This blog is part of a series about a model railway project I’m working on. See all posts on it

Before I can run any trains, I need some trains to run.

Step back two decades to the late 90’s. My dad had given me a Hornby train set starter pack as a gift. This contained an oval of track, a simple controller and a locomotive with a few carriages. The name of this starter pack was the Tees-Tyne Pullman and the headliner locomotive was Gresley's Class A4 “Bittern”. I recall setting this up on the carpet and watching the little locomotive haul its load of Pullman carriages around the track.

A few months down the line, my father and I found an old bed frame which was damaged: it had been left outdoors for some time and left exposed to the elements. We set about using the frame as a baseboard for a more permanent model railway layout. We replaced the top with some solid wood boards and painted them green to look like grass - although the green colour admittedly ended up looking quite artificial, it didn’t stop us putting the layout on top of it and loosely tacking it down with some track pins.

I spent my pocket money on extra track, coaches and locomotives, gradually building up a collection that spanned everything from the 1950s to the 1990s. While not glamorous or realistic, this became My First Model Railway: a small double oval of track, a collection of trains that would never have run together in real life - but as a child, I didn’t care. To finish off the look a few paper model buildings and scenery were also peppered around. At the heart of it all, it was special: as a child, I was enamoured by it all. And now, almost 28 years later, I have the same feeling starting out afresh in a new scale with new plans.

This time, however, I want to be slightly more deliberate with my layout. The younger me purchased trains because they were cool or I’d seen them on TV. This time round, I want a bit more realism and cohesion - whilst still having a few throwbacks to the stars of my older fleet. To put it simply, the adult me wants the challenge of making something realistic and personal - but the child in me still gets excited when seeing the Bittern or another steam locomotive out on a heritage railtour!

Let’s start by looking at the story behind the locomotives I have planned this time around.

The passenger express

When I was younger, the soundtrack to most stations was the growl of diesel engines. At this time, freight and passenger services were pulled by heavy diesel locomotives - and the most prominent passenger services were the InterCity 125 HST services pulled by Class 43 locomotives. Getting on one of these meant you were going somewhere significant, usually a city in another part of the country.

If you were to stand on these same platforms today, the sound is different. Progress has brought with it a smoother, quieter sound - still loud in its own way, but more of a hum than a growl. The Class 800 glides in every fifteen minutes or so, barely breaking a sweat compared to the heaving, belching engines of the old Class 43s. There’s no drama here, they simply get on with the job with a quiet confidence.

The old HSTs evoke a sense of nostalgia for me. The unique chaos of these services - the sound, the smell and the sense of mechanical effort - is something that isn’t well replicated with modern counterparts. But Didcot as it is now wouldn’t be complete without the sleek lines of a GWR Class 800 - they’re a part of the station in its modern form, and an ubiquitous sight there.

And I can’t argue with modelling a modern Didcot with a Class 800. Every time I’ve travelled from the station, I’ve been on one of these machines. I’ve actually travelled on the real-world counterpart to the model I own both to and from the station - yes, with the exact running number and name - so it has a place on the layout already. While my childhood layout had a Class 43 rattling around the track, the Class 800 is an apt equivalent - just sleeker, quieter and perhaps a bit more grown up. It’s not about recreating that 90’s layout and vibe; it’s about accepting that both the railway and I have changed - and where things are going now.

The freight hauler

While passenger services in Didcot are predominantly the quieter electric locomotives like the Class 800, freight is another story entirely. Didcot station is in a unique location connecting both London and Reading in the East to Oxford and other stations to the north, as well as Swindon and others to the west. A large amount of freight passes the station daily, and freight trains on the line are still diesel-powered.

The bulk of freight on these lines is containers - wagons upon wagons of boxes, pulled by a single, snarling diesel machine: the infamous Class 66 locomotives, a machine which is essentially a hulking great diesel engine with driving cabs on both ends. The sound they make is unmistakeable: the engine start is an alert horn followed by what can only be described as a jet engine; in operation it’s a rhythmic, pulsing growl thundering through the station followed by a load of squealing wagons. They’re easy to spot around the main line with their angled roofs earning them the nickname of “sheds”.

Didcot seems to have a few of these locomotives permanently stationed here to move these wagons from line to line. Whenever I’ve been there, they’re sitting idly in a siding or shuffling around moving things when not on mainline duty. The model I have bears the running number of one I’ve seen at the station, giving it an accurate representation on the layout.

