Warley National Model Railway Exhibition: A train show that was on an international scale

At the beginning of 2024, the initial closing and reorganization of Hattons and M.B. Klein/Model Train Stuff raised concerns about the future of the model railroad hobby. Buried among the stir here in the United States, yet hitting close to home in the United Kingdom, was the Jan. 11 announcement to discontinue the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition, effective immediately.

For those out here in the U.S. who’re unfamiliar with this show, think of it as the likes of the massive Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show in Springfield, Mass. and Trainfest in Milwaukee, Wis. On the other side of the Atlantic, the Warley Exhibition was all that for the U.K. and more. So why did it cease operations and where does the organizer go from there?

Humble beginnings

The national exhibition’s roots trace back to humble beginnings of the Warley Model Railroad Club. Founded in 1967 as the Warley Model Railway Circle, the youthful startup began hosting its own train show as a means of fundraising. For retired Railway Modeller editor and active Warley member Steve Flint, this was not uncommon to many provincial clubs and societies in the U.K. at the time.

“The event was initially called the Midland Model Railway Fair,” he recalled, “but over time became affectionately known as ‘The Warley Show’ and was held from 1971 at the Harry Mitchell Leisure Centre [a gymnasium and sports hall] in the neighboring town of Smethwick.”

By the late 1980s, Warley was growing in popularity and reputation. The show outgrew the Leisure Centre and in 1993, began hosting at the massive National Exhibition Centre (NEC), east of Birmingham in Bickenhill, setting the new stage on an international scale.

“It was truly an international event!”

At the prime of its 1993-2023 lifespan, the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition hosted up to 100-plus layouts of almost every conceivable scale and gauge, said Flint. Nearly matching that number were participating vendors, ranging from manufacturers showing off the latest and greatest in their upcoming products to the retail trade stands of the brick-and-mortar hobby shops. A headlined activity pointed out by Flint was the exhibition’s model-making sessions for children and younger hobbyist under the guidance of trained and experience staff.

“The show boasted that ‘everything you ever needed to build a model railway could be sourced from under one roof’ and it was indeed so true,” he states.

While exact numbers remain confidential, it is believed the show’s attendance was around 20,000 each year at its peak, attracting visitors from all corners of the U.K. On that international scale, Flint reports the regular appearance of layouts from Mainland European countries in addition to overseas visitors from different parts of the world. “It was truly an international event!”

As one chapter closes…

We’re in an entirely different world compared to 1993. By the time the Warley Exhibition was in its 2023 showing, that world seemed to have caught up.

“The combined effects of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, the Covid 19 pandemic, and the rise in European energy costs following the invasion of Ukraine resulted in all sorts of unexpected outcomes in all walks of life,” Flint explained. “This, in turn, impacted on the hobby in numerous unforeseen ways and contributed to both a slow but steady downward trend in visitor numbers [at many shows countrywide and including the NEC] and a very real prospect of debilitating rising costs.”

Despite the effects at play, 2023 was considered a success for the exhibition with positive attendance and feedback. So why the decision from the Warley Model Railroad Club to ultimately discontinue it?

According to Flint, Father Time was also catching up to the club members who served as volunteered operators since the event’s NEC beginnings in 1993. Many are now in their 70s and looking to retire, but with no young guns to pass the torch. At their January general meeting, club members voted to cease the organization of the show.

“It was an unfortunate coincidence that Hattons Model Railways, one of the country’s biggest model retailers, announced its closure in the same week,” said Flint. “The mainstream U.K. media took hold of the two stories and elevated them into a narrative about the model railway hobby dying out. Not true. At grass roots level, the hobby is thriving.”

That is thanks in part to the digital presence available for the next generation of model railroaders to get started. Though if there’s one area of the hobby Flint says is publicly struggling, it’s attracting new and young members to the more traditional model railroad clubs. It’s a challenge the Warley club is still willing to combat with a change in direction this fall.

…Another chapter opens!

On Feb. 23, the club announced a new partnership with the Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust Ltd. to host an all-new showcase event at the Trust’s Statfold Country Park near Tamworth, Staffordshire. “Warley at Statfold” – scheduled Oct. 12-13 – will host up to 30 layouts, selected vendors, and revamped demonstration programs that showcase emerging techniques, technologies, and demographics of modern-day model railroading. Statfold’s impressive collection of narrow-gauge equipment will also be available for public viewing and train rides.

Both Flint and Warley caution those who may jump on the new show as a reloaded national exhibition on a reduced scale. “Warley at Statfold” is staged as a combined effort to move forward within the dynamics of the hobby that is changing and thriving, but not dying.

“By joining forces with the people at Statfold, the Warley Club will mitigate those daunting factors which resulted in the winding up of the NEC event, and continue the club’s endeavors and charitable aims to promote the benefits and merits of railway modelling to the wider public,” Flint said.

On a personal note, Flint himself states that despite losing the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition as challenges continue to loom over other train shows, they still have their place in model railroading.

“There are many changes taking place in the way it has functioned in the past,” he concludes about the hobby, “mostly brought about by new technologies and both economic and demographic issues, but overall interest is strong and live exhibitions and shows do still attract lots of visitors.”

– Steve Flint is a lifelong U.K. model railway enthusiast and rail fan. He has built and collaborated on several layout projects over the years and worked as editor and photographer on the “Railway Modeller” magazine until 2023. He remains active with several clubs and societies, including the Warley Model Railway Club, and aims to start building layouts now that retirement beckons. Trains.com wishes to thank Mr. Flint for his insight and contribution to this article.