About Us

Built on Experience. Driven by Passion.

Welcome to Footplate, an independent, family-run model railway business with a history stretching back nearly four decades. We specialise in quality pre-owned and new model railways, supported by a small, dedicated team of modellers and railway enthusiasts.

We're often asked whether Footplate is a new company. With the pace of our recent growth, it's an understandable question — but our story began long before today's website and warehouse operations.

Our Story

Our family's involvement in buying and selling pre-owned model railways began in the late 1980s. In the late 1990s, DMB Models was established as a partnership, and Footplate followed a few years later as an offshoot of that business.

In 2026, we celebrate 20 years of Footplate in Kidderminster. Throughout that time, pre-owned model railways have remained central to what we do, from individual locomotives to substantial collections spanning many scales and generations.

Railway Enthusiasts Through and Through

Our passion for railways goes well beyond the shop. Live steam, miniature railways and heritage railway preservation have been part of family life for generations. Many customers will recognise our connections with miniature railways and the Foxfield Railway.

That enthusiasm is shared across our small, dedicated team of railway modellers and enthusiasts. We're collectors, modellers and railway people ourselves, bringing practical knowledge and genuine interest to everything from assessing collections and testing stock to helping customers find their next model.

From Retailing to Developing Models

Our journey into commissioning products began with diecast commercial vehicles before progressing to railway models under the Flangeway name. Early Flangeway projects were undertaken in collaboration with another business, including the OO Gauge BR Independent Snowplough manufactured by Dapol and introduced in 2008.

We subsequently took Flangeway forward independently, with projects including the OO Gauge Mermaid and Salmon engineering wagons and the O Gauge Independent Snowplough.

Today, that commitment continues. Our newly tooled, British-made 16mm narrow gauge wagons have begun arriving, while engineering prototypes for our O Gauge Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST locomotive and Mermaid engineering wagon are expected shortly. These projects reflect our willingness to invest in models we believe deserve to be made.

A New Chapter for Footplate

The next generation has brought fresh ideas, renewed ambition and significant investment in our people, operations and online presence. Although Footplate has grown considerably, we remain committed to the specialist knowledge and personal service that built the business.

We sometimes hear that railway modelling is a dying hobby. We see it differently: the hobby isn't dying — it's changing. The way people discover, buy and enjoy model railways continues to evolve, and we're excited to evolve alongside it.

We're proud of where we've come from, grateful to our customers and enthusiastic about what lies ahead.

Footplate — built on experience, driven by passion and investing in the future of railway modelling.

Whether you're looking for your next model or considering selling a collection, we'd be delighted to help. Find out how to sell your model railway to Footplate or get in touch with our team.