TINGS 2026

The International N Gauge Show is always a bit of a work trip. I'm on the lookout for layouts that will photograph well for BRM, and this year, despite being a little emptier than normal, the show delivered. I think there were 5-6 that I'd like to point a camera at properly. 

One of the highlights was Kato's "Oscar" - a tiny 009 locomotive which is very near being delivered. 

It really is tiny, with a very useful-looking chassis built around a coreless motor and brass worm gear/flywheel combination. Running was superb, and I can see a whole raft of 3D-printed bodies being produced for it. 

You know I like weird stuff; well, the Japanese layout Tsuro no Michi provided this with a CatBus on the roof of one of the buildings. 

Inspired by the CatBus, I've booked a trip to see My Neighbour Totoro on stage in London. Not what I expected to be inspired to do, by a model railway show!

And of course, cake. 6 out of 10 for the Victoria sponge. It was a little stodgy, but perfectly edible. 

I arrived as the doors opened, and left just before chucking out time. In my mind, this makes for a good day out, and excellent value for money. 

All the photos are over on Flickr.  

Llanfair 2026

Wales is lovely, but it's a long way away, and the roads are wiggly. The trip was worth it though, as Llanfair show continues to improve. The atmosphere was great, especially in the gym, where Indian Hill Railways set off the fire alarm with the coal-fired locos. 

I arrived early to drop off the Corris loco with Accucraft after the Garden Rail review. Then, back outside to join the queue to pay to come in, and bask in the sunshine whilst booking another day out on my phone. 

Inside, there were plenty of layouts, with everything working well. The Telford tram shown above really appealed, being meths fired and quite old. There was a matching coach which appeared later .

Trade was really good. As is my usual plan, I chatted a lot, and picked up a couple of items for GR reviews in the future. 

Kes had brought along a selection of locos from here late father's Compton Down Railway, and these always resonate with me. No expensive live steam, lots of make-do and bodge, including one sat on a Hornby 0-4-0 O gauge loco. My favourite was Sampson - live steam, but with stick-on decoration which is wearing/weathering nicely. It's really taken on the look of a working engine that gets a wipe down with an oily rag. 

And there was cake. 

After my early start, I needed a cup of tea, and used it to wash down a bacon butty once I realised they knew how to cook the stuff. No just defrosted meat here!

Lunch was a turkey and cranberry roll, followed by Victoria Sponge. Chosen because a couple of people, knowing my interests, recommended it, and they were right. My only moan was that both the ticket desk and cafe were cash-only, or I'd have brought some Welsh cakes and bonag for later consumption!

The thing about Llanfair, is that it's part of a bigger event, and I really wanted to make the trip to Welshpool for the narrow gauge railway show before it closed at 5pm. It can take half an hour to drive there too, especially if you get stuck behind a steam lorry as I did a couple of years ago...

Held in the shed at Welshpool station, the show is a bit of fun, but there are always a few quality layouts to be seen, and again, good chat to be had. I'll be photographing Andy's VoR layout seen about later in the year, so it was handy to catch up. 

The layout that really caught my eye though, was Little Knittington. 

I'm sure many people will scoff at it as a silly knitted model, but look closely, there is so much detail in here. The time and effort taken to create it must have been immense. As for the imagination, more than your average fine-scale layout I suggest. We need a bit of this at normal shows, if nothing else to appeal to the general public who will probably see it for what it is - fun. 

Anyway, another good show. There are plenty more photos over on Flickr.  

Bournville 2026

I wasn't really looking to visit a model railway show. But then UKModelshops told me that the Bournville show was taking place the next day, and I decided a train ride would be nice. I remembered from last year's visit that the show is next to Longbridge station, making for an easy trip. There was a layout on the list that intrigued me, and that would (hopefully) compensate for the lack of cake I also recalled. 

The ride was nice. I read a book and looked out of the window occasionally. The journey involved a change in Birmingham with a bit of a stroll around New Street station, noting that a 'spoons has appeared since I was last there. I like a ride on a train and quite like the Class 730 units with their super-wide connections between coaches. Despite the heavy use they get, the insides are still pretty tidy too. 

Arriving at Longbridge, I decided to follow people who I thought might be going to the show. I chose well, and a group of three of us chatted during the five-minute stroll. 

Inside, I hunted down the layout that had caught my eye - Moonbase Apha. 

The first thing to say is that this owes nothing to Space 1999. There are nods to 2001 and Silent Running, but this is very much its own creation. 

What it is, is a good idea, exceptionally well done. 

3D printed monorails, cleverly making use of OO gauge track that has been heavily modified and ex-Tri-ang mechanisms, circulate around the station complex. Both passenger and freight trains have been modelled, and several designs of each. There is a distinctly Flash Gordon look, with a hint of the early APT designs and even Belgian "Goggle" trains. 

