Want to get into modelling - where on earth do I start?

[py_megapixel]

Since I'm stuck at home and can't travel on any real trains, I would really like to get into modelling them... the problem is, I don't have the slightest clue what I'm doing!

The thing I find most baffling is gauges... which one do I use? Also compatibility - how are the trains generally controlled, and for example, can I run one manufacturer's train on another's track with another's controller?

Also does anyone have any advice on where to buy from?

Sorry that this opening post is pretty useless - I would much rather people asked me questions about what exactly I want to do, rather than give me advice which may not be relevant- so ask away!

 

[Iskra]

Since I'm stuck at home and can't travel on any real trains, I would really like to get into modelling them... the problem is, I don't have the slightest clue what I'm doing!

The thing I find most baffling is gauges... which one do I use? Also compatibility - how are the trains generally controlled, and for example, can I run one manufacturer's train on another's track with another's controller?

Also does anyone have any advice on where to buy from?

Sorry that this opening post is pretty useless - I would much rather people asked me questions about what exactly I want to do, rather than give me advice which may not be relevant- so ask away!

That was me 9 months ago

A few questions to assist you with your choice of gauge:

What is your railway interest?
Do you want to see trains running around at speed or are you happy to just run end to end?
How much space do you have available?

Briefly, there are two main options in terms of power; DC- the traditional trainset way where you generally have one train per track, or DCC where the whole layout is live and trains can go anywhere and even double head. DCC seems to be the way everything is going, but is slightly more expensive but then you can potentially derive more enjoyment from it.

 

[takno]

Since I'm stuck at home and can't travel on any real trains, I would really like to get into modelling them... the problem is, I don't have the slightest clue what I'm doing!

The thing I find most baffling is gauges... which one do I use? Also compatibility - how are the trains generally controlled, and for example, can I run one manufacturer's train on another's track with another's controller?

Also does anyone have any advice on where to buy from?

Sorry that this opening post is pretty useless - I would much rather people asked me questions about what exactly I want to do, rather than give me advice which may not be relevant- so ask away!

In general stuff from different manufacturers will work together just fine, so long as it's the same gauge. If you buy more expensive stuff you'll maybe end up having to think about DCC, or slimline track, but if you stick to cheaper stuff then you'll be absolutely fine.

For gauges, far and away the most common gauge is OO, which is small enough to get an interesting layout in a limited size, but still large enough for most people to be able to see and handle. If you're starting out you probably want to have a play with OO first - if you change your mind in a few months when you know more then you hopefully won't have spent too much, and the more valuable parts like the locos can be sold for a good price on ebay.

Then next most popular is N gauge, which is half the size - you can make a really impressive layout in a small amount of space but it's a hell of a lot more fiddly to build and operate. If you've got a hundred quid to spare then there's a lot to be said for just getting some N gauge stuff as well to see how you like it. OO gauge controllers can be used with N gauge just fine, but most of the other bits are gauge specific - the wheels have to fit the track after all!

O gauge is twice the size of OO gauge. You can get some lovely detailed models, but it's wildly expensive, and takes up masses of space, so very few people have got an actual layout built in it - more often it's a case of having a non-scenic loop of track for running the models around.

Beyond that, the best advice is probably to start small.

contains some reasonable advice about getting a basic oval set up and running. That should be enough to give you a bit of confidence with the technical details. Once you have that then just bear in mind that Google, YouTube and this forum are your friends. If there's a term comes up that you don't understand then you can always google it or ask here, and there's probably a tutorial video somewhere on YouTube.

In terms of starting from scratch with no knowledge and building up to a fairly impressive layout, Simon's Shed is quite good (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiCBtxaP3oyW2VnTVUQM4GA) - that's in N gauge, but most things apply to other gauges as well. Everard Junction and DaveClass47 on youtube are fine examples of starting from not much and building up to a crazy level of commitment and detail over a few years, though to be honest I enjoy watching those as entertainment rather than having any notion of emulating them.

 

[Cowley]

Right @py_megapixel what exactly do you want to do?

Just taking the first couple of questions - Let’s say that your average Hornby style train set is 00 gauge, which is the most common gauge in this country, followed by N gauge (roughly half the size) and 0 gauge (roughly double the size of 00).
If you bought a starter set that came with a controller, an oval of track with a siding, a locomotive and a couple of coaches, you’ll have a choice of analog (DC) or digital (DCC). Digital is more expensive but is becoming more and more popular because of the extra benefits you get with it.

You can mix and match from different manufacturers and everything should run fine although if you go for digital control (DCC) you might need to invest in a decent controller at some point if you’re running different makes. I’ve got a fairly decent controller because I run mine with different manufacturers locos - So I’ve Peco track, Graham Farish and Dapol locos all in N gauge.

The simplest and cheapest way to get into it is to go online and look at a starter set that you like the look of and give it a go. If you decide to go digital later on you can upgrade fairly easily and modern DC models are really good runners anyway.

Edit - And what the other guys said.

 

[Iskra]

Right @py_megapixel what exactly do you want to do?

Just taking the first couple of questions - Let’s say that your average Hornby style train set is 00 gauge, which is the most common gauge in this country, followed by N gauge (roughly half the size) and 0 gauge (roughly double the size of 00).
If you bought a starter set that came with a controller, an oval of track with a siding, a locomotive and a couple of coaches, you’ll have a choice of analog (DC) or digital (DCC). Digital is more expensive but is becoming more and more popular because of the extra benefits you get with it.

You can mix and match from different manufacturers and everything should run fine although if you go for digital control (DCC) you might need to invest in a decent controller at some point if you’re running different makes. I’ve got a fairly decent controller because I run mine with different manufacturers locos - So I’ve Peco track, Graham Farish and Dapol locos all in N gauge.

The simplest and cheapest way to get into it is to go online and look at a starter set that you like the look of and give it a go. If you decide to go digital later on you can upgrade fairly easily and modern DC models are really good runners anyway.

Edit - And what the other guys said.

What I did, as a totally new re-entrant to the hobby last Spring, was to actually buy a DCC (sound) starter set and then build from there. That gave me DCC capability from the off at a relatively cheap price, when you consider the cost of a DCC Sound locomotive is usually around £200 on its own. I appreciate that's not the route for everyone but it worked well for me. Of course that works best when a set that fits your interests exists...

30-047 Bachmann OO Gauge Whiskies Galore Sound Fitted Train Set

30-047 Bachmann OO Gauge Whiskies Galore Sound Fitted Train Set

www.themodelcentre.com

 

[py_megapixel]

@Cowley when you say it's reasonably easy to upgrade to digital control, does that include the actual rolling stock? Is it possible to upgrade existing DC trains to digital control somehow, or is it necessary to replace it?

@Iskra As for what I actually want to do with it, it's mainly the novelty of having a train run round a track with me controlling it, as well as just having something to do at the moment!
In the future, I'd like to build some more realistic layouts, using models of modern rolling stock, but that can wait until I'm familiar with how the whole thing works. Also, as much of that is going to be in the scenery as in the rolling stock and track itself, I'd expect.

Another, more non-standard thing I'd like to do at some point is wire some track up to my Raspberry Pi, probably through a relay (my very rudimentary, and probably wrong, knowledge tells me that these things run at 12 volts which is more than an RPi supplies)

---

I don't have huge amounts of space (or money, for that matter) available. I think what I want to do is just pick up some simple OO-gauged DC stuff, follow some guides to get it put together, and then see how I feel then.


Now, call me stupid but I can't seem to find anywhere selling kits for DC stuff (I don't want to buy from Amazon). Where would people recommend to buy from? Is there a reason not to just buy some track, a loco and some carriages all separately?

 

[Iskra]

@Cowley when you say it's reasonably easy to upgrade to digital control, does that include the actual rolling stock? Is it possible to upgrade existing DC trains to digital control somehow, or is it necessary to replace it?

@Iskra As for what I actually want to do with it, it's mainly the novelty of having a train run round a track with me controlling it, as well as just having something to do at the moment!
In the future, I'd like to build some more realistic layouts, using models of modern rolling stock, but that can wait until I'm familiar with how the whole thing works. Also, as much of that is going to be in the scenery as in the rolling stock and track itself, I'd expect.

Another, more non-standard thing I'd like to do at some point is wire some track up to my Raspberry Pi, probably through a relay (my very rudimentary, and probably wrong, knowledge tells me that these things run at 12 volts which is more than an RPi supplies)

---

I don't have huge amounts of space (or money, for that matter) available. I think what I want to do is just pick up some simple OO-gauged DC stuff, follow some guides to get it put together, and then see how I feel then.


Now, call me stupid but I can't seem to find anywhere selling kits for DC stuff (I don't want to buy from Amazon). Where would people recommend to buy from? Is there a reason not to just buy some track, a loco and some carriages all separately?

These are two of the bigger retailers:

Search results | The Model Centre

www.themodelcentre.com

Train Sets products - Rails of Sheffield

There is ebay too of course.

There's nothing to stop you doing it separately but it should probably work out cheaper and easier buying a set and it should all work together out of the box that way very easily.

 

[hexagon789]

I don't have huge amounts of space (or money, for that matter) available. I think what I want to do is just pick up some simple OO-gauged DC stuff, follow some guides to get it put together, and then see how I feel then.

If you start simple, I don't think you can go wrong really. As you rightly say best to get a feel for it before you decide exactly how you want to progress.

The most important thing is not realism - it's having fun and enjoying it!

 

[Cowley]

@Cowley when you say it's reasonably easy to upgrade to digital control, does that include the actual rolling stock? Is it possible to upgrade existing DC trains to digital control somehow, or is it necessary to replace it?

Yes that’s right. If you buy a modern locomotive or multiple unit now you can upgrade it in the future easily if you decide that you like it and want to go digital. I’ll give you an example.

I recently got a class 31 from Graham Farish which was purchased through The Model Centre (one of the companies that @Iskra posted a link for). It was offered on their site in three different basic versions which were:

Class 31 DC - £125 (the basic model that will run on a standard old style analog controller even if the controller was years old)

Class 31 DCC - £153 (the same model but with a computer chip inside that means you can leave it on the track next to another chipped loco and you can operate it separately or together, basically like you have the cab controls in your hand for each loco if that makes sense)

Class 31 DCC Sound fitted £200 - As above but the loco uses a sound decoder to digitally make very realistic sound effects.

These are all basically the same model, they look exactly the same but the more you spend the more features you have.
You could start off with the basic model using a DC controller but if you decided to go digital in the future you could then by a digital chip (decoder) for around £25 and fit it into your loco to upgrade it (I’ve done a few of these now and it’s pretty simple).

 

[Peter C]

Since I'm stuck at home and can't travel on any real trains, I would really like to get into modelling them... the problem is, I don't have the slightest clue what I'm doing!

The thing I find most baffling is gauges... which one do I use?

The two most common model railway gauges in the UK are OO (1:76 scale) and N (1:148). OO (sometimes written as 00) is the larger of the two and that's what you'll see from Hornby. Bachmann, Heljan, and Dapol also do 00 gauge stuff. If you want to be really pedantic, it's not the right scale for the track; the rolling stock is too big. It dates back to the designers making the engines bigger to fit motors into them. HO gauge is the more realistic scale for the same track but isn't so common in the UK - the USA does HO really.

Also compatibility - how are the trains generally controlled, and for example, can I run one manufacturer's train on another's track with another's controller?

Trains can be controlled in lots of ways. There's DC, which uses a Direct Current through the track to power the trains, and DCC (Digital Command Control), which uses digital signals sent from the controller through the track to a decoder in the engines, which then controls the loco.
You can use one manufacturer's train on another's track - yes. As long as they're all the same gauge, which is as simple as looking for a certain thing on the box (OO if you go for OO gauge, N if you go for N gauge, etc.). I use Hornby, Bachmann, and Dapol engines all on Hornby track and they work a treat. I use a Gaugemaster controller, adding another manufacturer to the mix. Ah - that's a good point - if you're going for DC, then Gaugemaster are the best company for controllers. They come with a lifetime guarantee, even if you buy second-hand, and they are a million times better than the Hornby DC controllers, which are dreadful.

Also does anyone have any advice on where to buy from?

My advice would be never buy directly from Hornby's site. The prices on there are much higher than they need to be and lower prices can be found on the likes of www.hattons.co.uk and www.railsofsheffield.com. Note: Rails of Sheffield don't stock Hornby products though. No-one knows why apart from those who need to know.

Sorry that this opening post is pretty useless - I would much rather people asked me questions about what exactly I want to do, rather than give me advice which may not be relevant- so ask away!

A couple of my questions would be:

• Do you have enough space for a loop layout? If so, go for one of the Hornby Starter Sets and work up from there. That's what I did (I went for the GWR Passenger Freight).
• Do you want to model a particular location? I wouldn't recommend starting out saying you want to model Waterloo in OO gauge (you'd need a space the size of a tennis court to do that actually), but I would recommend thinking of places you'd want to model if that's what you want to do.

My main point is this: it's your model railway, so your rules. Do what you want, when you want. Build everything by yourself or buy it off-the-shelf; buy expensive engines with sound or buy cheap engines for £20; no-one's going to stop you (unless maybe the person who manages your bank account ).

Apologies if this is too detailed/confusing or if I've repeated what others have said - I'm quite good at that.

-Peter

 

[takno]

Another, more non-standard thing I'd like to do at some point is wire some track up to my Raspberry Pi, probably through a relay (my very rudimentary, and probably wrong, knowledge tells me that these things run at 12 volts which is more than an RPi supplies)

That's a bit of a rabbit hole. There are various things you can do with a Raspberry Pi and some added electronics. You can probably power colour-light signals and streetlights/building lights directly, although adding some microcontrollers into the mix would allow you to control a lot more things more cheaply than just by using the Raspberry Pi.

If you are looking at controlling the trains using a Pi or other computer then it's a good idea to go straight for DCC, since there are some controllers which will allow you to interface in from a computer. There is an alternative, which is to split the track into isolated sections and have your computer supply power to the sections based on where the train is - that would likely be months of work though, and wouldn't be much fun to most people.

Certainly you're right that you'll want some kind of protection between the Pi and the train - not just because of the voltage, but also because the train will use hundreds of times the amount of power the Pi is designed to supply, so you'll fry the Pi straight away! When you are controlling anything other than LEDs, and even for some LEDs, it's important to work out what the power draw would be, and use a relay or some kind of transistor-based interface to amplify the signal.

Personally I'd get the basic layout set up and have a play with it first!

 

[py_megapixel]

Rails of Sheffield don't stock Hornby products

I beg to differ?

Hornby Railroad

Rails of Sheffield - Model Railways Specialists. Worldwide Shipping, Every Major Brand Including New and Pre-owned, Pre-Orders, Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol, Gaugemaster, Graham Farish, Heljan, Peco, Accurascale, DCC Concepts plus many more.

railsofsheffield.com

Hornby

Rails of Sheffield - Model Railways Specialists. Worldwide Shipping, Every Major Brand Including New and Pre-owned, Pre-Orders, Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol, Gaugemaster, Graham Farish, Heljan, Peco, Accurascale, DCC Concepts plus many more.

railsofsheffield.com

 

[Iskra]

I beg to differ?

Hornby Railroad

Rails of Sheffield - Model Railways Specialists. Worldwide Shipping, Every Major Brand Including New and Pre-owned, Pre-Orders, Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol, Gaugemaster, Graham Farish, Heljan, Peco, Accurascale, DCC Concepts plus many more.

railsofsheffield.com

Hornby

Rails of Sheffield - Model Railways Specialists. Worldwide Shipping, Every Major Brand Including New and Pre-owned, Pre-Orders, Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol, Gaugemaster, Graham Farish, Heljan, Peco, Accurascale, DCC Concepts plus many more.

railsofsheffield.com

They recently ceased stocking them. They are just selling off what they have left.

 

[py_megapixel]

Do you want to model a particular location? I wouldn't recommend starting out saying you want to model Waterloo in OO gauge (you'd need a space the size of a tennis court to do that actually), but I would recommend thinking of places you'd want to model if that's what you want to do.

I don't think I really have a specific location in mind at the moment. I just want to have a play and see if I enjoy it.

If you are looking at controlling the trains using a Pi or other computer then it's a good idea to go straight for DCC, since there are some controllers which will allow you to interface in from a computer. There is an alternative, which is to split the track into isolated sections and have your computer supply power to the sections based on where the train is - that would likely be months of work though, and wouldn't be much fun to most people.

Certainly you're right that you'll want some kind of protection between the Pi and the train - not just because of the voltage, but also because the train will use hundreds of times the amount of power the Pi is designed to supply, so you'll fry the Pi straight away! When you are controlling anything other than LEDs, and even for some LEDs, it's important to work out what the power draw would be, and use a relay or some kind of transistor-based interface to amplify the signal.

Personally I'd get the basic layout set up and have a play with it first!

Thanks for the insight - mostly what I would have expected really!
Yes I'll just get something simple set up first and then see where I want to go from there. It looks like a lot of what is availalbe can be retro fitted with DCC controllers anyway, so I could always do that!

They recently ceased stocking them. They are just selling off what they have left.

Fair enough.

 

[Mojo]

My other half started his model railway in March.

Firstly, he bought the Hornby Track Plans book (https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/hornby-track-plans-book.html?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=affiliate) and slightly modified the design to fit what he wanted.

Secondly, where are you putting it? His is in our garden studio / craft room and takes up about half of the room. He bought some OSB sheets for the base and some C16 CLS to hold it up (it's in the corner of the room so two lengths were stuck to the wall horizontally with the remaining C16 holding up the board vertically). It was large enough to cut a hole in the middle to stand in to work on the back.

Most of the stuff required was purchased from packs on eBay. The Mail Delivery Officer knew us very well as we receiving at least one package per day for several weeks! The job lots and premade sets were quite good as a cheap way of buying tracks, and anything that wasn't needed was able to be sold later to make back some money.

He has been making structures out of sillicone moulds filled with Herculite 2 and then painting them.

 

[Peter C]

I beg to differ?

Hornby Railroad

Rails of Sheffield - Model Railways Specialists. Worldwide Shipping, Every Major Brand Including New and Pre-owned, Pre-Orders, Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol, Gaugemaster, Graham Farish, Heljan, Peco, Accurascale, DCC Concepts plus many more.

railsofsheffield.com

Hornby

Rails of Sheffield - Model Railways Specialists. Worldwide Shipping, Every Major Brand Including New and Pre-owned, Pre-Orders, Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol, Gaugemaster, Graham Farish, Heljan, Peco, Accurascale, DCC Concepts plus many more.

railsofsheffield.com

They recently ceased stocking them. They are just selling off what they have left.

Ah yes - I should have made that clearer. Iskra's cleared that one up for me.

I don't think I really have a specific location in mind at the moment. I just want to have a play and see if I enjoy it.

Fair enough.
@Mojo has mentioned the Hornby Track Plan book and I'd say maybe the Railway Modeller Book of Track Plans is another good book. It's been in print for decades but it still holds up. The man behind it is (was?) a big advocate of keeping it simple.

If you just want to start a small layout and see if you want to go further, then Budget Model Railways is probably a good channel to watch on YouTube. They make small layouts on a budget using mostly second-hand items and have an awful lot of fun doing it. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSNSTxSC-YZM_i9dqCZLOw
One of the pair from that channel would recommend just putting some track down, getting an engine and some rolling stock, and then go from there.

-Peter

 

[takno]

If you just want to start a small layout and see if you want to go further, then Budget Model Railways is probably a good channel to watch on YouTube. They make small layouts on a budget using mostly second-hand items and have an awful lot of fun doing it. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjSNSTxSC-YZM_i9dqCZLOw
One of the pair from that channel would recommend just putting some track down, getting an engine and some rolling stock, and then go from there.

That was the channel I forgot to mention. Nice short videos, heavy emphasis on keeping it cheap and doing whichever bits you enjoy. Plus Mike does do a good rant.

 

[Peter C]

That was the channel I forgot to mention. Nice short videos, heavy emphasis on keeping it cheap and doing whichever bits you enjoy. Plus Mike does do a good rant.

It is absolutely brilliant and I've used many of their ideas/methods in my own layout - mainly the 'don't spend ages planning, just get track down and fiddle around with it that way'.
Mike can rant but they're never boring or annoying; always just saying the things he's found from his experience and what others refuse to believe to a certain extent (which makes it sound quite grand I know).

-Peter

 

[reddragon]

Since I'm stuck at home and can't travel on any real trains, I would really like to get into modelling them... the problem is, I don't have the slightest clue what I'm doing!

The thing I find most baffling is gauges... which one do I use? Also compatibility - how are the trains generally controlled, and for example, can I run one manufacturer's train on another's track with another's controller?

Also does anyone have any advice on where to buy from?

Sorry that this opening post is pretty useless - I would much rather people asked me questions about what exactly I want to do, rather than give me advice which may not be relevant- so ask away!

I'd go with OO gauge as its easiest to learn, play with, repair, convert and use as DC or convert to DCC.

You can get really cheap older models such as Lima / Hornby that can still be converted to DCC with a bit of soldering.

Rails of Sheffield is good for all but Hornby
Hattons for all but Bachmann
Kernow is good too for harder to get bits

beyond that specialist for odd bits

 

[Peter C]

Rails of Sheffield is good for all but Hornby
Hattons for all but Bachmann
Kernow is good too for harder to get bits

And all three do good offers on products!

-Peter

 

[reddragon]

And all three do good offers on products!

-Peter

Try to avoid eBay buying at the mo as prices are too high.

Hattons have a good second hand selection, RoS have a decent eBay shop and eBay do sometimes have cheap job lots but they can be risky buys unless you read what is for sale carefully and ask questions of the seller.

 

[Peter C]

Try to avoid eBay buying at the mo as prices are too high.

Hattons have a good second hand selection, RoS have a decent eBay shop and eBay do sometimes have cheap job lots but they can be risky buys unless you read what is for sale carefully and ask questions of the seller.

I couldn't agree more. It seems that, in lockdown(s), people have gone through old collections of models and started putting them up for sale at ludicrous prices. Hattons is the best place to go for second hand items as I've found they have more better items than eBay in terms of price, condition, etc.

-Peter

 

[birchesgreen]

When i was wanting to get back into building a layout after a 25 or so year gap i first worked out how big the board could be and then bought the Rail Modeller layout design software. I then tried dozens of designs and gauges until i found the kind of layout i wanted (a loop with plenty of sidings) was best served with HO9 narrow gauge (similar to 009). I bought a few magazines to see what was available (better than just doing it online as i think the photos of the rolling stock printed out give you a better idea) and finally went and placed an order...

 

[Jaz avalley]

Consider the skills you have, and the skills you are willing to acquire, and cost, and size availability, if you want a run around but have little room and can cope with fiddly bits then N gauge maybe for you, if you prefer something bigger and might like to upgrade ready made locos then 00 you might not have as big a layout but it will be easier to handle, O gauge is big each loco may be gulp prices to some people, but there are some super kits for locos if you have an engineering leaning. Garden gauge and bigger for outside.
Basic skills will include soldering, glueing, painting, and a willingness to get past any set backs, you can go for cheap wagon kits to get your confidence up, buy more costly resin ready to plonk buildings, or plastic kits or paper kits for buildings, are you happy for it to look ok,or will you want everything working, do you want a generic layout , what track to buy most start with 100 and many happily stick to one especially if you buy box sets, if you have no issues about whI have, era (times dates can be argued but modern day after 1980s is most popular) whether a train should have overhead electricity or not, now thee will be the odd snob,but in general people will value your choices, and admire your layout regardless, so it’s how much time,effort and how deep your pockets, many people have to shortcut their dreams for the reality of cash,some skills being hard to master, space for the layout, plenty of people try a plank layout first, a short track and loco and a feel for the whole before they progress,some people like to share their hobby with children or grandchildren kids do better at 00 in my experience. The thing you can guarantee? Your initial choices will evolve, it is just by how much, good luck on your journey.

 

[SCH117X]

There are a number of retailers not mentioned who have free postage as a standard offer (Rails sometimes do, Hattons never IME)
Gaugemaster on orders of £15 or more (although many items are cheaper elsewhere) www.gaugemasterretail.com
Derails on orders over £20 www.derails.co.uk and who run an automatic reward scheme (1 point per pound spent)
Time Tunnel on orders over £30 www.timetunnelmodels.com
Kernow on orders over £200 www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com who run a loyalty scheme (1 point per pound spent) which have to apply to join when an existing customer

 

[reddragon]

There are a number of retailers not mentioned who have free postage as a standard offer (Rails sometimes do, Hattons never IME)
Gaugemaster on orders of £15 or more (although many items are cheaper elsewhere) www.gaugemasterretail.com
Derails on orders over £20 www.derails.co.uk and who run an automatic reward scheme (1 point per pound spent)
Time Tunnel on orders over £30 www.timetunnelmodels.com
Kernow on orders over £200 www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com who run a loyalty scheme (1 point per pound spent) which have to apply to join when an existing customer

Hattons is free over £175 and have a trunk option to buy & fill until the postage is free.