And this model has one more trick up its sleeve. It’s the one that I got custom DCC sounds added to, courtesy of a provider called YouChoos - who I thoroughly recommend for this sort of job. So not only do I have a model that looks the part on the layout, it also sounds the part with accurate recordings of the engine, horns and other locomotive functionality - something that really adds a lot to the experience!

But while these two locomotives really pin down an accurate representation of modern Didcot, it does leave it feeling a bit soulless. While realism and accuracy is a big part of this new layout, there are several other locomotives that have earned their place for much more personal reasons.

The electric connection

Let’s step back into the past again, back to my old layout. While the Bittern may have been the first on those rails, a few other locomotives that I'd seen on the mainline quickly joined the fleet. At the turn of the millennium a newer mixed-traffic locomotive worked its way into the public eye: the electrified Class 90. A model one of these eventually found its way onto the layout. I can’t remember if my dad got me this or if I saved my pocket money up for it, but it definitely felt right alongside the rest of my fleet - and my father and I would run it around the layout for hours at a time.

Today this model sits proudly on my desk as a display piece - and a nod back to earlier, simpler times. The motor still works if powered, and the details are still mostly intact, but the plastic is becoming brittle and I’m scared to move it around much in case parts disappear into the carpet. That got me thinking, though; it doesn’t feel right having such a big part of my childhood not represented on my new layout somehow. So when a pre-owned N gauge version in the same livery appeared in a model railway shop shortly before Christmas, who could blame me for picking it up it as a nostalgia piece?

While the Class 90 wouldn't be seen running on the mainline in 2026, that doesn’t mean it cannot run on my layout from time to time. And Didcot station also houses the famous Didcot Railway Centre, with its heritage railway line and collection of locomotives. Who says a Class 90 can’t pass through on its way there?

The steam legend

Speaking of heritage railways, there is one locomotive that headlined my model railway as a child. The first one I unpacked together with my dad. Gresley's Class A4 “Bittern”.

I still have the original OO gauge model of this in a box somewhere, as there was no way I could ever let that model go. Last time I checked, its mechanism has seized up after being stored in a box since the early 2000s. The Bittern and its iconic streamlined look are what started my interest in the hobby. While other streamlined locomotives exist, to me they don't have the same subtle elegance of the Class A4 locomotives. So you probably won’t be surprised to hear that I’ve had my eyes open for an N scale version since the beginning of this project.

And of course, an auction for a “sold as seen” N gauge Bittern caught my eye. The model itself had visible cosmetic damage on the listing, but it was the exact same as my OO gauge version, just in miniature form: same BR green livery, with the late BR crest on the tender and without the streamlined skirts over the wheels. I put a bid on it and hoped that it wouldn’t go out of my budget. Before long, it was on my doorstep, delivered by my local postal service.

While the listing had been accurate about the cosmetic damage, I hadn’t realised that the driving mechanism also needed attention. It technically ran — but only just. The model's motor was in the locomotive's tender and the driveshaft needed to connect it to the main wheels was unfortunately missing.

Seeing the model in this slightly damaged state made me feel quite sad. While it isn’t the model my father gave me, it still has the emotional weight attached to it. I guess when I bid for it, I didn’t fully appreciate this. An eBay rescue, right? Practical project. Replacement parts, mechanism tidy up and service. Job done.

But then I lifted the shell and saw the damage close-up - and suddenly, it wasn’t just any old model any more. It’s the little train I had as a kid. The one that started this journey alongside my dad. And that hit a bit harder than I thought it would - or could.

Fortunately, the rest of the driving mechanism was in good shape. After sourcing replacement parts, cleaning and oiling the tiny Bittern wobbled into life on my new layout, bringing that childhood nostalgia right into the modern day. And after tightening a few tiny screws and letting everything run in, the Bittern now runs like an absolute champion, hauling coaches just like its bigger counterpart did. Getting this locomotive running again was a big moment: not because of what it is, but because of what it represents. It’s not just another model; it’s a reminder of where everything started.

There is one more locomotive on order; one that belongs on this layout more than any other… but that’s a story for another day.

This blog is part of a series about a model railway project I’m working on. See all posts on it

Switching from OO to British N scale has been an eye-opening experience for me, and I’ve had a lot of fun exploring the extra space this smaller scale allows. But one question keeps coming up: how small is N scale, really?

It’s not something I thought about much before I started. I’d seen N scale models at shows and on store shelves, but it’s hard to truly grasp the size without seeing them in action. The typical ratio used for British N scale — 1:148 — isn’t exactly easy to visualise. If you’re coming from OO gauge, the difference is quite striking: an N scale model is less than half the size of its OO counterpart. A coach that’s 30cm long in OO might be just 13cm in N scale. That kind of reduction makes a huge difference when you’re trying to build a layout in limited space.

But what if you’ve never built a layout and just want a more relatable comparison? Think of it like this: an N scale figure is about 12mm tall — roughly the height of a drawing pin or a stack of three £1 coins. A typical British N scale locomotive is about the length of a smartphone — but much thinner, lower, and far more detailed than you might expect from something so small.

Why size matters (in a good way)

One of the biggest benefits of N scale is how much railway you can fit into a relatively small area. With OO scale, even a basic oval can take up a surprising amount of room — and if you want anything more complex, you're often looking at needing a spare room, garage, or loft.

N scale gives you a lot more freedom. A simple loop might only need 2ft by 3ft (about 60cm by 90cm) — small enough to fit on a coffee table or a fold-away board. That makes it a great choice if you’re short on space or just want something more manageable to get started with.

Because the models are smaller, it’s also much easier to run longer, more realistic trains. For example, the GWR Class 800 trains running through Didcot can be either five or nine coaches long. A full nine-car N scale model comes in at around a metre and a half — not including space for couplings. In OO scale, each coach would be roughly 34cm, so a full-length train would stretch just over three metres. That’s a huge difference when you’re planning a layout.

To put things into perspective, here’s a quick side-by-side look:

Note: These are rough averages and may vary depending on the manufacturer.

Attention to detail

The models may be small, but they don’t skimp on detail. Every model I own so far has matched — and in some cases exceeded — the level of detail I was used to with OO scale.

For example, the flatbed wagons I have feature crisp decals, accurate company logos, and finely moulded details like tiny pipes running between the bogie wheels. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect to get lost at this size, but somehow it’s all still there.

What’s surprised me most is how much detail comes as standard with many N scale models. Features like directional lighting — something you often have to pay extra for in OO — are built in by default. My driving cars have tiny switches underneath to control the lighting, which is really useful if you want to couple two units together, as is sometimes done in real life. The passenger coaches can even be fitted with optional clip-in interior lighting, which really brings them to life.

Contrast that with my experience in OO gauge, where adding lighting usually meant fiddling with electrical pickups and gluing in tiny bulbs — not exactly beginner-friendly!

Looking ahead

Switching to N scale has definitely opened up new possibilities for me. While the smaller size comes with its own learning curve, the creative freedom it offers is worth it. Being able to build something realistic in a modest footprint has been a big confidence boost — especially after a few false starts in the past.

I’m still in the layout planning stage, and I’ll be sharing how I approach that within the constraints of the space I have — including how I’m trying to balance realism with playability.

This blog is part of a series about a model railway project I’m working on. See all posts on it

A few years ago, I started working on a project to restore and re-imagine my childhood model railway layout. But to be honest, it didn’t get very far. When the COVID-19 lockdown hit, I ended up burning out, trying to tackle everything all at once. In my last post about it in 2022, I said I’d try to finish it if I found the motivation, but at that point I was in the middle of packing up the models and the layout board I’d built. I kind of thought that was it; that I’d given up. But, as it turns out, I’m still that little kid at heart when it comes to model trains—and here I am, looking at the project again.

Now that everything’s cleared away and the layout board I built is tucked into storage, I’ve had some time to rethink my ideas. Looking back, I think I know what really led me to give up last time, and it comes down to a few key things:

1. Lack of realism: I ended up with a mishmash of model trains from different eras and places that wouldn’t ever realistically be seen together. Many of these models are ones I’ve had since childhood, and I think nostalgia played a big role in wanting to run them all—even if they didn’t really belong together.
2. Taking on too much: I had far too many vehicles in my collection and wanted to run them all at once. This wasn’t helped by the fact that I’d chosen OO scale (1:76.2), which, in hindsight, didn’t leave much room to showcase everything without it all looking crowded and chaotic.
3. The layout got stale: Because of space limits, the whole layout ended up being basically just a double oval—nothing really exciting or dynamic.
4. It was just too big: The layout board itself was massive—almost 2 meters squared. It took up a huge chunk of space, which could’ve been used for other things.

