Ashford Railex returns with layouts, trade support and family-friendly entry
Free under-16 entry and 12-plus layouts made Ashford Railex a low-pressure Saturday out at The Swan Centre, with traders, parking and a ride-on railway.
Free entry for accompanied under-16s gave Ashford Railex a clear family hook, and the rest of the show filled in the practical reasons to go. Ashford Model Railway Club staged the one-day exhibition on Saturday 13 June 2026, from 10:00 to 16:00, at The Swan Centre in Turner Close, Newtown, Ashford TN24 0PQ, with adult admission set at £5.
The draw was not just that price. Listings for the show pointed to 12-plus layouts, trade support, a ride-on railway, refreshments, free parking and disabled access, which is exactly the mix that makes a local exhibition useful rather than decorative. RailwayModels.uk said visitors could expect at least 10 to 12 layouts, while RMweb described the venue as wheelchair-friendly and noted full refreshments on site. The Swan Centre was also listed as accessible from Ashford International Station and by bus, which gave the day a straightforward, no-fuss feel for anyone coming in from across Kent.
That kind of setup matters because Ashford Railex sat in a club tradition that has already shown up in public before. Ashford Model Railway Club’s own event history includes an Open Weekend in November 2021, an Ashford 180 Weekend in November 2022 and an exhibition in February 2023. The 2022 Ashford railway anniversary programme also included a model railway exhibition at the SWAN Centre with support from well-stocked trade stands, reinforcing the idea that this is a club that knows how to turn a community venue into a working show.
The town’s wider railway story gives that continuity extra weight. Ashford Museum says railway memorabilia and a model railway collection reflect the town’s railway history, while Railway 200 said the 2025 Ashford’s Railway Legacy exhibition ran for a month and coincided with the Ashford Model Railway Festival on 12 and 13 April 2025. That 2025 programme was launched by the Mayor of Ashford, Cllr. Lyn Suddards, alongside Fred Garner of the Ashford International Model Railway Education Centre, and it highlighted Ashford Works’ 135 years of design and manufacture.
AIMREC adds another layer to the local scene, with five other inspirational model railways and 175 years of Ashford railway history, plus family-friendly educational visits and an award-winning exhibition layout. Taken together, Ashford Railex looked less like another date in the calendar and more like a Saturday where a £5 adult ticket, free under-16 entry and a room full of layouts could still open the door to the hobby.
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