7 ‘must-see’ layouts at The Festival of British Railway Modelling 2025

Covering a wide range of scales and gauges, we’ve been given the arduous task of selecting seven layouts that you’ll not want to miss – although, admittedly, we think they are all worthy of a visit.

Here are our picks…

Collingwood in OO

Built to educate people about the dark art of signalling, Simon Paley’s vibrant layout is already causing a stir on the exhibition circuit and offers a fantastic operating sequence, which will keep visitors entertained for hours.

Bred Albin in OO

Inspired by the writings of Iain Rice and his love for Scottish railways, Alisdair Macdonald has shared his latest layout with us, the excellent ‘Bred Albin’, which expertly captures the beauty of West Perthshire in winter - a fantastic layout you don't want to miss! 

Eli Wood in N

Switching to a modern image layout with diesel and electric traction was a fresh challenge for Eric Farragher, who took the opportunity to showcase a vast selection of rolling stock. An ideal layout to stand and watch the trains go by. 

Wolfe Lowe in O

Explore the Peak District in the 1920s with ‘Wolfe Lowe’ This pre-grouping layout boasts many interesting kit-built locomotives and stock, but its quarry with scale loading of wagons is perhaps its biggest gem.

Newvaddon Parkway in N

Model railways have long excelled in bringing families closer together. This father and son project is just one of many examples. A popular exhibition regular, this modern-era layout brims with scenic details and busy operations. 

Dduallt in OO9

This fascinating and intricate layout is a faithful recreation in miniature of a real place, which looks like something dreamed up in your imagination - it's very impressive and needs to be on your hit list. 

St John's in OO

Creating his first exhibition layout as a tribute to his late father, Paul Warden decided to make this coastal scene dual-era to entertain the viewing public and keep the operators on their toes.

Tickets are on sale for the two-day event, with prices starting from just £7 (children under 5 are free) and anyone with a pre-booked ticket gains early access to the show – at 9:30am. Remember, PARKING IS FREE!

What are you waiting for? A weekend of model railway entertainment awaits...

BOOK YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Kindly sponsored by...

Your weekly World of Railways newsletter

Are you subscribed to our weekly email newsletter? Don't miss the latest news, reviews, modelling advice and competitions.