Model Railway Weekend
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The Swanage Railway is hosting its first Model Railway Weekend between Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th of April. We are thrilled to be able to combine our full size railway with their smaller counterparts and we are sure you will be too!
Our Model Railway Weekend will include a range of different scales and gauges to see over the two day event, with different layouts and displays along the railway. Layouts will be on display at Swanage Station, Harmans Cross Station and Village Hall, Corfe Castle Station and Norden Station.
We will also be offering the chance to drive one of our Class 08 Diesel Shunters from Platform One at Swanage Station during a short Driver Experience, where you will get to drive from the Station to our sidings and back again with one of our friendly and experienced drivers! Bookings will open for this experience closer to the event.
Travel tickets will be available on the day from our ticket offices as well as from our website in advance. The exhibition is free for all passengers with travel tickets including the Village Hall or a separate £5 entry ticket to the Village Hall will be available on the day for those without a travel ticket.
If you’d like to exhibit at the event, please use the application form on our website to apply.
Confirmed layouts currently include;
- Bournemouth West (00 Gauge), owned by the Salisbury and South Wilts Railway Society
- Redacre (00 Gauge), Owned by Gavin Brown
- Rookery Lane (00 Gauge), Owned by Tim Buck
- Kingsmouth (00 Gauge), Owned by Alex Atkins
- Southwick (O Gauge), Owned by Harry Pollard
- Broadstone (N Gauge), Owned by Nick Lloyd and Josh Voce
- Fence Houses NCB (00 Gauge), Owned by Ian Forsyth
- Puffin Colliery (009 and 00 Gauge combined)
- Memory Lane (Hornby Dublo), Owned by Swindon Model Railway Club
- Red Hook Bay (HO Scale) - Owned by Mike Carter
- Harlyn Pier (O Gauge) - Owned by Richard Frost
- Corfe Castle (00 Gauge) Coming all the way from The Netherlands! - Owned by Hans van de Burgt
- Dibs Yard & Shelly Sidings (00 Gauge) - Owned by Duane Wingett
- Diorama of Swanage Station - Robin Brasher
- Shillingsford (00 Gauge) - Owned by Ron Randall
- Diorama of Harmans Cross Station - Owned by Keith Jarman
- Swanage Railway (00 Gauge) - Owned by Paul Edwards
- Crookham Vale (009 Gauge) - Owned by BRMRC
- Ravenscar (N Gauge) - Owned by Michael Banks
Confirmed traders:
- Model Railway Solutions - Corfe Castle Station
- Cheltenham Model Centre - Swanage Station
More layouts will follow and the website and event page will be updated accordingly - keep checking back to find out more!
Dates for Model Railway Weekend
| 11th Apr 2026 | Book Tickets |
| 12th Apr 2026 | Book Tickets |
Additional Experiences
Fancy adding something extra to your Model Railway Experience?
Make your day even more memorable with one of our additional experiences.
Class 08 Diesel Driver Experience - Swanage Station
Jump aboard one of our Class 08 Diesel Shunters at Swanage Station and take control of the locomotive during our taster experience under the watchful eyes of one of our experienced drivers. Your experience will include driving the Class 08 from Swanage Platform up to our sidings within Station limits and then back again to the Station. You'll get to feel the power and torque of the locomotive as you move the power handle through the "notches" and then try your hand a braking, all whilst you enjoy the drivers' eye view. This experience costs £25.00 and it lasts approximately 10 minutes and it will include an opportunity for photos at the end. Participants must be a minimum of 18 years old.
Miniature Railway Driver Experience - Norden Station/Purbeck Mining Museum
Jump on board one of AMR's five inch miniature locomotives during your very own Driver Experience and try the controls for yourself whilst the team from AMR show you the ropes. AMR will be hosting the Driver Experience on board one of their Hymek locomotives and participants will get to drive and shunt their own train and drive over a working level crossing on their fully signalled railway. AMR even use their own token system, so whilst passenger trains pass by you'll get to form your own train and then when you're given the green light its time to get going! This experience costs £25.00 and it lasts approximately 20 minutes. Participants must be a minimum of 12 years old.
Miniature Railway Travel Tickets
Come along to the Purbeck Mining Museum at Norden Station and jump on board the AMR, a five inch portable miniature railway! The team from AMR will be bringing a fleet of locomotives, including two steam locomotives which will all be running along the line. During your journey you will pass the bottom of the Purbeck Mining Museum and you'll see the full scale of the impressive mine shaft, you may even see some other miniature locomotives on the line as you whizz past signals and over a fully functional level crossing. Adult tickets are £3.00 and Children are £1.50 per trip.
Terms and Conditions
- Dogs are permitted on trains and platforms. If someone in your party is nervous around dogs, contact [email protected] before your visit.
- If you wish to sit near another family, please make one booking to cover all seats.
- Alcohol may only be consumed if purchased from Swanage Railway bars or outlets. Bringing your own alcohol is not permitted.
- Please treat staff, volunteers, and fellow passengers with courtesy and respect. Swanage Railway may refuse entry or travel to anyone whose behaviour causes concern.
- Please be considerate of our heritage, community, and neighbours during your visit.
