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Modellings tips and answers - Adding lights to a layout

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Don't forget to read our latest modelling tips and unboxing videos located at the bottom of the newsletter.

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Railway song of the week

“Ghost Trains” is a haunting and imaginative country ballad by Hank Snow, released in 1963 on the album Railroad Man. Blending Snow’s distinctive storytelling style with classic railway imagery, the song tells of a mysterious night-time vision in which spectral locomotives race across the sky, their whistles, smoke and thunderous wheels creating an eerie yet captivating atmosphere. Click on the image to discover it:

This week in history

On the 22nd of June 1942, work gets on the way to construct a railway between Bangkok and Rangoon. The railway, infamously known as the Burma Railway, was built by the Empire of Japan who used forced labour including local civilians and Allied Prisoners of War to complete the route. Many of those who were put to work building the railway sadly perished during its construction, leading to the nickname "Death Railway".

Picks of the Week

If you're passionate about model railways, you'll know that there's something rather special about acquiring a pre-owned locomotive or rolling stock. These models carry with them a bit of history, and often represent excellent value for money whilst delivering the same running pleasure as their brand-new counterparts. Today we're looking at a fascinating selection of used models across three popular scales that demonstrate just how rewarding the second-hand market can be.

Starting with some impressive OO gauge motive power, the Dapol Class 68 'Vigilant' in DRS Compass livery is a modern diesel that's been fully tested and comes DCC fitted, ready to haul your heaviest trains straight from the box. For those who prefer the romance of steam, the Wrenn Class 8F 2-8-0 goods engine in BR black is a real workhorse that's been given a full service and runs beautifully, despite being missing one wheel pin which doesn't affect its performance at all. Another gem from Wrenn is their 2-6-4 tank engine in unlined LMS livery, which remarkably was mothballed back in 1978 and has been properly oiled and stored ever since.

Moving beyond individual locomotives, complete train sets offer tremendous value and the Hornby Dublo goods train set is a perfect example of vintage British model railway heritage. Based around an 0-6-0 E1 locomotive in OO gauge, this set includes two wagons, a brake van and enough track to form a complete circuit. The engine has been stripped, serviced and runs superbly, whilst the rolling stock remains in excellent age-related condition. For those modelling continental railways in HO gauge, the Roco freight car set offers Austrian ÖBB livery across three vehicles (one plank box van and two log carriers), all in excellent condition with their original boxes and coupling options. If you're working in N gauge, Kato represents Japanese railway modelling at its finest with a six-car EMU set , complete with directional lighting and that renowned Kato running quality.

What ties all these models together is that they've been properly cared for, tested, and are ready to bring you years of enjoyment. Whether you're after British steam and diesel in OO, continental freight in HO, or Japanese electric multiple units in N gauge, the pre-owned market offers you fantastic opportunities to build your collection whilst respecting both your budget and the environment. Each of these models proves that with a bit of care and attention, yesterday's pride and joy can become tomorrow's layout star.

Making a feature of your signal box

Signal boxes are a common fixture on just about all model railway layouts, whether or not you decide to make a feature out of yours is a personal choice. You may decide that a bit of fencing around the back is to be the extent of your diorama, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, however, if you do want to make more of a feature out of your signal box, you may consider installing a realistic interior. The details on Metcalfe's and Ratio's card and plastic interiors in 00 gauge are very impressive and include features such as levers, a table or desk, track plan, coat stand and a fireplace just as you would find in the real thing, there's no doubt that installing an interior is a great way to enhance the look of your signal box.

On the outside of your signal box you can install trackside features such as trunking and dummy point motors for a modern era layout or rodding for a more traditional one.

Of course, not all junctions and sidings are controlled by a signal box, some smaller, more remote or industrial locations require little more than a ground frame or a lineside telephone and a few relay boxes, but these can be modelled too so have a really good think about what your junction's requirements would be in real life and remember that size doesn't necessarily equal detail or realism.

At the other end of the scale, you may be modelling a bigger or busier junction and want a monster of a signal box. The larger and more bespoke your requirements are, the more likely it is that you will have to adapt or scratch build your model as choices are a little limited in this area with most kits and ready-to-plant models concentrating on small or medium-sized structures. But if the thought of scratch building a feature as characterful as a signal box leaves you with a pang of trepidation, then don't worry, some of the finer details such as windows or chimneys are available in model form leaving you free to concentrate on the basic structure.

There is no right or wrong way to model a signal box, but there are plenty of solutions to help you achieve whatever you do decide.

Modelling tips

We keep on adding modelling tips to our website. Here are a few:

You can read all the articles sorted by categories or from the most recent published one on our website.

Unboxing videos

You want to know what is inside the boxes of modelling products? We open them for you! Subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified before everyone else or simply click on this selection. Please note that videos are at the bottom of each page.

You can access all the unboxing videos by visiting this page or simply click on the link called "videos" on our websit e.

Events and exhibitions

Find all the latest events and exhibitions for the model railway world, on the UK Model Shop Events directory. Hopefully, 2026 will give us plenty of opportunities to attend events all over the country.

Do you need to order?

Send us an email or give us a call to check availability or to reserve anything, whatever scale you model in. As usual, if we do not have in stock what you are looking for, we will order it for you and you will get it fast (usually within a week if the manufacturer has it in stock). We place weekly orders with most suppliers.

Remember, you can park for free for one hour on the High Street. So no excuse not to come and visit us!

Upstairs Downstairs is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am till 4.30pm. Obviously, our website is open 24h a day and we can post to most locations, including Europe, USA and Australia.

Upstairs Downstairs
3 Pier Street
Sandown, PO36 8JR
Isle of Wight
Tel: 01983 406 616
http://www.trainshop.co.uk or find us on Facebook

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