism and minimal ornamentation, echoing modernist influences. Many were constructed as part of large housing estates on city outskirts, supported by improved road networks and rising car ownership. These homes symbolised optimism, mobility, and the shift toward suburban living, forming a lasting part of Britain’s mid-20th-century architectural identity.

• Laser cut wood kits with finely rendered detailing
• Each kit representing a typical 1960s style semi detached block of two houses, front elevation, rear elevation and complete building.
• Can be joined up to create a longer block, terrace.
• Front porch can be fitted as an optional extra
• Scope for further interior decoration (not provided)
• Complement our earlier releasee of Victorian Houses – kits NB306, NB307, NB308, also in N
• Additional upsell products available form the ratio range such as:
  • 300 Guttering and Downpipes
  • 307 Chimneys

During the 1960s, British semi-detached houses reflected a period of post-war recovery and growing suburban prosperity. As Britain rebuilt from wartime damage and expanded its suburbs, demand for affordable family homes surged. Semi-detached houses became the ideal solution — cost-effective, spacious, and suited to modern lifestyles. Built mainly from brick or concrete with simple geometric designs, they often featured large windows, central heating, and private gardens. Unlike the ornate Victorian or interwar styles, 1960s semis embraced functionalism and minimal ornamentation, echoing modernist influences. Many were constructed as part of large housing estates on city outskirts, supported by improved road networks and rising car ownership. These homes symbolised optimism, mobility, and the shift toward suburban living, forming a lasting part of Britain’s mid-20th-century architectural identity.

• Laser cut wood kits with finely rendered detailing
• Each kit representing a typical 1960s style semi detached block of two houses, front elevation, rear elevation and complete building.
• Can be joined up to create a longer block, terrace.
• Front porch can be fitted as an optional extra
• Scope for further interior decoration (not provided)
• Complement our earlier releasee of Victorian Houses – kits NB306, NB307, NB308, also in N
• Additional upsell products available form the ratio range such as:
  • 300 Guttering and Downpipes
  • 307 Chimneys

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Pentworth
Mark Butler spent three decades creating this exquisite model of a Great Western branch line terminus in N gauge, much of the scenery for which was inspired by the celebrated Vale Scene at Pendon Museum in Oxfordshire. The layout is set to appear at the Rail-Ex Taunton show this October.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Making a start in OO-9
Using a Peco 009 Setrack starter set as his starting point, James Walker created this self-contained North Wales narrow gauge scene in just 100 x 75cm.

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• TUFTS – 100 x Daffodil Self-Adhesive Static Grass Tufts by War World Scenics
• SELF-ADHESIVE – Easy to use, just peel & stick where required
• COLOURS – Available in more than 30 different colours and styles
• LENGTHS – Available in 4mm, 6mm and 10mm lengths
• IDEAL – For representing bushes and wild or long grass on model railway layouts, miniature bases, wargame battleboards and model dioramas

• TUFTS – 100 x Daffodil Self-Adhesive Static Grass Tufts by War World Scenics
• SELF-ADHESIVE – Easy to use, just peel & stick where required
• COLOURS – Available in more than 30 different colours and styles
• LENGTHS – Available in 4mm, 6mm and 10mm lengths
• IDEAL – For representing bushes and wild or long grass on model railway layouts, miniature bases, wargame battleboards and model dioramas

• TUFTS – 100 x Heather Self-Adhesive Static Grass Tufts by War World Scenics
• SELF-ADHESIVE – Easy to use, just peel & stick where required
• COLOURS – Available in more than 30 different colours and styles
• LENGTHS – Available in 4mm, 6mm and 10mm lengths
• IDEAL – For representing bushes and wild or long grass on model railway layouts, miniature bases, wargame battleboards and model dioramas

• TUFTS – 100 x Heather Self-Adhesive Static Grass Tufts by War World Scenics
• SELF-ADHESIVE – Easy to use, just peel & stick where required
• COLOURS – Available in more than 30 different colours and styles
• LENGTHS – Available in 4mm, 6mm and 10mm lengths
• IDEAL – For representing bushes and wild or long grass on model railway layouts, miniature bases, wargame battleboards and model dioramas

• TUFTS – 100 x Poppy Self-Adhesive Static Grass Tufts by War World Scenics
• SELF-ADHESIVE – Easy to use, just peel & stick where required
• COLOURS – Available in more than 30 different colours and styles
• LENGTHS – Available in 4mm, 6mm and 10mm lengths
• IDEAL – For representing bushes and wild or long grass on model railway layouts, miniature bases, wargame battleboards and model dioramas