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London Festival of Railway Modelling Returns to Alexandra Palace in March 2026

The London Festival of Railway Modelling marks 25 years at Alexandra Palace this month, with 40+ layouts and up to 10,000 visitors expected across 21–22 March.

Jamie Taylor1 min read
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London Festival of Railway Modelling Returns to Alexandra Palace in March 2026
Source: www.gres.org.uk

After a quarter-century at its north London home, the London Festival of Railway Modelling returns to Alexandra Palace on 21–22 March 2026, filling two grand halls with over 40 hand-picked layouts and a trade floor that various sources place between 70 and 90-plus retailers and specialist manufacturers.

Presented in association with The Model Railway Club, described by Alexandra Palace as the world's oldest model railway society, the show is co-organised with World of Railways. Bachmann Europe is proudly sponsoring what it calls London's premier model railway show, and the company's stand will feature a Woodland Scenics demonstration area alongside the returning Bachmann Kids' Zone, open to children aged 5 to 16.

The layout selection, hand-picked by The Model Railway Club, spans scales and gauges from across the UK, Europe, and beyond, with some pieces previously featured in BRM magazine. Among the named layouts confirmed for 2026 are Southgate Park, set in 1986 to 1992 and featuring slam-door Network SouthEast trains; Horsethief Bridge, where double-stack container trains roll through the Washington State great outdoors; and Beijiao, which recreates the final years of main line steam in China. A complete list of 2026 layouts is available on the World of Railways website.

AI-generated illustration
AI-generated illustration

Beyond the layouts, the programme includes live demonstrations covering modelling techniques, scenery building, and digital control systems, plus expert advice from clubs and societies. Trainsporters will also be on the stand floor discussing storage and transit solutions for model railway stock across all gauges.

Alexandra Palace's official schedule has doors opening at 10:00 on both days, with Saturday running until 17:00 and Sunday closing at 16:30. Around 10,000 visitors are expected across the weekend, according to Londonist. The venue is at Alexandra Palace Way, London, N22 7AY, and tickets are available through the Alexandra Palace website.

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