What a fascinating year it has been, with an impressive array of top-quality ready-to-run locomotives and rolling stock appearing across the various scales.
As usual, modellers in ‘OO’ have been particularly spoiled for choice with a host of classic diesel and electric traction types, plus a few ‘oddballs’, while the steam era hasn’t been overlooked, with several interesting prototypes being offered for the first time.
While it’s been another quiet year for ‘OO9’ narrow gauge, the expansion of ‘TT:120’ has been fascinating to witness. The ‘Tabletop’ scale has remained the domain of just two manufacturers this year but, with Revolution Trains due to enter the fray, 2025 is lining up to be another good year for ‘TT:120’.
It has also been a modest year for new ‘N’ gauge locomotive releases, although some exceptional 2mm scale carriages and wagons did reach the market. ‘O’ gauge continues to attract new acolytes, helped by diesel and steam-outline locomotives big and small. Narrow gauge modelling in 7mm scale becomes increasingly viable, thanks to another manufacturer dipping its toe into the waters.
Our Model of the Year awards began in 2006 and offer you, the reader, a chance to acknowledge the amazing effort that manufacturers put into their products, as well as offering us a useful barometer of public opinion.
Voting is completely free and open to everyone, with each nominee consisting of a new ready-to-run model that has appeared over the calendar year, and which has been reviewed in Model Rail in 2024. This includes all-new and revised toolings, including those receiving enhancements to mechanisms, electronics and detail specifications.
Categories are spread across each of the popular scales, featuring locomotives and rolling stock. For the first time, we’ve included ‘TT:120’ products, now that the scope of products has increased dramatically this year.
Due to its popularity, we have retained the option to vote for your favourite model retailer, with two categories to help differentiate larger concerns from smaller, local businesses. We’ve also been squirrelling away an amazing array of goodies for our bumper prize draw, worth well over £3,500, with free entry for everyone who votes in Model Rail’s Model of the Year 2024 awards.
This is YOUR chance to recognise the hard work, dedication and innovation of those at the heart of our wonderful hobby… so cast your votes today!
WIN! MODEL OF THE YEAR MEGA PRIZE DRAW
Every reader who casts a vote in our Model of the Year 2024 awards will be automatically entered into a bumper prize draw, with a huge range of locomotives, carriages, wagons and buildings up for grabs, in ‘N’, ‘OO’, ‘TT:120’ and ‘O’ gauge, plus a Gaugemaster Infinity Sovereign DCC control system (as reviewed on page 91).
Here is a full list of the prizes:
‘ANY gauge’
Gaugemaster infinity Sovereign DCC Starter set
‘N’
Dapol 2D-005-005 Class 59, 59001 Yeoman Endeavour, Aggregate Industries
Graham Farish 372-916 LMS ‘Twin’ 10000, BR green
Graham Farish 377-615 MXA ‘Lobster’ wagon, DB red
Graham Farish 378-027 SE&CR ‘Dance Hall’ brake van, BR grey
Graham Farish 378-002A 14T Class A anchor-mounted tank wagon, National Benzole
Rapido Trains UK 942009 SECR wagon pack, SR post-1936 livery
‘OO’
EFE Rail E82001 SR ‘Booster’ CC1, SR grey
Heljan 5711 Class 57 57604 Pendennis Castle, GWR green
Hornby R30126 LNER Class W1 ‘Hush-Hush’, No. 10000, LNER grey/silver
Hornby R30136 LNER Class B17/5, No. 2859 East Anglian, LNER green
Hornby LMS Fowler Class 4P, No. 2300, LMS crimson
Hornby R30114, SR ‘West Country’ No. 34046 Braunton, BR green
Hornby R30359 LMS ‘Princess Coronation’, No. 46243 City of Lancaster, BR blue
Hornby R30188 Class 37, 37710 Load Haul
Hornby R40440/1/2/3/4 Mk 3 HST coaches, Grand Central
Hornby R60216 Railiner PVA van
Hornby R60141 BR 45ton steel carrier
Hornby R60142 BR OAA open wagon
Hornby Skaledale R7391 Dunster station building
Hornby Skaledale R7392 Dunster goods shed
Hornby Skaledale R7394 Dunster engine shed
Rapido Trains UK 945002 LNWR 10ton van, LNWR grey
‘TT:120’
Hornby TT3009M LNER Class A4, No. 60025 Falcon, BR blue
Hornby TT6010 RCH tank wagon
Hornby TT6004 LNER vent van
‘O’
Dapol 7F-068-002 GWR ‘Mogo’ van
Dapol 7F-069-002 SR 12t van
Dapol 7F-062-005 Class A tank wagon, Regent silver
Winners will be drawn at random after the voting closes on February 16 2025 at 11:59pm.
Entry into the prize draw is via the Model of the Year voting website only and we reserve the right to allocate prizes at our discretion.
Cast your vote below!