Railway modelling (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale.

Model railroading is as much an art as an engineering discipline. One serious model railroader refers to his layout as a “kinetic sculpture”, and this is a completely accurate description. A model railroad layout is a sculpture in motion. This is what distinguishes it from most other art forms.