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Special Events

Garden Railway Show

5 Sep 2026

LLANFAIR GARDEN RAILWAY SHOW 2026

CAEREINION LEISURE CENTRE Sat 5th September

Free entry with valid Steam and Diesel Gala 2026 Saturday wristband. £5 for Garden Railway Show entry without Steam and Diesel Gala tickets. Please note that this is only payable on the door and cannot be pre-booked.

A first in our history

Garden Railway Show 2025

Last year, the Garden Railway Show was organised by the W&LLR for the first time in the show’s history. It was so well received that the Railway immediately decided to repeat the experience. The formula will be similar to last year, with many of the railway layouts running live steam, and an emphasis towards traders selling their own products.

Garden Railway Show

But...what is it?

For those of you unfamiliar with Garden Railways, we are not talking about the ride on variety, but the trains are substantially bigger than the 00 gauge you typically find in homes. At this event we mainly show models based on Narrow Gauge Railways such as the Welshpool & Llanfair. Some of the models are powered by electricity, but most are powered by steam. The fuel for the steam locos can be methylated spirit, gas or coal. If you haven’t seen steam in this scale before, you’re in for a treat.

The layouts booked so far are:

Ffordd Y Deryn

Lower Chaldon

Campbell’s Quarry

Boston Lodge Junction

Johnson Harbour

Penydrws

Mid Wales & Marches G Scale

 

Keep an eye out

This year's traders and societies

Here is a list of Traders and Societies who will be at the Garden Railway Show this year:

16mm Association
Austin Moss Sales
BJG Railways
Blackcat Bridges
Bole Laser Craft
Boot Lane Works
Brandbright Limited
Chalk Garden Railways
Coach & Wagon Works
Endon Valley Custom Decals
Essel Engineering
Fairbourne Railway
Garden Railway Structures
H Jones Engineering
Ian Pearse
John Sutton Models
Model Earth
Model Railway Clearing House
Motley Miniatures
Pennygillam Mine Sales
Peter Binnie
Plateway Models
RC Trains
Resurgam Rolling Stock
SLR Models
Steve Currinn Books
Timpdon Models
The New Glyn Valley Trust
Trenarren Models
Woodleigh Engineering Limited

Book your Garden Railway Show tickets now

Book Tickets
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Customer Support Team

Do you love helping people? Join our Customer Support Team:

  • Deal with customer queries and offer information and advice.
  • Help to ensure all visitors have a positive experience.
  • Assist with keeping our background administration up to date.
  • We offer a traditional service where customers can talk to ‘real people’ if they want to.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Archives & Education Team

Do you love building and sharing detailed records of history? You might enjoy volunteering in our Archives and Education Team:

  • Help to find and store accurate and detailed records of our history.
  • Gather and record oral and written memories of our railway’s past.
  • Share our heritage stories with community and school groups.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Events Team

Do you like making good things happen? Could you help us to organise our special events?

  • Be part of the team planning and running special events throughout the year.
  • Vintage weekends, children’s events, themed events and the annual steam gala.
  • You can help with just one event or several during the year.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Museum & Visitor Centre Team

Do you love museums and heritage centres? You might enjoy volunteering in our Llanfair Connections Visitor Centre:

  • Meet and greet visitors.
  • Open weekends and school holidays from March to October.
  • Support children’s activities and learning.
  • Support heritage conservation and visitor interest.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Buildings & Grounds Gang

Do you want to help us to keep our station sites looking tidy? Can you spare some time on Tuesdays or Wednesdays?

Then join our Buildings and Grounds Gang:

  • Help to keep our stations and facilities well cared for.
  • Carry out routine and general maintenance as part of a team.
  • Regular Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the year.
  • Join the team on a regular or occasional basis.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Lineside Vegetation Gang

Do you want to help us to keep our railway line looking tidy? Can you spare some time on occasional weekends - one weekend per month or less?

Then join our Fence-to-Fence gang:

  • Be part of the team managing vegetation alongside the railway line.
  • Work outdoors as part of the team.
  • Regular two-day weekends throughout the year.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Track Gang

Are you happy working outside in the fresh air? Do you love the satisfaction of seeing a job well done?

  • Be part of our track gang, maintaining eight miles of railway track.
  • Work outdoors as part of the team.
  • Repairs and routine maintenance.
  • Weekday operations – currently every Friday.
  • Light tasks included, so no need for physical strength.
  • Reasonable mobility is required.
  • Supervision and training provided.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Engineering & Workshops

Do you love tinkering with cars? Then you’ll love volunteering in our engineering workshop!

  • Maintain and restore heritage locomotive engines.
  • Fabrication, fitting and machining of specialist parts.
  • Well-equipped workshop and facilities.
  • Both specialist and general roles.
  • Full training and supervision provided.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Shopkeeper

Do you want to volunteer and prefer to be indoors? Then join our busy station team as a Shop Keeper:

  • Serving customers in our station shops.
  • Restocking shelves.
  • Helping visitors with their purchases.
  • Full training provided.
  • Can be combined with the Assistant Station Master role if desired.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Locomotive Team

Do you dream of being a train driver? Make your dream come true!

  • Learn ‘footplate roles’ from Fireman through to Steam Engine Driver.
  • Train on heritage steam and diesel engines.
  • Drive our interesting and challenging line.
  • Shunt rolling stock around the stations.
  • Full, progressive training provided.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Guard : Signalman

Are you looking for a new volunteering experience? How about becoming a Guard or Controller Blockman for our heritage trains?

  • Manage all aspects of passenger train journeys.
  • Oversee train movements and timekeeping.
  • Help visitors to their seats and check tickets.
  • As Controller Blockman, take control of signals and points.
  • Full training provided.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - Station Master

Do you enjoy making people happy? Then you’ll love volunteering as our Station Master!

  • Despite the title, women are very welcome too!
  • Oversee smooth operation of the station site.
  • Ticket sales.
  • Ensure station safety and cleanliness.
  • Make our visitors feel welcome.
  • Full training provided.
  • Start with Assistant Station Master role if preferred.

Volunteer Enquiry Form

Please complete the following information so that the Volunteer Liaison Office can deal with your enquiry. The information helps us to consider where we might be able to place you.