EDITOR’S COMMENT

What a month it has been for headlines. In the March issue, I spoke about change and how the 2024 Hornby announcements bring a new era for the team in Margate, but since that issue was sent to the printers, we’ve had the sad news that Hattons will be closing its doors, and the Warley show will not be taking place this year, and not at the NEC moving forwards. Two huge announcements that rattled the modelling community.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of readers have been in touch, understandably worried about the future of this great hobby. But, as sad as the two headlines are, railway modelling is still going strong. There’s a whole host of great events still seeing growth, including our very own London Festival of Railway Modelling, which is being held next month, and many retailers in the hobby are also enjoying great success, with some fantastic models being announced over the past four weeks.

And then there is the modelling itself, and we can wholeheartedly say that we haven’t seen a drop in numbers in the fantastic layouts and models being produced – indeed, we’ve been inundated with new projects from our readers that could fill BRM for the next year at least!

Times can be tough, but that is when we need our hobbies the most, and the inspirational work we showcase in these pages each issue is a testament that this hobby still has a great deal of life left in it.

And long may it continue. Make sure you send us your latest projects at

We would love to see them, plus maybe feature them in a future issue, although, as I say, there may be a bit of a waiting list!

Happy Modelling

Debbie Wood