Pick up the phone, call your local railway, offer to volunteer, and it could be the start of a whole new adventure, says ALEX ALDER. You might even go the whole hog and buy an engine…

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Model Rail magazine’s editor rounds up the latest modelling news

Tony Streeter examines how crime on Britain’s railways sparked fascination and horror within the public imagination, especially during the Victorian era, and how detailed scale models were employed to help to bring perpetrators to justice.

Overhauls, restorations and running notes

In the first 15 years of its life as a heritage line, steam on the West Somerset Railway underwent a remarkable transformation, from humble industrials to stars from the National Collection.