Unusual Prototypes. Industrial Heritage. Distinctive OO9 Models
Shoreleave Models is a small, family-run business based in Scotland, creating distinctive OO9 narrow gauge railway models, rolling stock, accessories and parts inspired by the fascinating world of industrial and light railways.
Our interest lies particularly in the unusual, overlooked and characterful prototypes that helped keep quarries, mines, factories, construction sites, estates and industrial railways moving. Rather than concentrating only on the familiar locomotives and rolling stock that are already widely available, we enjoy finding interesting prototypes from the past and turning them into models that can bring something a little different to an OO9 layout.
The name Shoreleave Models comes directly from the way the business began. Working professionally at sea means spending long periods away from home, often aboard research and expedition vessels. Model making, design and historical research became a creative outlet during time away and while on shore leave between trips. What began as a personal interest gradually developed into designing models for other narrow gauge enthusiasts, and the name seemed the natural choice.
Today, Shoreleave Models remains very much a family-run operation. It is deliberately small, independent and hands-on. New models often begin with an old photograph, drawing, museum exhibit, surviving prototype or an interesting piece of industrial history that deserves to be recreated. From there, considerable time goes into researching the subject, developing the digital model, producing prototypes, testing designs and refining the final piece.
Many of our models are inspired by real locomotives, wagons and machinery, while others take their inspiration from typical industrial designs and practices. We aim to capture the character and proportions that make the original subject recognisable while also creating a practical model that works naturally within an OO9 railway.
We are particularly drawn to the less obvious corners of narrow gauge history: tiny industrial locomotives, quarry wagons, works trucks, vertical-boiler engines, unusual rolling stock and equipment that might otherwise never appear as commercially available models. These are often the pieces that give a layout its individuality and help tell the story of the railway it represents.
Because Shoreleave Models is a small business, the development process is also much closer to the people who actually use the models. Customer feedback, photographs of completed builds and suggestions for future prototypes all help influence what we develop next. Some models begin as experimental or development pieces and evolve through testing and feedback from fellow modellers.
For us, OO9 modelling is about more than simply reproducing a locomotive or wagon. It is about preserving a small piece of industrial history, capturing the atmosphere of narrow gauge railways and giving modellers the opportunity to recreate prototypes and scenes that are rarely represented commercially.
From forgotten industrial locomotives to humble wagons and railway equipment, our aim is simple: to bring the character of narrow gauge history back to life in OO9 scale.
Our Dedicated Model Makers and STAFF
Meet the team behind our handcrafted OO9 narrow gauge railway models.
Leighton Rolley
Master Model Maker, Printer and Deep Sea Explorer
When he isn’t working miles from home — and sometimes miles below the ocean surface — Leighton can usually be found designing, printing, modifying or generally obsessing over something considerably smaller.
With decades of practical engineering, technical and expedition experience, he brings a slightly unusual background to model making. His fascination with industrial history, narrow gauge railways, machinery and forgotten prototypes feeds directly into the models produced by Shoreleave Models.
Much of the design work begins while working away at sea, which is where the name Shoreleave Models comes from. Ideas are researched, sketched and developed between expeditions before eventually becoming prototypes, prints and finished models back on dry land.
He has a particular weakness for the odd, obscure and overlooked — tiny locomotives, strange wagons, industrial machinery and prototypes that probably deserve a model but have somehow escaped one.
The result is a mixture of historical curiosity, modern 3D design, hands-on experimentation and the occasional questionable decision to spend far too long recreating a tiny piece of railway equipment that most sensible people have never heard of.
Specialities: tiny trains, big ships, sonars obscure machinery, 3D printers, industrial history and disappearing into the sea for extended periods.
ClaRE ROLLEY
Sales Coordinator and Marine Biologist
Clare brings a rather different kind of expertise to Shoreleave Models. A marine biologist by trade, she is more accustomed to dealing with small creatures beneath the waves than miniature locomotives, but she has become an essential part of keeping the business running smoothly.
As Sales Coordinator, Clare helps manage orders, customer enquiries, packing, organisation and the many practical jobs involved in turning a newly printed model into something ready to arrive on a modeller’s doorstep.
She also provides a useful counterbalance to the endless enthusiasm for obscure industrial locomotives, unusual wagons and conversations about whether a particular rivet should really be 0.2 mm further to the left.
With a scientific background, an eye for detail and considerably better organisational instincts than the model-making department, Clare helps make sure Shoreleave Models remains a family business rather than simply a rapidly expanding collection of 3D printers and tiny railway parts.
Specialities: marine biology, keeping orders moving, customer care, organisation, quality control and occasionally asking the very reasonable question, “Do we really need another locomotive?”
STORES TEAM!
The youngest members of the Shoreleave Models team have some of the most important jobs in the business: making up boxes, adding stickers, helping with packing and making sure everything looks suitably official before it heads out the door.
They may not yet be responsible for CAD design, production planning or customer emails, but they have already developed strong opinions about packaging, stickers and, most importantly, their share of the profits.
Payment is negotiated in the traditional family-business manner: a cut of the proceeds converted into pocket money.
Their contribution helps keep Shoreleave Models genuinely family run, and they are always keen to assist when there are boxes to fold, labels to apply or a new batch of models to inspect.
Specialities: box assembly, sticker application, packing assistance, quality control, snack breaks and ensuring management honours the agreed pocket-money dividend.
Collector Reviews
Read what our fellow hobbyists and collectors say about our models.
The craftsmanship on these OO9 narrow gauge railway models is truly exceptional and authentic.
Railway Collector
Model Enthusiast
Every locomotive and part reflects a deep appreciation for industrial history and unique prototypes.
Hobbyist Member
Layout Builder