Inside our workshop: What happens before your model reaches you?
Behind the scenes, our workshop is a hive of activity. From testing newly released locomotives to diagnosing faults and preparing pre-owned models for sale, every day is about ensuring customers receive models that perform exactly as they should.
Whether you've ordered a brand-new locomotive, sent a treasured model to us for repair, or entrusted us with a customisation project, every model that passes through TMC receives the same careful attention.
TMC's Rob Perkins examines this Class 66 model customisation inspired by customer-supplied imagery.
'Box-shifter'? We're the complete opposite!
Every day begins with checks around our showroom before attention turns to new deliveries, workshop jobs and customer orders. New deliveries take place multiple times throughout the day.
Callum Day tends to a customer whose model wasn't running correctly. Understanding the likely issues common to each is key to a swift and accurate diagnosis. Here, Callum's knowledge is second to none!
Newly arrived models aren't simply unpacked and put on display. Our shop team familiarises themselves with each release by studying manufacturer instructions, understanding body removal procedures, DCC features and potential maintenance requirements. This means we're able to demonstrate new products confidently, answer customers' questions and offer advice before a purchase is even made. Similarly, if we notice discrepencies with instruction manuals, or potential common problems with models, these are reported to manufacturers.
Model choice is plentiful at TMC. From all-new arrivals, our choice of pre-owned offerings to a great range of customised models available from the shelf or to order, we'll bring your dream model to life!
Pre-owned models also receive careful attention before they're listed for sale. Each is inspected to identify any issues that may affect performance or appearance, ensuring customers know exactly what they're buying.
Diagnosing the faults you can't always see
No two repairs are ever the same. A locomotive that won't move, stutters under DCC control or simply doesn't run as smoothly as expected can have any number of causes. Rather than making assumptions, every repair begins with a process of elimination.
TMC's Chris Hobbs tests his new decoder and stay-alive install into a TT:120 scale customer model.
Where possible, repairs are carried out in-house, helping reduce turnaround times and getting customers' models back into service sooner. If a fault can't be rectified in-house, we'll discuss the available options with you, before arranging return to the manufacturer or sourcing replacement parts where appropriate.
Wheel alignment, axle quartering, electrical continuity, pick-ups, chassis movement, keeper plates and side play are all examined. Sometimes the issue is something simple, such as a loose component or a detail part catching on the chassis. Other times, it takes more investigation to find the root cause.
One of the workshop's most valuable tools is the rolling road. Unlike a conventional test track, a rolling road allows a locomotive to remain stationary while its wheels turn freely. This makes it much easier to observe the motion, listen for unusual noises, identify tight spots and ensure components such as brake shoes and sandpipes have sufficient clearance. Faults that might otherwise go unnoticed often become immediately apparent.
DCM-RRA4 DCC Concepts Rolling Road Multi Gauge N scale, OO9, TT, OO Gauge – four axle
RRP: £49.99. Our price: £42.46 Add to basket
Explore our complete range of rolling roads, here
Supporting customers at every level
Our workshop does far more than repairs. Our team regularly installs DCC decoders, sources spare parts, reattaches delicate details, replaces glazing and interior components, prepares demonstration models, assists with customisation projects and works closely with colleagues across the business to solve technical queries.
When customers send models to us by mail, they're logged into our workshop system and acknowledged as soon as they arrive, keeping owners informed throughout the process. Clear communication is just as important as the technical work itself, ensuring expectations are understood before work begins.
Whether you're buying a new model, discovering a pre-owned bargain or commissioning a bespoke customisation, the goal remains the same: to ensure every model leaving TMC is one we'd be proud to own ourselves.
It's a level of care that can't be seen on a product page, but it's one of many reasons so many modellers continue to trust TMC with their collections year after year.
