One of the biggest dates on the UK model railway calendar is returning to the Alexandra Palace for another year.
The London Festival of Railway Modelling is always a huge hit with enthusiasts and draws in thousands of people from around the country. It brings together some of the biggest names within the model railway community and displays some of the most intricate and detailed layouts made by skilled modellers. People will be able to speak to experts about how to get the best out of their own collection while seeing demonstrations from some of the best in the business.
Alexandra Palace is the perfect venue for this major event with layouts and vendors filling the great hall of this iconic London building. So what can you expect when visiting the London Festival of Railway Modelling? Well, it welcomes every level of modeller whether it be the seasoned pro looking for that perfect accessory to complement their already wide-ranging layout or for the complete novice looking to pick up a new hobby.
Layouts
The two-day festival is set to showcase a host of specially created layouts, many of which will have taken months to craft. There will be a range of layouts on display including one simply entitled '08.08.63'. This O gauge diorama depicts the events of August 8th, 1963 when a small, isolated section of the West Coast Main Line became the scene of the infamous 'Great Train Robbery'.
While there is a range of scaled down versions of areas such as Southampton, Holbeach, Ivergeachy and Kilbrandon it is not just the UK that modellers have focused on. The H0m Maloja layout depicts an autumn scene in a small village near St. Moritz in Eastern Switzerland while Michaelerplatz is a small station on the S-Bahn network in a suburban Austrian city.
Demonstrations
Viewing the layouts is all well and good but for visitors wanting a real insight into how to put together some of these displays there are a number of demonstrations scheduled across the weekend. It allows enthusiasts to expand their knowledge and develop new techniques from advice given by some seasoned pros.
The likes of the 2mm Association, N Gauge Society, Double O Association demonstration layout and Scale 7 Group are among the groups giving expert tips to collectors. This can also be a great opportunity for beginners to get some advice on where is the best place to begin their layout and what are the basic tools they need for creating an impressive model railway.
Numerous clubs and societies will be in attendance where people have the chance to speak to like-minded modellers. These clubs can be a great way to help build ambitious layouts but also have that social element to them and learn from some of the more senior members.
Admission prices
The festival is always a big hit with enthusiasts and will see people travel from all over the country to attend. People can pre-book tickets until Friday, March 14th and will be allowed to enter 30 minutes before it officially opens and will also receive a free 32 page full colour showguide.
Tickets are priced at £10 for adults, £5.50 for children aged between five and 14 while family tickets start at £33.