I plan to cross the Atlantic to visit my aunt in Nottingham some time next year, and would like to time it so as to attend a good model railway exhibition somewhere in the UK. It needn't be purely narrow gauge but it must be very good for narrow gauge.
Which show should I choose?
I'll also probably tick off one or two more Welsh railways.
Hi Tom,
It really depends how long you will be over here for and how far you are prepared to travel.
Welsh NG railways - check their websites when they have their 2026 galas published and that would give you a guide - you might find more than one weekend close together to take in more than one railway!
As for NG shows, I would recommend NG South in Eastleigh on 25 April which you can guarantee it being good and all NG in a variety of scales.
If that is too far for you, then probably your best bet if you are going to be based in Nottingham would be NG NOW which is held in Portland College just a mile or two south of Mansfield in October - their exact date will be posted for 2026 probably soon after this year's event. This has grown over the past couple of years into a major NG show and a very good one for specialist traders. I would go for this one personally but the constraint may be that it will be into the "close season" for NG full size railways to still be fully operating.
Hope this helps. MickT
Thanks, Mick. Luckily I am the Society calendar manager, so I ought to know which shows are when. But its people like you who can tell me which are best.
Quote from: Tom Haythornthwaite on September 02, 2025, 19:08Thanks, Mick. Luckily I am the Society calendar manager, so I ought to know which shows are when. But its people like you who can tell me which are best.
Thank you Tom. The word "best" is contentious and before there is a torrent of "hate mail" from members who think there are many other shows that are "best", I think I need to confirm that I was not claiming that either NG South or NG NOW are the "best" but I think it fair to say that over the past several years, since the demise of ExpoNG and NGSW (Small & Delightful), they are the largest specialist NG shows in the current calendar, probably closely followed by NG North.
Mick
Hi Mick,
Clever catch! Sorry - I did accidentally twist your words.
Keen to read all recommendations.
Tom