Gauge O Guild Spring Show - Kettering

[Rob Pulham]

Guild Spring Show 2026

Date: Saturday 7th March

Location: The Arena. Kettering Leisure Village. Thurston drive. Kettering, NN15 6PB View in Google Maps

Price: £12.00 Members and Member's Partners. Public £17.00 Children £1.00

On-line tickets: Click here to purchase tickets

Details:

Details of the Spring Show in 2026 are shown below.​

Meanwhile enjoy the highlights from 2025 -​

Getting to the Show​

Driving from London
Take Junction 8 off the A14. Head towards town. At 1st roundabout turn Rt. into Lake Ave. At next roundabout turn Rt. into Thurston Drive. Leisure Village is on Rt. Stewards will direct you to parking areas.

Public Transport
Kettering Midland Mainline Station is served by trains to & from London/Nottingham/Derby. For Sheffield, change at Leicester. These services are operated by East Midlands Railway Inter City (diesels, although the new bi-modal units should be in service by March. London St. Pancras/Luton/Bedford are served by EMR Connect, electrics.
A complimentary shuttle bus will transfer visitors to and from the railway station, between 08:30 and 16:00.
Walking time to the venue is about 15 min. Exit station, turn left, left again into Northfield Avenue, left under railway bridge and left into Lake Avenue. Follow footpath until it divides, bear left past football pitches. Venue is straight ahead, across road.
There are regular bus services from Northampton and Peterborough to Kettering town centre. The nearest bus stop to Kettering Leisure Village is opposite the end of Lake Avenue (near the Trading Post pub). This is served by the 10 and X10 services, to and from Northampton, but these services are hourly, and you will be faced with a 15-minute walk to KLV.

Note The X4 service from Northampon and Peterborough uses a different route through town, so does not stop here
There is a taxi rank close to the town centre bus interchange.

LAYOUTS confirmed so far:​

DOCKLANDS - BR late 1950s Luton & District MRC
END OF THE ESTATE - BR industrial, steam & diesel. Joshua Issett
FOXBILE - micro layout, Colin & Margaret French
EGDEAN - a snowy scene. Jim Edwards
TEST TRACK - East Midlands O Gauge Group
EXETER ST. GEORGE - GWR. Chris & David Warner
WORCESTER SOUTH QUAY - GWR quayside. Alan Searle
COLINWOOD - Modular layout. St.Neots MRC - Upstairs

DEMONSTRATORS ​

NIGEL PAINE - CAD design & build of NER wagon-mounted heavy gun.
ROB BISHOP - Soldering techniques
JON BOOT - Etched brass wagon construction.
PHIL DOWNS - Battery power & radio control with sound.
BRIAN CLAPPERTON - Gearbox costruction
ROBIN TAYLOR - Coach construction
BRIAN BARTHOLOMEW - Painting & lining teak coaches

GUILD STANDS INCLUDE:​

Guild Membership & Sales
Publications
Technical Committee
Bring & Buy -
Celebrating 70 years of the Guild
Information about the Guild Modular Layout - upstairs with Colinwood

TRADERS SO FAR:​

1039 Models

55H

7mmloco.co.uk

AirFramed

Arun's Designs

Atkitz

Bill Hudson Transport Books

Brushes 4 Models

Buzz Models

C & L Finescale Track Building Systems Ltd

Coastal DCC

Connoisseur Models

D & S Models

Dapol

Diane Carney

Duncan Models

Easy-Build Coaches

Ellis Clark

Ennis 75 Models

Finney7

First Class Kits

Footplate Models

Geoff Stratford

Gladiator

Greenwood Track

Haywood Railway

HMRS

Ian Kirk Models

Intentio

J & M Hughes

K&L Model Railways

Lanky Kits

LCUT Creative

Martin Bloxsom

Masterpiece Models

Metalsmith (Leeds) Ltd

Midland Railway Society

Minerva Model Railways

MMM (Made in Manchester Models)

Monk's Gate Models

Moor View Models

MSC Models

Nick Tozer Railway Books

Northumbrian Painting Service

Online Models

P.R.Model Railway Products

Peartree Engineering

Peter Clark Models

PLM Cast-a-Ways

Premier Components

Ragstone Models

Ray Heard Model Railways

S M Models

Sanspareil ICS

Scale Impressions

Simon's Sort Out

Skytrex Ltd

Slaters Plastikard

Squires Model and Craft Tools

Steamline Ltd.

TMS Models

Tower Collection Blackpool

Tower Models

Trainsporters

Walsall Model Industries

Walsworth Models

Warren Haywood

 

[David Mylchreest]

£17 for a model railway show! Really?

