DEMU Showcase 2026 returns to Sutton Coldfield this June

DEMU Showcase 2026 gave diesel and electric modellers the sort of day out a general exhibition cannot match: a hall packed with layouts, traders and demonstrations built around the British diesel and electric era. The show ran on 6 and 7 June at Wyndley Leisure Centre, Clifton Road, Sutton Coldfield, B73 6EN, with opening hours of 10:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday and 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday. Tickets were priced at £13 for adults, £9 for DEMU members and children under 16, and £32 for families.

That focused brief is exactly what DEMU has leaned on since it was formed in 1994 as an independent society for modellers of mainland Britain’s diesel and electric period, regardless of scale, gauge or modelling ability. The organisation also runs UPDate four times a year, plus a roadshow and area groups, but Showcase is the big annual calling card, and this year’s Sutton Coldfield venue made the case clearly for anyone weighing up the trip.

The strongest draw was the layout line-up. Brook Street in 4mm P4 and Oldshaw in 4mm EM sat alongside a broad OO offering that included Cardiff Canton, Porthleven, Queens Road TMD, Rhiw, Tidworth and Welby Lane RTC. City Basin Goods and Leadenhall brought 2mm N into the mix, while Cromer in 7mm O rounded out a spread that let visitors compare everything from finescale trackwork to larger-format scenic work in one room. For diesel and electric modelling, that mattered: the same prototype theme was shown across different eras, locations and standards rather than being boxed into one style.

The trade support matched the theme. Bachmann Europe, Booklaw, Cavalex Models, Coastal DCC, C Rail, DC Kits, Rainbow Railways, Realtrack Models, Replica Railways, Revolution Trains, Shawplan / Extreme Etchings, Squires Tools, Trains4U, TTC Diecast and West Hill Wagon Works were all named on the list. Bachmann Europe said its Collectors Club team attended and brought limited-edition club models, while Cavalex Models said it would show three recently arrived Class 47 painted samples, a neat fit for a show that knows exactly who it is for.

The practical details were solid too. Wyndley Leisure Centre was listed as a five-minute walk from Sutton Coldfield railway station, and Birmingham City Council’s venue listing noted accessible entrance facilities, accessible toilets, baby changing facilities, free Wi-Fi, car parking and refreshments. Richard Pedder’s 3D printing demonstration added another useful layer, because Showcase was not just about buying ready-to-run stock and detailing parts, but about seeing how current techniques are being used in the hobby.

Coming a year after the 2025 Showcase at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, which was presented as a tribute to former chairman George Woodcock, this year’s event felt like an established fixture with a very clear selling point. If diesel and electric modelling is the lane you care about, DEMU Showcase 2026 was the show built for it.