Whilst primarily used for entertainment and as a creative hobby, Model Railways can be used for a number of different purposes, such as props or storylines in TV, films and even music videos, history education tools, promotional items and even for moving food around restaurants.
However, since most model railways try their best to depict the real thing then the largest ‘alternative’ use of model railways is within the real-life rail industry itself. In fact, one of the world’s oldest model railways is the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railways Signalling School layout currently at the NRM.
Simon has continued the tradition of creating model railways for use by the industry with both his layouts, with his newest layout recently travelling to the UK’s largest rail industry trade event to support Network Rail.
In his role as Senior Design Engineer [Signalling] for Network Rails internal Engineering Services Design office, Simon was asked to take his layout to ‘Rail LIVE’.
The event, organised by RAIL magazine, brought together over 7,000 rail professionals to discuss the latest innovations & policies as well as demonstrate new products, processes & rolling stock (including the latest Class 99 and ‘e08’ electric shunter) from over 200 suppliers.
Simon’s layout ‘Bryn Y Brenin Mawr’, which depicts standard & narrow-gauge termini somewhere on the Cambrian Line in North Wales in the present day, was used to demonstrate and promote all the services provided by NR’s Engineering Services division.
Simon had crafted many scenes including mechanical locking fitters working on point rodding, signalling testing & commissioning staff going about their business, the latest ‘HPSS’ point system and even a small scene depicting the launch of Great British Railways.
As part of Simon’s desire to model signalling systems beyond the normal level of detail, the layout also showed a working Driver Machine Interface (Drivers Display) for the European Train Control System present on the standard gauge part of the layout and fully interlocked semaphore signalling provided on the narrow gauge.
The layout was even housed within one of the MK3 coaches of the Rail200 ‘Inspiration’ train, which was developed and funded by Engineering Services, which was making its penultimate stop as part of its UK tour to as part of the Rail200 celebrations.
Over the course of the event, which was held on the 17th & 18th June 2026 at Porterbrook’s Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Long Marston Warwickshire, rail professionals, technology and experts and enthusiasts came to see the layout and learn about Engineering Services and to talk model railways.
Everyone was very complimentary on the layout and was very interested in modelling and the technology behind it, It is amazing how many industry professionals are secretly interested in model railways!
Dan Molloy Engineering Services Director for Network Rail even said “Simon’s model railway is a fantastic example of the passion, expertise and creativity that exists within Engineering Services. Not only does it showcase the breadth of services we provide across the rail industry, but it also brings to life the complex engineering challenges our teams solve every day to support keeping the railway running safely and reliably.” Well done Simon!
Note: Rail Live pictures copyright and courtesy CJ Richardson
This wasn’t the first time that Simon’s layouts have been exhibited to the industry, with his main exhibition layout ‘Collingwood’ being shown as part of the Rail Delivery Groups ‘Network Performance Seminar’ in November 2025.
The Rail Delivery Group formally known as the Association of Train Operating Companies, is the trade body for operators and their Network Performance Seminar is designed to discuss how the various TOCs & Network Rail routes can work closely together to improve their train running performance, reduce delays & cancellations and to provide a better service to passengers.
Collingwood’s role in the day was not only as a centre talking piece, but also to use the signalling fault simulation that Simon built into the signalling system to simulate faults and then engage the delegates to talk though the most efficient way of resolving the issue.
Despite the challenges of getting a 30ft layout into the Connaught Rooms in central London on a weekday, the event was a great day out with the model being very well received as well as being a great networking opportunity.
Of course, model railways can also be used to support the rail industry in getting messages out to the public, particularly on safety campaigns. To this end, Kernow Model Rail Centre was delighted to be commissioned by the British Transport Police to construct two dioramas, for the Guildford and Reading BTP teams, to be used when visiting schools and community events to highlight unsafe behaviours around the railway in an entertaining way.
There will be future blog posts about both Byrn Y Brenin Mawr and Collingwood in due course, but in the meantime you can find where Collingwood will appear in the future via the exhibitions page here.
You are entirely correct about the use of models on the “real” railway. One item of interest in my own collection is a scale model home and distant signal of about 36 inches in height which came from the L&SWR signalling school at Clapham Junction. This is complete with all the cam type operating arrangement on the levers at the bottom of the post, so was clearly produced for mechanical instruction and not merely as a general instructional item. Sadly I can’t upload some pictures….
Hi David, indeed and your LSWR training signal sounds fantastic, I’d love to see some pictures, if possible could you please send to Graham.muz at btinternet.com