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Enter the wonderful world of railway modelling and explore this charming and worthwhile hobby, with modelling enthusiast Chris Ford.

Railway modelling is a lifestyle hobby enjoyed by millions of people from all walks of life, including famous stars like Sir Rod Stewart, Jools Holland, Pete Waterman and even Hollywood A-listers such as Tom Hanks. As a mainstream leisure activity, it encompasses a huge array of artistic, creative and technical aptitudes. It is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling, a great way to learn lots of new skills, and can be enjoyed equally at home or by participating in a local club or group. But knowing where to begin and how to navigate one’s way through the myriad of wondrous things the hobby offers can often be overwhelming to both newcomers and experienced modellers alike.

Hence, this brand new publication which takes a candid and sometimes humorous look at the hobby today, guiding the reader through the multitude of options and choices with which he or she is faced. From what size of models to choose? Where to house a layout in the home? What controllers do I use? Where to get more advice? Should I join a club? In fact, all the information one needs to integrate this ever-fascinating hobby into one’s busy life and including examples of many inspirational model railways built by hobbyists of all persuasions.

The author, Chris Ford, is a lifelong enthusiast who has built layouts in various scales and gauges and is a frequent contributor to Railway Modeller.

The wonderful creative pastime of model railways is celebrated in the 2025 Railway Modeller Special, produced by the publisher of Railway Modeller, the UK’s market-leading model railway title with the highest ABC audited readership.

Having recently marked the title’s 75th year of publication, Railway Modeller remains unique in British model railway publishing, as it is part of a company that is long-associated with the industry, namely the world famous PECO model railway brand.

In this special publication, we journey along the East Coast Main Line from King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley – in model form! Another rail route profiled is the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales, including an overview of this line’s remarkable history and suggestions for how it can be re-created in miniature. We also step back in time to the Edwardian era and make a return visit to the London South Western Railway station of Semley, a stunning layout created by Martin Finney.

We also meet the team at Ellis Clark Trains and find out about the future plans for this enterprising model railway business; take a tour around Cockshute – a 1970s diesel and electric depot in OO; look at a selection of models based on steam locomotive designs that never left the drawing board; and much more besides – enjoy!