Inside the buildings, people move along a travelator, or rotate inside geodesic domes. Outside, Airfix astronauts perform various tasks, including examining a black rectangular object in a hole.  

The modelling is sharp. The lunar landscape is exceptional. If I'd just come to see this one layout, I wouldn't have been disappointed. I have suggested we need it at the NEC next year...

The rest of the show was OK. Apart from the American narrow-gauge layout, there was amazing, but I remind myself that every one of these models is being exhibited by a proud owner, and there were a few ideas I will be taking away with me. It proves my point that you can always learn something from any layout, no matter what the standard. 

And no, there wasn't any cake. A can and a Double-Decker bar sustained me until I returned to the 'spoons spotted earlier.  

More photos over on Flickr.  

 

Covrail 2026

Advertised as an air-conditioned venue, sadly the show was bumped out of the hall with aircon, into a tin shed without it, so this was a hot and sticky event. 

I certainly needed to keep my hydration up, as there was a lot of useful chatting to be done. This might have been a local show, not a big event, but it happened to have dragged in quite a few people I knew, who I needed to talk too. A very efficient day!

Layout-wise, the picture was a bit mixed. Some nice stuff, and a smattering of space-fillers. A few of those were new exhibitors, including a club junior section, so I don't begrudge them the space as everyone has to learn what it's like inside the barrier, and despite this, there was still much to see and enjoy. 

My favourite was probably the Cuban model, Central Alonzo Mill.

Well modelled, and importantly, well lit, it exuded the Cuban vibes, or at least as much as I can tell, only knowing the place from a couple of Bond films. 

I also liked Pine Ridge. 

Unlit, this didn't matter as it helped showcase the shop interiors (impossible to shoot on a mobile I'm afraid) and some really detailed buildings. 

I'm very much not a fan of military stuff, but have to say the railways in shell casings, and in a hat, were effective. 

And of course, I can't resist the G-scale model of the Wuppertal. 

The trade didn't include any of the really big names, but wasn't bad either. Plenty of RTR, some good scenic stuff and electronics. OK, no hard-core specialists, but for the market the event aims at, not too shabby. 

Overall, a nice day out, if a bit hot. Being 10 miles down the road, and only eight quid to go in didn't hurt either, although I suggested they should go for 10 to save messing around with change.

More photos over on Flickr.  

Llangollen Garden Railway Show 2026

Sometimes, I get around. A couple of days in Yorkshire were followed by a trip to Llangollen for the garden railway show. It's an excellent event, which I've attended every year. 

This time, I had a bit of a mission. First, the G scale society had asked me to judge their modelling competition. Second, the Indian Railways layout will be at the NEC in November, and so photos and video would be very useful. 

Spaghetti Junction in the rain is never fun, but things had dried up by the time I made it to the venue. OK, the hilltops were hidden in the cloud, but we were indoors. 

As ever, there was a good mix of trade and layouts. 

A quick chat with the owner of the Indian Railways layout has hopefully secured me a feature for the appropriate issue. I spent a lot of time taking photos, and video of the event. The trouble with video of live steam layouts is that a single loco will tend to circulate for 20 minutes or so. I ended up standing in the middle of the hall, racing between layouts to obtain a variety of shots. 

The rest of the time, I chatted. To the trade, looking for feedback on the Stoneleigh show, and gossip. The operators and visitors on the lookout for future articles. There were some cracking models, that I hope to bring to Garden Rail readers in the future. 

Judging the competition didn't take long - there were only five entries, but each was very interesting, and accompanied by an information sheet, which I found both useful and interesting. 

The cake situation wasn't great. A couple of white chocolate cookies on the official coffee horsebox, but fortunately, Bob came to the rescue with some delicious fruit cake baked by Mrs Bob, who I was able to complement. 

All in all, a very enjoyable show. The good news is, I checked with the organiser and it will be on again next year. So, keep an eye out for the date. 

There's more photos from the event on Flickr.  

Railex 2026

 

Phew, what a scorcher!

On the hottest weekend of the year so far, I jumped on a train to enjoy a proper finescale model railway exhibition. And boy, it was warm in the hall! I felt for the exhibitors as I felt under the weather the following morning, even though I'd made an effort to take plenty of liquid on board. There's nothing the organisers could do either - that's the weather for you.

The show itself was as good as ever. High-quality layouts, and trade you don't find at other events. As I write, it's too hot to knock out a detailed review, so this is going to be a photo dump. I forgot to buy a programme too, which makes things even tricker.

Looking back through my photos, I don't seem to have taken much of the S gauge island. Some cracking layouts, but I've photographed most of them for work. One of the picture even made it's way into MRJ as part of the show advert. I had to buy a copy because of this. Finescale fame at last! 