It’s been nice to take a step back and reflect on all of this. Feels like I’m in a better place to figure out where to go next.

When I was a kid, I’d go to model railway shows with my dad, who probably got tired of taking me after a while! I was always fascinated by the smaller-scale layouts. N scale setups were my absolute favourite—they’re about half the size of the OO trains I have and can fit a lot more detail in a much smaller space (UK N scale is 1:148, which is just over half the size of OO). Now, as an adult (well, mostly) and looking back on those shows, I’ve realised that the best way forward might be to give up on running my OO scale locomotives and switch to N scale. If everything goes well, I’ll end up with a layout that takes up way less room in my house. If not, at least I’ll have an excuse to break out the power tools and cut up the board I built! I’m also planning to sell some of my OO scale trains to help fund the change, so I’ll be diving back into the wonderful world of eBay again soon!

The plan going forward

So, what’s the plan this time around to avoid the burnout I’ve hit before?

Well, I’m starting fresh—with a brand-new scale, no leftover mistakes from past layouts, and a better plan from the get-go. I’ve decided to switch to N scale, and I’ve also settled on a location and era: the modern-day GWR Didcot Parkway Station (UK era 11). It’s a practical choice—not only does it ground the layout in realism, but it’s also right down the road from me. If I need inspiration (or an excuse for a little field trip), I can just pop over and take a look in person.

Now, I get that the modern railway scene doesn’t have the same nostalgic glamour as the steam era, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less fun to model. In some ways, it’s actually more manageable—diesel and electric locomotives are simpler, with fewer moving parts compared to their steam-era counterparts—a.k.a. less parts to stop working. Simpler doesn’t mean worse though, as many models of modern locomotives have much more details on them than some of my OO scale steam ones. Plus, most new models come ready for Digital Command Control (DCC), which means I could eventually have independent control over multiple trains, lights, and sound effects. I’m not planning to dive into DCC right away, but knowing it’s an option for the future is a nice bonus.

And this brings me to another passion of mine: software engineering. I’ve got a few Raspberry Pi machines lying around, and I’ve already tinkered with getting them to interact with the world. Why not bring that into the layout? I’m thinking small automation tricks—street lights that turn on at real-life sunset, or real-time station announcements triggered when a train pulls into the platform. It’s a rabbit hole of possibilities, and honestly, that’s part of what makes this new attempt so exciting.

Starting off

Kato Precision Railroad Models, a Japanese manufacturer, has released a GWR Class 800 Intercity Express Train in GWR livery—and I know these pass through Didcot Parkway station as I regularly travel on them. The plain GWR livery one is no longer sold, but a depiction of the named Class 800 “Michael Bond and Paddington Bear” is available with an oval of N gauge track. The Class 800 is partially manufactured in Japan, so I figured that a Japanese model company would have the best representation of this train.

I also know that a Class 66 diesel locomotive “66017” in DB Cargo livery works around the Didcot Parkway station, and there’s evidence that it has been stationed there back in 2018. Revolution Trains are currently taking pre-orders for N scale Class 66 models in several liveries, where you can choose the running number. Needless to say, having a bespoke model of the train that has actually been in the station I’m modelling was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Limiting myself to these two should help me stay focused and avoid getting overwhelmed. They’re a solid representation of both passenger and freight traffic through my chosen location, which makes them a great starting point. Now, the challenge is working out the best layout I can create within the board space I have, using a small selection of track pieces.

Beyond the trains themselves, I’m also starting to explore how I can integrate some Raspberry Pi magic into the layout using the hardware I already have tucked away in my desk drawers. There are so many small but exciting possibilities, and I’ve been taking inspiration from videos online. As I refine my plans, I’ll be sure to share updates here!

There’s a lot to think about, but I feel like the pieces are finally coming together. I’ll try to post regular updates on this blog and hopefully, in the coming months, I’ll have something interesting to show. Stay tuned!

Credit to ChatGPT for helping refine my writing and make it less technical.