A Japanese H0e scale model railroad

Railway modelling (British English) or model railroading (American and Canadian English) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale.

The world's oldest working model railway is a model designed to train signalmen on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. It is located in the National Railway Museum, in York, England, and dates back to 1912; it remained in use until 1995. The model was built as a training exercise by apprentices of the company's Horwich Works and supplied with rolling stock by Bassett-Lowke.

Operations form an important aspect of rail transport modelling with many layouts being dedicated to emulating the operational aspects of a working railway. These layouts can become extremely complex with multiple routes, movement patterns and timetabled operation. The British outline model railway of Banbury Connections in New South Wales, Australia, is one of the world's most complicated model railways.

In modelling, the term scale refers to a model's measurement as a proportion to the original vehicle upon which it is based. The largest common scale is 1:8, with 1:4 sometimes used for park rides. G scale (Garden, 1:24 scale) is most popular for backyard modelling. It is easier to fit a G scale model into a garden and keep scenery proportional to the trains. Gauge 1 and Gauge 3 are also popular for gardens. O, S, HO, and N scale are more often used indoors.

See also

External links

  • – the largest model railroad organization in the world
  • – the oldest known society in the world – established 1910
  • – One of the most important group of rail enthusiasts end railways modellers active in Sicily and all over Italy founded in 2006