In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - PORT DE CROZON

A seaside terminus on the French metre gauge Réseau Breton modelled in 1:50.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - HEIDE

A wayside station between Antwerp in Belgium and Roosendaal in The Netherlands modelled in HO.

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

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 wonderful creative pastime of model railways is celebrated in the 2026.

 Railway Modeller Special, produced by the publisher of Railway Modeller, the UK’s market-leading model railway title with the highest ABC audited readership., 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.

•    Journey along the Somerset & Dorset – from Bath Green Park to Bournemouth West
•    Thurlestone & Bullhouse – a celebration of pre-Grouping steam in OO
•    Railways before 1825 – the story of rail evolution before Locomotion
•    Smoke and mirrors – a model railway diorama for photographic subterfuge
•    Along Alpine lines – riding the Swiss metre-gauge Rhaetian Railway
•    Modelling tips and inspiration; manufacturer profile; and much, much more…
 

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.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - 21 RUE DES HAIES

Vincent Cleren depicts an industrial suburb in HO in which family connections inform certain structures. Built as a home layout, it has been successful at shows.

MITTELSTADT

A stop-over on a route through the mountains - Chris Bart describes his extensive digitally-controlled permanent home HO layout set in central Germany.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - BROKEN CREEK

Lee Wenham with a carefully detailed switching scene, expanded from a home layout to be portable for shows. It will be at the Uckfield exhibition this month.

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RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Bristol Templecombe
Nigel Smith describes this extensive model of a British Railways steam era Motive Power Depot in 7mm scale, which has been developed over a period of 24 years by members of Warley Model Railway Club. It is set to be one of the main exhibits at the organisation's next annual show at Statfold on 11 & 12 October

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Claremont
Pete Latham describes this small and self-contained N gauge layout, which depicts a BR freight yard and utilises older examples of ready-to-run models. The layout plan provides the basis of an ideal entry-level project for those who are both short of space and working to a budget.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - SAINT-HILAIRE

Steven Deruytter presents his Belgian HO layout, a simple plan for exhibiting based on actual locations and unusually in an autumn setting.

SAINT AGUR

Small but satisfying - Ray O'Neill presents 766 his compact French HO exhibition layout which poses certain challenges for shunting.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - SANTA MARIA

Dan Spalding describes his Rhatische Bahn HOm layout, which depicts a wayside station with typical features on a line that was planned but never actually built.

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RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Buckhorn Weston
Maurice Lockwood describes how he created this extensive loft-based layout in 00 gauge, which plays host to a vast array of BR Southern Region steam-hauled services of the late 1950s to mid-1960s period.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Island steam in TT:120
With PECO announcing a trio of laser-cut kits based on structures at Ventnor West, which will complement the forthcoming Hornby models of an Isle of Wight 'Terrier' and four-wheel coaches, modelling this station in 1:120 is set to become tantalisingly straightforward ...

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - SAINT-BERNARD

Thomas Bossonet presents his popular French HO exhibition layout, a rural terminus in the steam era which includes many distinctive local features.

GREIFENBACHTALBRÜCKE

The late Jochen Klinger and Jens Petermann created an impressive HOe display showing what was once the highest narrow gauge railway bridge in Saxony.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - MEGSDORF

Southern Germany in the snow - Norman Raven describes his family's latest HO exhibition layout, named and presented in memory of his late wife.

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RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

The Dial Hill Railway
David Stockwell recounts the childhood influences that led to him modelling the Southern Railway-operated 1' 111h" gauge Lynton & Barnstaple Railway in 16mm scale, complete with an impressive replica of the line's Chelfham Viaduct.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Pure nostalgia!
Thomas Burnham proposes an intensive 00 gauge plan using Peco Setrack components, which seeks to rekindle the excitement of Hornby Dublo layouts from the 1950s and 1960s.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - ST0RDAL

From Hell to Dovrefjell - ModelSpoorGroep Valkenswaard introduce their Norwegian HO exhibition layout, an imaginary location chosen to include typical features.

CJ @ 13

Emmanuel Nouaillier demonstrates more of his techniques for intricately detailed structure modelling.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - SAINT-DESERT

A wayside station on a former PLM secondary line - Regis Deroussin introduces his home HO layout, which manages to include a station, a junction, and an impressive viaduct, in a reasonable space.

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In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - VONECHE

On the Athus - Maas line: MSC De Kempen present their new Belgian HO exhibition layout, set in Epoch Ill-IV to allow steam and diesel traction.

BOUY-A-BEZE

A seaside town served by a metre gauge secondaire - MSC Het Spoor vzw introduce their HOm evocation of a French coastal light railway.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - KINZIGTAL

German HO in the loft - Ian David describes his layout, which has been developed in two stages.