The trade here is interesting. Lots of bits for making things, much like you would have found at a show 30 years ago, when kitbuilding in 4mm scale was more popular. I'm pleased to see this, but wonder how much gets sold. Sadly, most of these guys wouldn't be able to justify financially, appearing at a general show, but then that's what makes this event worth the trip. My colleague Steven drove four hours to visit, and it's not the first time!

I wish I had more time available for loco building, this new model from Judith Edge really appeals, but I don't need another kit sat on the shelf. And with the death of Romford wheels, combined with my inability to build a chassis without taking it apart several times, I'm not sure what I'd sit it on. 

There was spending of course, but I'll cover this tomorrow. You have been warned, some very Phil items came home with me.  

Catering isn't bad here. Lunch was a nice tuna sandwich, and morning tea came with cake. 

Of course, on a hot day, the walk back to the bus stop needed an ice cream. 

Talking of the bus, this is my only complaint. We were told to look out for a vintage bus for the ride from station to show. This is what we found. 

According to a poster on board, this vehicle was built in 1995. OK, it's now out of service and preserved, but 1995 isn't really old, never mind vintage! I mean, you'll be telling me the 1980s was more than a couple of years ago next...

 

Gauge 3 show 2026

 

A bit of a result this. The G3 AGM and show used to be in Flitwick, an hour's drive away. This year, it was at the motor museum in Gaydon, ten minutes travelling!

The other benefit is that the whole event is indoors, including the test track. This allowed them to put on a full programme of models running, so there was entertainment all day. Add to this a scenic G3 model, the G1 track, and an O gauge layout, and you have quite a bit to look at. 

In my bag, I'd brought my G3 model of the Hellingly Hospital Railway locomotive, hoping to have the chance to sneak it onto some track. As it was, I bagged a few minutes on the test track, borrowed a couple of wagons from the very accommodating John Tuckett, and enjoyed it trundling around. Two wagons looked just superb behind the model. 

 I could be really tempted to build myself a train like this, but with wagons at approaching £150 a pop, not an unreasonable price, and more projects than I can shake a stick at, that dream will have to wait for a while. Besides, for the loco in green the wagons should be 16 ton minerals, not attractive wooden ones. Then I start thinking about making Hellingly in G3, egged on by Simon Castens who is republishing the Iain Rice Cameo Layout book later this year. 

 Having the track indoors was nice as the weather wasn't conducive to standing around outside anyway. 

The Society had put a board up along the lines of the G1 version with booked slots so we all knew what would be running at any time. 

Elsewhere, there were many fine models, including some from John Tuckett's next project, a stunning slice of London. 

I'm really looking forward to seeing this, as Littlecliff blew me away. I'm processing the photos for this as it's appearing in BRM in a couple of months. 

Catering is provided by the museum cafe, and a very nice bacon and brie panini was enjoyed, along with some lemon meringue cake. 

I'd thought a couple of hours would be enough, but there was so much to see, and loads of chat, that I arrived shortly after 10:30 opening, and left just after 4. That counts as a good day!

Key Model World 2026

Year 3 of KMW, promised to see the event evolve into the multi-disciplinary show that I have always hoped it would. If ever there was an exhibition designed for me, this should be it. 

Signs were good. We had a bit of sizable Scalextric, and radio control cars, as well as trains and plastic modelling. 

However, while the new content was good, and the railways an excellent selection, there are issues that those of us who have been around some modelling disciplines for a while are not surprised at. 

Many years ago, I was involved with the Town & Country Festival, at what is now Stoneleigh Park. This was a family day out with animals and other farming stuff, traction engines, horses, and models. I helped out with the railway section, but there were also halls for boats, plastic models, model engineering and RC cars. A good August Bank holiday day out. 

But, in the meetings, comments about the lack of change among some of the displays were raised. The railway stuff changed every year, but others seemed to trot out the same models each time. The plastic modellers defended this by saying people expected to see the "old favourites". 

And this is the problem here. I've been to each KMW, and I'm starting to recognise displays from previous years. There is a G-scale railway in the plastic section, which I remember. It's excellent, but needs a break. The same with the boats, fantastic models, especially a properly weathered tugboat, but some were also on a return visit. 

I suspect this is down to bookings being made with organisations, or SIGs, unlike the layouts, which are booked directly. The group of plastic, or ship, modellers then puts on the display drawn from the people who will come out and bring models. That's not a big pool in some cases, but the most important thing is to fill the tables. 

This is a terrific shame. KMW is a good event. Assuming there is one next year (the crowd seemed a little thin) then I'll be there. I enjoyed a good day out, and am sure this will continue. Perhaps the other disciplines just need to learn to put on a bit more show. 

There are photos from the show on Flickr.  

