Elsecar 2026

The Yorkshire Garden Railway show returned this year, to its spiritual home - Elsecar Heritage Centre. I like the site. While Barrow Hill, the location for a few years while the heritage centre was being refurbished, is great for us train enthusiasts, it's not somewhere to take the family. If you are setting up a layout or longish trade stand, the wobbly floor is a nightmare. A proper exhibition centre is much nicer, and there are craft and antique shops for non-enthusiasts. And for both, there is a fabulous beer shop. The show was lovely. Big enough for there to be plenty to see, but not so large you'd struggle to get around. I spent a lot of time chatting with trade and exhibitors, picking up both articles for Garden Rail, and product news for the magazine, as well as a couple of review samples - a really worthwhile trip. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.There were some nice ideas to be picked up too. The micro layout above is only 2ft wide, and although it uses the owners…