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In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - POTTENDORF

IN THE CÉVENNES - passing through the Massif Central, a set of three linked French N scenes.

BYRHH

BYRHH – part 2: Emmanuel Nouaillier crafts a scene around – and within – a product promoting a famous French brand. 

PLAN OF THE MONTH - ILLIUM

NORDERNBURG – a German N permanent layout.

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RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Eli Wood
Eric Farragher constructed this exhibition layout, designed with a double track continuous run format, to run modern day passenger and freight workings through a rural landscape.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

A Plaster Mill
Clive Baker describes this compact EM gauge model, inspired by shunting activities at the plaster mill of J C Staton & Son, at Tutbury in Staffordshire.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Barrihandle
Inspired by the late lain Rice's layout plan Gairloch, the Wirral & North Wales Model Railway Group created this fictional fishing port on the west coast of Scotland - complete with a boat that sails around the harbour. Alisdair Macdonald tells its story.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Warmsley
Peter Johnston describes his latest N gauge exhibition layout, a Southern Region branch line terminus set in the picturesque 195Os England of Agatha Christie ...

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Splott
Paul Spencer describes how he constructed this 1980s diesel era layout, set against a Cardiff industrial backdrop and digitally operated. It will be appearing at the EM Gauge Society Spring show on 10 & 11 May.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Competition Cameos
A selection of ideas in different scales for the PECO RAIL200 competition, with the challenge to build a layout or diorama on a baseboard of just 291h" x 12".

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - POTTENDORF

You cannot better a good idea: Tim Hale has revisited a favourite theme - a Bavarian branch in the Deutsche Bundesbahn period, modelled in HO.

LOCK 11

Jan van Munster presents his French HO exhibition layout, which has an unusual working feature inspired by the Vallee des Eclusiers in the Vosges.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - ILLIUM

On the Colorado 3' gauge: Mick Savage describes his fixed room-filling American Sn3 layout.

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RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Annerley
In reality, the Hull to Scarborough line leaves the coast at Bridlington and heads north to Filey. But David Harrison chose to imagine how the route would have looked, had it continued along the coast to Flamborough Head.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Leominster
This N gauge layout, being built by the Marches Model Railway Group, is due to go on public display in April, in the town whose station it depicts. Peter Dennis tells the story so far.

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In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - MIRABERNINA

On the Rhatische Bahn Bernina line - Eddy de Wilde has modelled a fictional but plausible location on the Swiss metre gauge in HOm.

PETENNE - Part 2

Robert Macchi continues the detailed account of his Italian HO DCC-controlled permanent layout.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - FALLERSTADT

Dave Harris introduces his new DCC-controlled German HO exhibition layout - a busy suburban station with trains, trams, and buses.

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RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Dallas
John Wise describes how he created this imagined portrayal of a Great North of Scotland Railway branch terminus, set in the 1950s.hard Lambert describes the background to this imagined main line station, which is set on the Oldham Loop line between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale, in former Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway territory.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Scotland in a small space
Toby Jennings suggests two compact Scottish layout plans in 00 gauge, both suitable for the new Highland Railway 'Jones Goods' 4-6-0 from Rapido Tr

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - WOLFSTATT

Through a mountain landscape - Craig and Lewis Charity have built an impressive Austrian HO exhibition layout which has taken more than ten years.

NORDIC COAST

Something different - Jeff Mayhill has fashioned a novel 1 :220 display layout with an integral barrier.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - PETENNE

Roberto Macchi begins a series 4a on the design, construction, control, and operation of his Italian HO permanent layout.

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RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Helston Reimagined
Richard Lambert describes the background to this imagined main line station, which is set on the Oldham Loop line between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale, in former Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway territory.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Southwark Bridge
Dave Howsam planned a new version of his first layout - a fictional Great Western Railway branch line in 00, named Porth/even - which ended up resembling, somewhat more closely, the real station in Cornwall that originally inspired it.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...

In this months issue...

RAILWAY OF THE MONTH - GRAND STREET & THREE RIVERS CITY

Sir Rod Stewart has had his extensive American HO layout transferred from California to Britain, where it has been rebuilt and further expanded, with more to come.

WEATHERING WAGONS

Peter Marriott shows how he makes modern HO stock look that bit more realistic.

PLAN OF THE MONTH - KLEIN SCHMALITZ

Antony Dean designed a portable German HO layout with a twist – it can be presented in four time periods.

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RAILWAY OF THE MONTH

Lancaster
Jon Chamberlain describes how he set about building this pre-Grouping 00 gauge depiction of a classic West Coast Main Line station in his garage.

PLAN OF THE MONTH

Southwark Bridge
For his fictional London terminus station, Graham Bridge turned to a classic Cyril J Freezer track plan - Minories, first published in RAILWAY MODELLER in April 1957.

PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS...