6Brian Lambert's hobby has been model railways for many years, since he was given a Tri-ang Princess Elizabeth train set for Christmas as an eight-year-old schoolboy. Over the years he gained much modeling knowledge from practical experience and belonged to model railway clubs, quite apart from the wealth of knowledge gained from working on the 'real thing' from a young post-school teenager through to his retirement.

While in these pages he writes about generic items and often references the real thing, there are many regional variations, and these cannot be taken into account within the confines of this book. Therefore it is recommended that, before starting any regional or era-based project, the reader undertake a good deal of research to gain the correct facts. Internet searches, books, and perhaps visits to preserved railways or to the national network will usually reveal plenty of detail.

If you are just starting out in the hobby or returning to it after several years of absence, this book will help nudge you into producing a great model railway layout. Remember - think safely, then act.