Hull Model Railway Show: March 2026

Over the years Hull MRS has been notorious for the quality and variety of layouts produced. This is particularly so of the Narrow Gauge Group, who created such layouts as the Lincolnshire brickworks “Barrowfeet” (seen at last year’s Hull show) and the Triangular shaped (Exhibition planner’s nightmare!) “Crumley & Little Wickhill”.

Those with very long memories (and willing to admit their age) might also remember a series of 7mm scale layouts based on the “Ballymona Junction and Kerry Bridge Light Railway”, a fictional branch of the once-extensive 3ft gauge network in Ireland. The last exhibition Layout “Kerry Bridge” retired from the exhibition circuit in 1996, but much of the rolling stock remained in store, and after almost 3 decades and a few false-starts as other projects got in the way (such as Barrowfleet and Crumley mentioned above!) it is finally time for a return, this time using accurate 21mm gauge track rather than the simpler but under-sized 16.5mm gauge (using 00 track) of previous layouts.

“Kilmalley” (or “Cill Malle”) will make it’s public Debut at the forthcoming Hull Model Railway show.
Kilmalley is situated at the end of a long branch line somewhere in western Ireland, built using Government funds, in an attempt to open up the very poor region through which it passed.
In spite of Kilmalley having a small harbour, traffic was always light - except on Fair Days! On those occasions long cattle trains run, usually double-headed.
Most of the original stock has been replaced with slightly less worn-out equipment from other closed railways to keep things running. Somewhere up the line is a connection to the County Donegal system, so one of their railcars visits daily. This makes a real contrast to the usually tatty coaches on the daily mixed trains.
Now the roads have been improved, few people bother with the trains - talk of closure is being heard more and more often. With the closure of the West Clare recently, the line is the last of the once-extensive Southern Irish 3ft gauge railways. Perhaps railway tourism may yet save it - only time will tell…
In the meantime, two or three trains still clatter up and down the line to Ballymona Junction daily (except Sundays of course!); long may it continue…

Some scenic work still remains to be done but the layout should be substantially complete in time for the show... Come and see how things are progressing.

The Past - Previous Layouts…

An early incarnation of Ballymona Junction in the Hull MRS clubrooms formed an (unlikely) exchange with the English Midland Railway inspired Standard Gauge O-Gauge layout…