Pete Waterman’s Making Tracks model railway heading for Alstom’s The Greatest Gathering in Derby

Other highlights include Mick Bryan’s Deadmans Lane, Eric French’s London Underground layout – Harefield Road – Key Model World’s own Twelve Trees Junction and Mark Pearson’s Welby Lane RTC, based on the Old Dalby and Mickleover test tracks.

Alstom’s three-day sold-out charity festival will be the world’s largest-ever gathering of historic and modern rolling stock. It forms part of the wider festivities for Railway 200, a year-long celebration marking the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) on 27 September 1825 – and a journey that gave birth to the modern railway.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Pete Waterman and his Making Tracks 3 layout to Derby for The Greatest Gathering. The Model Railway Village is a celebration of craftsmanship, creativity and community – values that resonate deeply with our team at Litchurch Lane,” said Andy Butters, Managing Director of Derby Litchurch Lane Works at Alstom.

He added: “By ensuring the modelling community is at the heart of our event, we are paying fitting tribute to the heritage of British rail and providing a wonderful way to inspire the next generation of railway engineers and enthusiasts.”

In addition to layouts, the Model Railway Village in association with Key Model World will feature up to 20 trade stands offering product insights from leading brands including Hornby, Bachmann, Accurascale, Heljan, Revolution Trains and Cavalex Models, plus a collection of new and secondhand model railway equipment.

“We’re delighted to be bringing Making Tracks 3 to The Greatest Gathering. Everyone is talking about the event and it’s fantastic that the railway modelling world will be part of the celebrations,” said Pete Waterman OBE.

He added: “Whether you’re a seasoned modeller or someone looking to get involved, I’d encourage you to head over to the Model Railway Village. It’s a great hobby, incredibly rewarding and a great way to capture the very essence of our railways – that has so captivated the hearts and minds of the British public for the last 200 years.”

Derby Litchurch Lane Works model

Key Model World will be debuting a brand-new model railway layout at The Greatest Gathering based on a section of Derby Litchurch Lane Works. The OO gauge layout is being built with new laser-cut modular building kits which have been developed by PJM Models.

The new kits will be available to purchase at The Greatest Gathering on the Key Model World stand in the Model Railway Village. Look out for a full series build in Key Publishing’s Hornby Magazine from July-September and a video series on Key Model World this summer.

The Greatest Gathering takes place on Friday 1, Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August 2025 at Alstom’s historic Litchurch Lane Site in Derby. Britain’s biggest and oldest remaining train factory will be home to more than 100 rolling stock exhibits from the past, present and future of the railways, with the site itself opening to the public for the first time in almost 50 years.

A full list of exhibits planned for Alstom presents The Greatest Gathering can be found on the event’s official website: www.alstom.com/greatest-gathering.

Derby Litchurch Lane Works

Covering 90 acres, Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works is one of the world’s largest rolling stock factories, and the only UK facility that designs, engineers, builds and tests trains for domestic and export markets. The factory was opened by the Midland Railway in 1876 and the city of Derby has been building trains continually since 1839. In 2022, Derby was chosen by the Government as the home of Great British Railways following a vote by the public between contender cities.

About Key Model World and Key Publishing

Key Model World operates as part of Key Publishing, one of the largest specialist publishers in the UK – with a multi-platform media business delivering content across the globe. It produces Hornby Magazine under license from Hornby Hobbies for the model railway market as well as publishing Modern Railways magazine for the railway business sector.

About Making Tracks

Making Tracks was launched in 2021 at Chester Cathedral and has resulted in a series of 64 ft x 12 ft OO-gauge model railways based on the West Coast Main Line being built by Pete Waterman and the Railnuts group. Making Tracks 3 was built in 2023 and models Milton Keynes Central railway station in OO gauge. It was part of the 208 ft x 14 ft Guinness World Records Largest Portable Model Railway created and displayed at Model World LIVE 2024, which featured all of the Making Tracks layouts joined together.

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