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!

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Templecombe Lower
In the first half of a two-part feature, Tim Chapman describes how he recreated one of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway's most important locations in 00 gauge, complete with its unusual operational practices.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Heavy Metal!
Ian Cairns revived memories of 1960s Tyne Dock Consett iron ore trains by modelling this 9F-hauled formation in N gauge.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - FRIEDRICHSTRABE

Inspired by the station in Berlin - the expansive East German HO layout of the Liphook & District MRC captures the atmosphere of the city centre location.

BLUMENFELD

A small portable layout in N - Jim Trotman captures the charm of a country branch in southern Germany.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - BOIDON-CUNCOU

Narrow gauge serving a wire factory - the Escadrille Saint Michel have a new O-14 layout.

+PLUS!

All the latest news, reviews and layouts from around the world!

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Rowington for Shrewley
As a lifelong aficionado for the Great Western Railway, Dick Hewins created this circular double-track system as a showcase for his extensive collection of 4mm scale locomotives and stock.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Macclesfield Hibel Road
CThis compact but busy joint station in Cheshire was suggested as a layout plan as long ago as 1955; Jules Attard has turned it into reality in N gauge.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - NORDLANDSBANEN

A Norwegian layout featuring Hell station and the Arctic Circle monument authentically modelled in HO by Hans Peters.

HOHE BERGAHORNE

Stephen Cranford introduces his permanent home layout, an alpine scene which may be the longest Z in the UK..

PLAN OF THE MONTH - BANGOR AND PORTLAND

Ian Wilson tells the story of his extensive HO layout, depicting a rural branch of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.

+PLUS!

All the latest news, reviews and layouts from around the world!

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Bournemouth West
This near-to-scale 4mm model of the former Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway terminus was recently acquired by Kevin Babey, Chairman of the Salisbury & South Wilts Railway Society.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Cwm Bach
Chris Morris recalls the background to this N gauge shelf layout, which is being made portable in order to appear at the Warley at Statfold exhibition in October.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - HOUYET

Jean Herckens chose to model one of his local lines in TT - a relatively unusual scale for Belgian railways - with the assistance of his friend Hubert Billiet.

ANSCHLUSS WOLF

A siding serving a rural water mill - Helge Scholz introduces the latest layout by Jens Petermann and Jochen Klinger, reproducing in HOe a real location on the PreBnitztalbahn.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - PIET'S PIECKPLEIN

A fictional Dutch tramway in Oe - Len de Vries introduces a remarkable layout conceived by Piet van Oorschot and completed with the help of several friends.

+PLUS!

All the latest news, reviews and layouts from around the world!

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Slattocks Junction
Tony Williams and Ralph Robertson of the Manchester Model Railway Society explain why the group's P4 layout became "a lesson in how not to build a model", yet has evolved into a superb evocation of the Calder Valley line.

SCALE DRAWINGS

Wainwright L Class 4-4-0
To complement John Cockcroft's build of one of these South Eastern & Chatham Railway locomotives, we present scale drawings and accompanying prototype notes by the late Ian Beattie..

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - DOCKS CEINTURE

Guy Van Meroye reports on a finescale HO layout created by a group of talented French modellers depicting industrial areas around the Paris belt line.d van Waes introduces his new German HOm layout, the terminus of the metre gauge Selketal line in the Harz.

GARRATTS IN THE GARDEN

John Morrison describes the impressive articulated locos he has modelled for his 1 :24 scale garden railway.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - WIESMÜHL

An imaginary location on the German/Austrian border - Roger Sant explains how an initial simple layout in N grew into a more satisfying system.

+PLUS!

All the latest news, reviews and layouts from around the world!

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Somerset & Dorset in the garden
Simon Kennedy has created an impression of the much-loved Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway in O gauge in his garden, with automated digital control.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Gledholt Junction and beyond
David Smith is constructing an impressive three-level 00 gauge system incorporating locations in the Huddersfield area where he grew up, with the most advanced section so far recreating Gledholt Junction on the Leeds to Manchester 'Standedge Route'.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - HASSELFELD

Arnold van Waes introduces his new German HOm layout, the terminus of the metre gauge Selketal line in the Harz.

REDDERTHUN

Thies Lahann introduces his German HO exhibition layout with a novel working feature - a sugar beet tippler.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - LO DEPOT DO LIMOUZI

The Association des Modelistes Cheminots de Limoges have a new French HO exhibition layout, an amalgam of three motive power facilities in their local area.

+PLUS!

All the latest news, reviews and layouts from around the world!

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - ALBULA VALLEY

Inspired by the well-known location in Switzerland, Nicholas Sturge designed and built an ingenious N layout.

DOUBLENGHIEN

Alan Jockmans presents his first exhibition layout, a country halt in Belgium modelled in HO.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL PARK

Salvaged from a house move and further developed - Chris Gilbert presents his latest American HO layout which provides an opportunity for satisfying switching.

+PLUS!

All the latest news, reviews and layouts from around the world!