Model Railway Show returns to Wensleydale Railway

Wensleydale Railway will once again be hosting its 3-day Model Railway Show over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

The annual event will take place between 4th and 6th May at Leeming Bar Station. There will be layouts of various gauges from N to G on display, trade stands in attendance and food and drink will be on sale from their static buffet coach. Refreshments will also be available at Bedale and Leyburn station cafes.  

Passenger services will be operating throughout the weekend with all-day rover tickets available. Children aged 3 to 15 can travel for only £1 on all trains too. 

All the passenger services will be operated by heritage diesel locomotives and traditional MK2 carriages. The railway’s ex Tyne & Wear shunter, Number WL4, will also work its first ever planned passenger service! The locomotive was one of five built in 1977/78 for shunting duties on the Metro system in North-East England. It is powered by a Rolls Royce V8 diesel engine. Two of these shunters survive in preservation today. 

The railway currently has several of its diesel locomotives undergoing bodywork & engine repairs and a volunteer project to rebuild a historic railway trolley. All this engineering work can be viewed by the public inside the Leeming Bar engine shed during the event.  

Do you enjoy history? Why not visit the railway’s award-winning restored station museums at Leeming Bar and Scruton. Scruton station will be open on Saturday 4th May with a choice of 5 shuttle trains available from Leeming Bar. Leeming Bar station house will be open for all 3 days. Enjoy free guided tours with costumed living history interpreters and learn about rural railway life in the early 1900s.  

The event will be open from 10am to 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday and 10am to 4pm on Monday. Tickets for entry to the model show cost £6 for adults and £3 for children and can be bought online or on the day at the show. Choose a ticket just for entry to the model railway show, an all-day train rover ticket (hop on and hop off where you like) or travel-only on selected trains. The choice is yours! 

For customers travelling by car, parking will be available at the former Vale of Mowbray factory overflow carpark, situated immediately behind the factory site at Low Street, off Leases Road. There will be no car parking available at Leeming Bar Station during the event.  

Nick Keegan, Fundraising and Marketing Manager at Wensleydale Railway said: “our model railway event returns for its 3rd year and the weekend will have something for everyone. Why not start your day with a visit to our show, enjoy a tour of Leeming Bar station house and then a train ride? On Saturday, we have short shuttle services to our wonderfully restored Edwardian station at Scruton. On all 3 days, you can also take the train west to Leyburn and enjoy the 45-minute trip and spectacular Yorkshire Dales scenery.  

He added: “children travel for only £1 with our ‘kids-for-a-quid’ travel promotion. Local residents also receive a 25% travel discount. Combining these offers give local families a great value day out on our volunteer-led heritage railway!” 

For more information and to book tickets: https://wensleydale-railway.co.uk/model-railway-weekend/ 

Email - admin@wensleydalerailway.com 

Phone - 01677 425 805