The 2025 Autumn Show and AGM will take place on 11th October 2025.
It will be held at the dual site of Hopetown Darlington (McNay St, Darlington DL3 6SW) and A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, as part of the Rail200 celebrations.
Entry cost: Adults £10 (G1MRA Members £8). Accompanied children (16 and under) FREE.
Doors open 10am – 4pm.
The show is co-located between Hopetown, Darlington, and the A1 Steam Locomotive Trusts – on a site shared between the two organisations.
There will be a variety of displays and exhibits, including the Midlands Group Gauge 1 track, Carding Road, the Yorkshire Group track, Moordale, and the Gauge 3 track, Blackgang.
The show will be supported by both traders and societies.
Trade support:
- TMS Models
- Tenmille Products
- Barrett Steam models
- Diane Carney
- Claudia Carter
- Fosworks
- Cromford Designs
- Steve Golding Models
- Peter Korzilius
- Peter Spoerer
- Just the ticket
- Model Railway Clearing House
- Fred Ellis (books)
- RC trains
- KBW Kits
- Maxitrak (list as Accucraft UK)
- DaVinci
- Kippo (next to DaVinci)
- Model Engineers Name Plates
- Slaters
Societies:
- G1MRA: Sales, 3D stand, Membership, Newsletter and Journal, Finescale 1/32nd Group
- Wensleydale Railway Society
- Gauge 3 Society (including rolling road)
Displays:
- Andy Giffen: South African Models
- Graham Colover display of Gauge 1 Models
Sunday 12 October 2025: 10am to 3pm
We will be holding a members, guests and family only running day on the Sunday using the running track. This will be run like a normal get together, with people able to book in on the morning.
Travelling to the show
By train: Closest mainline railway station: Darlington. There are trains to North Road station, next to the museum hourly (Northern Trains service to Bishop Aukland, usually from Platform 4 at Darlington).
Saturday service: The service from Darlington to North Road departs at 42 mins past the hour, and returns from North Road to Darlington at 45 mins past the hour.
Sunday service: The service from Darlington to North Road departs at 15 mins past the hour, and returns at 43 mins past the hour.
By bus: To travel from from Darlington town centre, locate Tubwell Row, Stand H. There are frequent services on Arriva North East routes 5, 7, 8, X66 and Hodgson’s route 16. Note: Buses from Darlington railway station terminate at various points in the town centre – if you are arriving by train, it’s a 10 min walk to Tubwell Row.
Please depart the bus at the Hopetown bus stop located just after the BP garage on High Northgate.
Driving: from the South: 3 miles from Junction 57 of the A1. From the North, 3 miles from Junction 59 of the A1.
Parking for 202 cars is located in Skerne Bridge Car Park on John Street (run by the local council). Sat Nav users please use DL1 1LG. Parking charges (between 8am and 6pm) are £1 per hour or £4 for a day ticket. Once you are parked, please follow the signs to Hopetown Darlington. The short-walk between the car park and the main entrance, approx. 100m, involves using traffic-light crossing across a busy road.
Accessibility: the site is fully accessible.
Additional accessible parking is located on McNay Street, DL3 6SW
Websites: www.hopetowndarlington.co.uk || www.a1steam.com
Other things to do in the area:
Visit the Hopetown Museum for free while you are on site.
A1 Steam Trust – see progress on the current build of the P2 locomotive.
North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG) – at Hopetown
Locomotion (NRM North) – 10 miles away
Beamish – The Living Museum of the North Stanley – 30 miles away