It’s been almost three weeks since I attended the Great British Train Show 2024 and other than a quick report on Roweham I haven’t shared any impressions of the show. I’ve been busy with real life – but also spending a lot of time processing my first visit back to the Greater Toronto Area after moving to Saskatoon in September 2020.
It was an emotional trip. While the show created the opportunity, the real draw was the many friends and fellow hobbyists I would reconnect with. I saw a lot of people I expected, plus a few who were a pleasant surprise. I also keenly felt the absence of some people who are no longer with us.
It was wonderful to see everyone – yet also disorienting, because it often felt like we picked up right where we left off. Granted, I’ve kept in touch with many of the faces in the above photos – the internet, social media, and the good old telephone have been great for that. But frequently, I had to remind myself that with the exception of seeing one or friends who have made the trip to Saskatoon, almost four years have passed since seeing these guys.
Beyond people, the exhibits were definitely something to see. Here are just a few of the exhibits on display. I should’ve taken more pictures: The layouts I missed were also worthy of study…
One of the things I’ve always liked about this show is its theme makes the exhibits unique on the Southern Ontario train show circuit. (The Ontario Narrow Gauge Show is similarly unique because it has a tight focus. The Copetown Train Show used to have a focus on Canadian prototype modelling but it started to drift several years ago.)
I wish more shows would do organize themselves around a theme. It often seems that local shows consist of the same layouts, the same displays, and the same vendors. If the only thing that changes is the venue, then there’s little reason to take in more than one show a year. I’m pleased this year’s show was well-attended – a grey and damp weekend definitely helped encourage people to pursue indoor activities on a late April weekend.
Surprisingly, I didn’t buy anything at the show. I was tempted – but not enough to fight with the airline. I know where to find stuff. (Maybe too well: in the days following my trip, I placed orders with three UK companies for British modelling goodies.)
Despite travelling halfway across the country, it somehow fell to me to organize the post-Saturday show cinq à sept – including finding a suitable venue. Nine of us ended up at The Tracks Brewpub, about 5km south of the show and adjacent to GO Transit’s Kitchener Line. It worked out surprisingly well considering that I literally Googled for a pub from 3,000 km away. No photos: We were having too good a time.
I’ll have more to share about my trip, but my friend (and host for the week) Stephen Gardiner also shared an extensive report on the show, which you can find here.
The Model Railway Show 