A Timeline of Railways and Railway Modelling
Scattered through the exhibition, starting in the Lobby then along the main corridor to Hall 1, are a series of information displays, video presentations and layouts which chart the history of railways and of railway modelling in the UK.
But, unlike the rest of the UK, we’re starting in 1804 with the engineer whose locomotive was actually the first to pull a train of passengers and goods along a rail track:
1804 – Richard Trevithick and his Penydarren locomotive
Admittedly, it was a very slow journey and was only attempted once! We will be showing the documentary film “A Cornish Giant” made by a former MMRS member, which received its premiere at our 2016 exhibition.
1825 – George Stephenson and the Stockton & Darlington Railway
1830 – The First Inter-City Rail Link
Though it wasn’t a good journey for one passenger!
1835 – Three Great late-Georgian Engineers
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Joseph Locke
Robert Stephenson
1837-1849 The Charlatan and the Con Man
Dr Dionysius Lardner
Mr George Hudson, MP
1850-1859 – Two Magnificent Bridges
and why William Fairburn was air-brushed out of the story of one of them!
1892 – The Abolition of the Broad Gauge
With a display of 7mm scale GWR locos and rolling stock for broad gauge, convertible gauge and narrow gauge.
1899-1910 – Important Foundations
Wenman Bassett-Lowke founder of the famous manufacturing company.
George Keen, influential early chairman of the Model Railway Club
1914-1919 – Three LNWR Heroes 
John Christie VC
Wilfred Woods VC
Ernest Sykes VC
1920 – Hornby 
Where would we be now without Meccano, Hornby tinplate and Hornby Dublo?
The founding of this very important company
1923 – The Grouping
And how it affected some more than others.
1925 – The Formation of the MMRS
The story of two of our founder members,
1929 – Flying Scotsman
But not just the locomotive!
1929 – The First Exhibitions
1938 – Sir Nigel Gresley and Mallard’s Record
The Gresley Society’s display in the main corridor commemorates the work of Sir Nigel Gresley and the performance of his locomotives.
2026 will mark the 150th anniversary of his birth.
1934-1987 – Model Railway Constructor
A display of articles written by MMRS members for this influential magazine.
1939 – MMRS members rebel
MMRS members Keep Calm and Carry On!
1944 – Soham
The work of the railways in World War 2 in general, and particularly the narrowly avoided disaster at Soham station two days before D-Day.
1945-1952 – The Legacy of Alex Jackson
Everything on this model is handmade, including the wheels, motor and gearbox – and it’s painted and lettered by hand!
See this and other models built by Alex on the MMRS stands in Hall 1.
1948 – Nationalisation and Modernisation
Including some unusual prototypes that are often forgotten.
1949 onwards – Railway Modeller
The leading railway modelling magazine in the UK.
Six of our visiting exhibitors have won the RM Challenge Cup 9 times between them including Grantham and Copper Wort which are both in Hall 1.
Also in Hall 1 is Dewsbury Midland, which won the award in 2000.
1950 – The First Heritage Line
One of the early volunteers on the line was the Rev W Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine.
Next to the Talyllyn Railway’s stand you can see the layout that the Rev Awdry built for his son.
1954 – The Legacy of Roye England and John Ahern
Find out more at the Pendon Museum’s stand, B5 in Hall 1.
1955-1965 – The Manchester 18mm Gauge
The ground breaking work of John Langan, Norman Whitnall and Sid Stubbs.
1950s-60s – Ken Northwood
A display of models by the Inspirational creator of The North Devon Railway, which won the RM Cup in 1962 is in Hall 1.
1940s-1970s – Rev Peter Denny
An appreciation of the work of Peter Denny, best known for his layout Buckingham Central, is in Hall 1. It includes the “Automatic Crispin” a mechanical computer built to control the fiddle yard of the layout when his son, Crispin, left home.
1963 – The Beeching Report
The report and what it meant, with some background about the man.
1876-1965 – Sir William Stanier
President of the MMRS 1938-1965
I949-1987 – Craig & Mertonford
Dundreich is the last remaining part of a model railway which was the inspiration for all the OO9 layouts which followed.
It is in Hall 1 together with a display about its creator, P D Hancock.
1968 – Farewell to Steam
1970 – Dean Hall
Our clubrooms in Sale. Find out about what’s inside at our membership stand in Hall 1.
1970s – Haverthwaite
Models by MMRS members Bill Shillcock and Ross Pochin, who created the Haverthwaite layout, were bequeathed to the Cumbrian Railways Association and will be on display on stand B61 in Hall 1
1982 – Sectorisation
More than just new liveries!
1980s – The Train That Saved British Railways
The holder of the world speed record for a diesel train.
Find out how it came to be built.
1982-95 – Chee Tor
A model of a landscape with a railway in it.
Winner of the Railway Modeller Cup in 1991.
Watch the video Memories of Cheedale by award winning amateur film maker and MMRS member, Colin Robinson.
1994-1997 – Privatisation
The dawn of a new age – and yet more new liveries!
2000 – Dewsbury Midland
Winner of the Railway Modeller Cup in 2000.
See the layout in action in Hall 1.
2010 onwards – New Techniques
Laser cutting, 3D printing, advanced electronics – see them all on the MMRS Competition Stand, together with superb examples of the continuing use of “traditional” modelling skills.
1947-2022 – Iain Rice
One of the hobby’s most influential and prominent enthusiasts of the last fifty years. His layout Trerice is in Hall 1 together with a display of his other work.
1869-2027 – The Royal Trains
The announcement on July 1st that the present Royal Train will be taken out of service in two years time, and not replaced brings an end to a long tradition.