Love little trains? We recently visited the oldest model railway club in the world — check out the video.
Thousands of miniature trains will pull up at Alexandra Palace station this weekend, for the London Festival of Railway Modelling.
Now in its 24th year, the festival of diddy trains will fill out the north London venue's Great Hall, with 35 working train track layouts based on regions in the UK, as well as those further afield.
Around 10,000 people are expected to show up over the weekend of 18-19 March, so let's pray the life-sized trains are running OK.
The huge layouts are the real draw of the weekend; among those on show this year are Norwich Central, Pwllheli, East Lynn Quay and WWI Winter in France. It's intriguing to hear the little backstories behind each of them. The "once bustling" station of New Sodbury, for instance, is "now only a shadow of its former self", with a former goods yard that's been taken over by a cement company bringing in raw materials via its rail link.
Altogether, over 100 traders and societies — plus retailers and manufacturers — will be on hand for tips and demonstrations. But despite the show being attended by plenty of the kind of people who know what a Tenshodo Coreless motor bogie is — don't be put off if all this is new to you.
If you're dipping your toes into a potential new attic hobby, or just want to feel like a giant while watching replica Mallards zoom underneath your nose, this is a welcoming space. In short: all aboard.
London Festival of Railway Modelling, Alexandra Palace, 18-19 March 2023.
