Railex Buxton 2026 set to expand by 50% at Pavilion Gardens

Railex Buxton grew into a much bigger stop on the model railway calendar at Buxton Pavilion Gardens, with organisers saying the 2026 show was up to 50% larger and spreading into the Octagon, the Octagon Lounge and, new for 2026, the Pavilion Arts Centre. It ran on Saturday 20 June and Sunday 21 June 2026 at St John’s Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6BE, with opening hours of 9.30am to 5.00pm on Saturday and 9.30am to 4.30pm on Sunday. Admission was payable on the door only, adult entry was £15, over-65s were £13, ages 13 to 18 were £8, children aged 5 to 13 were £3, and guidebooks cost £2.50, with family and group deals, free entry for under-11s and additional concessions for uniformed youth groups and armed forces personnel.

The scale-up was not just marketing talk. The organiser’s site said the show presented more than 100 stands across working layouts, society and club displays, modelling demonstrations, manufacturers, publishers, model retailers and specialist suppliers. The layout list alone showed the range Buxton was aiming for, with Farringdon Street, Thelwall, Westmoor Junction, Glenties, Minories, Megantic, Chipping Norton, Middleton Top, Dent, Rockport, Kaninchenbau, Leigh Bridge, Leicester Junction, Sakura Cherry Blossom and New Street Goods among the featured exhibits. Brian Davis, David White, Richard Dallimore and David Wright were named among the demonstrators.

That breadth is what made this feel more useful than a standard regional show. Peco was due to attend with a publicity stand, Michael from the Chandwell channel was listed as a special guest, and the wider support cast included names that matter to different corners of the hobby, from the 2mm Scale Association and 3mm Society to the OO Gauge Association and O Gauge Guild. One listing broke the floor into about 40 layouts and 20 traders, which fits the larger organiser count once the clubs, societies and specialist suppliers were added in.

The trade mix also strengthened the case for going, with PECO, Railstuff, Three Peaks Models, Topps Trains and Zoe Hunter Historical Maps among the names attached to the event. High Peak Hedgehog Rescue also benefited from the 2026 show, giving the weekend a local purpose beyond the hall.

Pavilion Gardens helped make the trip itself part of the draw. The venue sits a short walk from Buxton railway station and the town centre, with an adjacent bus stop and parking nearby, plus cafés, bars, a restaurant, a theatre, landscaped parkland and even a miniature railway. Railex Buxton began in July 2022 after railway modelling returned to the town following about 20 years away, and this 50% expansion made it clear the show had moved from a welcome comeback to a serious destination for modellers who want layouts, traders and live demonstrations in one place.