Good news for regular visitors is that the road improvements on the A63 Castle Street are now complete and the Junctions at Ferensway are fully reopened!
This is already making a noticeable difference to traffic flows through the centre of Hull at all times of the day.
For show visitors this makes access to Princes Quay from the East via Hedon Road so much easier with a right turn into Ferensway now possible, without a long diversion, and from the West/M62 and South/Humber Bridge, there is a new route option avoiding Ferensway.
The directions on this page have been updated (see here), but beware some On-line Maps & Sat-nav systems may not have caught up with changes yet...
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…
County Donegal Railway Railcar 12 crosses the River (this section was re-used in two or three layouts!)
Tralee & Dingle no 5 hauls a Fair Day mixed train into Kerry Bridge Station
The Future - Kilmalley…
Test running: Railcar 12 arrives with a van and passenger trailer in tow
T&D 5 Tests out the Turntable
Loco Shed and water tower under construction
Farm Buildings form part of the background
Historic Photos S Flint / M Scrimshaw, Present Photos P Derrick
The details are now available for the first confirmed exhibits for 2026!
All the trade stands from 2025 are returning (thank you all for the vote of confidence!)
Ten layouts are so far confirmed, most never seen at a Hull Show previously, with another 4-5 to follow; including at least one brand-new layout set to make its public debut! This will hopefully be joined by at least one, (possibly two) more layouts never before seen in Public...
Subscribe to this page to keep up to date with the latest developments, or watch out for our promotions at other shows or in the model press.
On Behalf of Hull MRS and the Hull Show team, thank you to all our Exhibitors, Trader Supporters, Demonstrators and everyone else who contributed to the show - without you there would be no show.
Thank you also to all who visited us throughout the weekend. hopefully there was something for all tastes among the layouts and you enjoyed the show. If you have any
comments or suggestions, please do contact us through the "Contacts"
box on the right side of this page - where ever possible we try to take on board suggestions. (If you would like a reply please make sure to enter an e-mail address)
Trophies were awarded as follows:
"Morrill Cup" voted the favourite layout of our visitors:
Holgate (N) - Bridlington MRS
Wardwood (00) - Ian Woodward
Itlings Lane (N) - Graeme Porter
"EPARM Shield" voted the best layout by fellow Exhibitors:
"MK Memorial Trophy" awarded for the best scenic or atmospheric layout by our Narrow Gauge group:
Dettingen (HO) - Roger Epps & Nathan Bridge
If you missed the show; here is a video from our member Simon (so this is why he kept disappearing from his demo stand...)
And so on to next year; of course we will be doing it all again (as if that was ever in doubt!) The dates are Saturday 30th May and Sunday 31st May 2026, once again at Princes Quay.
Several layouts are already booked and more to be confirmed shortly. Watch this space for details...
We have a last minute change to the line-up for this weekend.
Unfortunately 'Camelot (TT120)' has had to withdraw due to illness; however in it place we have 'Wits End' from David Smalley; a set of interconnected 'Box File' layouts in N-Gauge
A big thank you to David for stepping up at such short notice.
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