Shop closes at 3pm on Christmas Eve & will reopen at 10am on Friday 2nd January 2026
An independent specialist rail, road, air, maritime transport and military book and model shop in Birmingham city centre
About Tornado Books & Hobbies
Our Story
Established in 2019, Tornado Books & Hobbies is an independent specialist book and model shop dedicated to providing a unique selection of books, kits and models to rail, road, air, maritime and military enthusiasts
Our History
Our History
Established in 2019, Tornado Books & Hobbies is an independent specialist book and model shop dedicated to providing a unique selection of books, kits and models to rail, road, air, maritime and military enthusiasts
Our Team
Our History
Business owner Mike built his first model kit of an Airfix A-4 Skyhawk on the kitchen table with a lot of help from his dad at the age of 4, and was soon hooked on military and aviation history and modelmaking (the least said about the fashion the better)
Going on to work for Ian Allan Bookshop in Birmingham for 18 years, before opening Tornado in 2019
Our Selection
Our Selection
We stock a wide selection of transport & military books from large publishers to independents, along with DVDs, plastic kits, diecast and modelling accessories and paints - Tornado Books & Hobbies has something for everyone
Discover Tornado Books & Hobbies
We stock books from the following publishers, plus many more:
Abteilung 502, Adam Gordon, After the Battle, AMMO by Mig Jimenez, Air-Britain, AK Interactive, Amber, Amberley, Avonmore, Bellcode, Book Law, British Bus Publishing, Canfora, Capital Transport, Casemate, Classic, Crecy, Crowood, Desert Eagle, Destin World, Detail & Scale, Double Ugly!, European Airlines, European Rail Timetable, Fawndoon, Fonthill, Ginter, Great Northern, Greenhill, Grub Street, Guideline/Warpaint, Helion, Hikoki, History Press, HMH, ICRS, Irwell, Kagero, Key, Lightmoor, Luftfahrtverlag Start, Mainline & Maritime, Middleton, Mortons, Mushroom MMP, Oakwood, OPC, Osprey, Peko, Pen & Sword, Phoenix, Platform 5, RCTS, Red Kite/Wing Leader, Schiffer, Seaforth, Shire, Silver Link, Specialty, Stenlake, Strathwood, Stratus, ST Publications, Tankograd, Trackmaps, Trackpad, Transport Treasury/Totem, Unique, Valiant Wings, Venture, Wild Swan, WWP
Kits and diecast from:
Academy, AFV Club, Airfix, AK Interactive, Aoshima, Arma Hobby, Armourfast, Big Planes Kits, Bel-Kits, Corgi, Dragon, Eduard, EFE, Flyhawk, Foreart, Gecko, Heller, Great Wall Hobby, Hasegawa, Hobby 2000, Hobby Boss, IBG, ICM, Italeri, Magic Factory, Meng, MiniArt, Northcord, Nunu/Beemax, Oxford, Pegasus, PM Model, Revell, Roden, Rye Field Model, Special Hobby, Takom, Tamiya, Trumpeter, Valom, Vespid
Modelling accessories and paints from:
AK Interactive, Humbrol Enamels & Sprays, Javis, Model Craft, Tamiya Acrylics & TS/AS Sprays, Vallejo Model Color Acrylics
Shop online or in-store
Shop online or in-store
Whether you prefer shopping in-store or online, we've got you covered. Browse our website or visit us in-person to discover our full range of books, kits, diecast, modelling accessories and more. Our friendly staff are always on hand to assist you
While we accept National Book Tokens in the shop, we are currently unable to process them for online payments on the website
Postage & Packing, Returns & Refunds
For orders WITHIN the UK - each item is posted at cost depending on size and weight, with the MAXIMUM postage amount you will pay being £3.50 per order, regardless of size or weight. Postage payments over £3.50 will be refunded when your order is processed. Orders of £50.00 and over are sent POST FREE. Alternatively you can choose to collect your order from the shop at no extra cost
All orders are shipped out as quickly as possible - our shop opening hours are 10am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday. No orders are dispatched outside of these hours. Most orders are sent by Royal Mail 2nd Class, which is a 3-5 working day service (this does not include Saturdays), or by Royal Mail Tracked 48
Please allow 14 working days for delivery - Royal Mail don't consider any item lost until it's been delayed by 10 working days (not including Saturdays) from the estimated delivery date, which is 5 days after sending in the case of 2nd class
For orders from OUTSIDE the UK - please message us and we will provide an accurate postage cost and delivery schedule for Royal Mail airmail and economy options, please do not go through the checkout as it will show an incorrect UK only price
If you have a problem with your order - please contact us and we will resolve your issue. No returns will be accepted unless prior permission has been granted by Tornado Books & Hobbies. You have the right to cancel your order up to 14 days after your order is delivered. If you wish to cancel, you must notify us in writing or by email. Please note we cannot reimburse you for the cost of returning a cancelled order to us
Welcome to our new website
Postage prices shown are for UK orders only - for orders outside the UK please message us for an accurate postage cost