2007 UK Model Railway Show At Derby

March 3, 2007

For those model railroad enthusiasts in the United Kingdom or those want an excuse to visit the UK, here are details of an upcoming model train show.

St John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group Derby Show (also known as the Mickleover Model Railway Group) will stage a model railway show at the Derby Assembly Rooms on 21st and 22nd April 2007.

How the St John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group got started:

During 1965 the local church asked if any church member had a model railway layout to show at the annual church fete to add more variety. Several church members had model railway layouts and a small model railway layout was shown at the church fete and from the interest shown it was felt it would be a good idea to run a small railway exhibition on its own to aid church funds.

This first model railway show was as a one day exhibition on September 18th 1965 with just five small model railway layouts and a film show and a surprise to everyone over 1000 people attended with £45 raised for church funds.

Three more model railway shows were held during 1966, 1967, 1968 and interest in model railways was on the increase and several visitors to the shows asked if they could join the original group. These requests lead to a meeting on the 9th October 1968 open to anyone with an interest in model railways and this meeting decided to form a club who need not be church members and this resulted in 34 members joining the newly formed St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group .

The St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group continued using the church hall with all the time looking to see if premises were available around the Mickleover area but without success. The church hall had a disadvantage as the model railway layouts had to be unpacked and then packed away after each meeting with not a lot of running time in-between.

During 1989 an opportunity came to lease a part of the old Mickleover school. This was a separate building and although a lot of work needed to be carried out the St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group members set to and moved into the new clubroom late 1990.

The St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group still hold an annual exhibition in Mickleover during the autumn with railway club members showing their own model railway layouts with also the clubs own layouts.

In 1982 Derby city council wanted to stage a model railway exhibition in the assembly rooms this being the main theatre and exhibition centre in derby and the club were asked if the St. John’s (Mickleover) model railway group would help. Some members did and from this first show the annual Derby Model Railway Exhibition has become one of the premier shows in the UK.

The St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group meets on Tuesday and Friday nights from 7.30 pm in the clubroom at the back of Mickleover school (now the community centre) and has model railway layouts in American HO an English OO finished and N gauge and O gauge under construction.