NGRS 2026

 

You won't be surprised when I say this was a busy one. Since Warners are looking after the trade now, I was able to get in early on the Friday, but ironically, other than setting up my tables, I couldn't take advantage of this to get cracking with the "Layout in a Day" build. 

The plan this year was that Andy, from Amazing Little Trains, would be supplying the 45mm gauge track, to demonstrate the DCC system he imports. And Andy wasn't due until the official get-in time of 2pm. 

Still, once he arrived, we got stuck into laying track and quickly had a working layout. In total, three hours build time saw a fully working garden railway, with loops and sidings, created. I'd also laid an oval of 32mm gauge track (I'll blog about this later) to keep what the Association calls "The True Gauge" visible. 

When the day dawned, it was pleasing that the number of pre-booked tickets, was within 100 of the TOTAL attendance the previous year. By the end of the day, over 1500 visitors had been through, a 25% increase. 

I'd recruited Amy and Ben Bucki to run the layout so I could wander around properly. This they did to great effect, with Andy joining in too. Lots of people, young and old, ran trains using the fancy DCC phone-control system, and they had a great time doing it. Our sounds competed with the Marble Express at the other end of the stand, especially the diesel that made ice cream van noises!

I didn't get to wander as much as might have liked, there being far too much chatting to do. Apologies if you couldn't get to me, perhaps I need to have a full-sized Little Phil made to help!

What I saw, was a very busy show with some fantastic models on display. Everything from a £45 loco kit (PS Models sold out of those) to £5000+ steam locomotives. People were buying too, with a few stands stripped of items. All good news for the hobby. 

I was very happy, and not a little relieved as I always am. The layout looked great, and proved that you don't need a huge amount of space to build a garden railway. For the first time, thanks to Andy, we put on a proper garden line, not just a couple of circuits of track. Anyone could enjoy operating it as the plan offered plenty of play value. 

So, another good year. All being well, we'll do it all again. I hope so, as I've recorded a load of video for next year's promotional efforts. Well, the marketing team have their work cut out beating this years attendance figures!

 

SWAG 2026

 

Roll up! Roll up! Visit honest Phil's diorama stall! Get yourself a genuine artefact made by the great man. Guaranteed to rise in value in a few years...

Yes, when asked to take a stand full of projects, I decided (with permission) to take the opportunity to sell some of them off. My storage is getting full, and I'm going to need to put more in there while we shuffle rooms in the house, so a load of projects built years ago were finding themselves new homes. 

SWAG (South West Area Group of RMweb) is a loosely aligned group of people who like high-quality model railways, but don't take things too seriously. Each year, we take over a village hall in Taunton, bring layouts, and demos, add in a couple of traders, the Bring'n'Buy and lashings of cake and pasties. There is no entry charge, but visitors are encouraged to leave donations to keep the event going. 

It's a very freindly day. Lots of chat, plenty of time to admire the modelling, and a good time is had by all. Despite being there all day, I didn't photograph all the layouts, but here is a selection. 

Under construction, is this estate railway in O14, all the way from Wales.  

It wasn't alone, there was a forest of little layouts in the scale from the same builders. I'd love to have a go at some of this. 

The simplest layout there, had to be the 7mm scale Osney Quay. More a picture than a layout, there is just one length of track, it was beautifully modelled. 

Moving to S gauge, the show is nothing if not eclectic, Nancarrow Junction. 

Guinea Street is a classic Inglenook. The colours are lovely, and there's plenty of detail. Look out for a feature in BRM at some point. 

 

 

Owner Chris Hooper is very generous and will let all sorts of dodgy people play with his layout. I'm pretty sure this bloke doesn't know what he's doing. 

 

I know it's Great Western, but Bradstock is a nicely modelled engine shed scene. There's just the right amount of detail and clutter for a branchline scene.  

I saw Rye Sands a few weeks ago, and immediately wanted to shoot it for BRM. Luckily, SWAG is just the place to do this. Look out for a future feature. 

 

Finally, for the photos, but not the quality layouts, we have Crooked House, a layout built as a tribute to Andy York, using stock and materials he left when he passed away last year. 

 The modelling quality is astounding. Mr York himself makes an appearance of course. 

His layout, Keyhaven, was also present, but my photos of that aren't very good. 

Of course, it's not all about trains. There was cake. 

A very nice chocolate cake for elevenses, and then later in the day, because I missed out on the courgette cake, I opted for apple crumble and custard. 

Little Brian dislikes the yellow stuff as much as Big Brian did!

All in all, a cracking day out. I'd trade this sort of event for one of the bigger shows any day. Yes, it's a long drive, and me messing up my hotel booking didn't help, but this didn't detract from the fun day out. This is what the hobby is supposed to be about - community and quality model railways.