 

[Stephen]

£17 for a model railway show! Really?

Same price as the Show at Ally Pally, but with the added bonus you don’t have the sales stands diluted with OO gauge items!

I’m sure the Warley show used to be in the £20s for a single day ticket a few years ago.

Cheers,

Stephen

 

[simond]

£17 for a model railway show! Really?

The Guild publishes the accounts of its shows on its website. The shows roughly break even over the year.

As I’m assuming there are no 5* hotels for the favoured few, my guess is that about the price of three pints is probably around the going rate. Of course, it’s four pints if you live up north.

 

[Eastsidepilot]

..........., my guess is that about the price of three pints is probably around the going rate.
Of course, it’s four pints if you live up north.

I pint if you live in the land of Khan which thankfully I don't !

 

[Osgood]

They say you can prove anything with statistics, but allocating entire cost on the opportunity to visit the 67 trade stands, that is only 25p per stand if you manage to get round them all.

How much would you spend to travel to just one trader outside a show environment?

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

£17 for a model railway show! Really?

It's Scale-specific, and more of a Trades show than a Layouts show. Some of the stands will be irrelevant depending on what you model, but if you do buy from a few stands & work out the postage you've saved that can be more than the ticket price.
There is a cheaper rate for Guild members, but personally the cost of membership is more than I'd save on the entry price of the only two Guild shows I usually go to, so I just swallow the higher price.
Except I won't get to Kettering this year due to family circumstances.

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

It's Scale-specific, and more of a Trades show than a Layouts show. Some of the stands will be irrelevant depending on what you model, but if you do buy from a few stands & work out the postage you've saved that can be more than the ticket price.
There is a cheaper rate for Guild members, but personally the cost of membership is more than I'd save on the entry price of the only two Guild shows I usually go to, so I just swallow the higher price.
Except I won't get to Kettering this year due to family circumstances.

Unfortunately while it may be principally a trade show an awful lot of the specialist suppliers do not attend.

 

[Hayfield1]

£17 for a model railway show! Really?

David

I could be flippant and say 7mm is always more expensive, but whilst I have not been to Kettering yet. Having attended both Kempton Park and Stafford the GOG shows are quite different, simply look at the trade support, in my opinion on its own worth the money. However as well as the trade support there are superb layouts and demonstrators on hand.

Quite frankly wherever you go entrance fees are usually over £20. A visit to our local RHS garden is £17. From what I understand the cheapest Premier league tickets are £40 but try and get a top London Club got to be £80 if you can get one (20 years ago my season ticket cost £900)

I look at these shows as a place to buy items, postage savings will possibly cover the cost and or grab a bargain at the members sales stand, then there are highly skilled demonstrators, what would a consultation Cost?. Best of all superb layouts

 

[Hayfield1]

Unfortunately while it may be principally a trade show an awful lot of the specialist suppliers do not attend.

Ian@StEnochs

Last year Kempton Part was my first Guild show, I could not believe the amount of trade support. Stafford was Kempton Park on steroids, loads of traders and a lot of both Layouts and demonstrators. Where else do you get 65+ model railway trade suppliers all in one hall?, knocks Alley Pally out of the park. Like Scaleforum is for 4mm scale, the Guild show is for their own 7mm modelers. No doubt those who model in other scales will also attend, but its aimed at 7mm scale audiance

 

[smgee]

£17 for a model railway show! Really?

Wait til you see the price of the toy trains!

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

Ian@StEnochs

Last year Kempton Part was my first Guild show, I could not believe the amount of trade support. Stafford was Kempton Park on steroids, loads of traders and a lot of both Layouts and demonstrators. Where else do you get 65+ model railway trade suppliers all in one hall?, knocks Alley Pally out of the park. Like Scaleforum is for 4mm scale, the Guild show is for their own 7mm modelers. No doubt those who model in other scales will also attend, but its aimed at 7mm scale audiance

I was at Stafford too and I only collected pre ordered items from one supplier and paid for something else I had previously ordered. I bought nothing else. Yes there were a lot of traders but very few supplying the bits and pieces I wanted. Plenty of 2nd hand and rtr stuff, if that ticks your box, but very few of the specialised small traders represented.

If we didn’t have another railway attraction to visit on the Sunday I doubt we would make the trek just for Guildex.

Ian.

 

[Hayfield1]

All I can say in reply is you cannot please everyone !!

As for cost just look at the NEC, a fortune to park and much dearer to enter, OK a bigger show but going on my own potentially costs £50ish to park and enter, its the price we have to pay to go anywhere. Being a member it will cost me £12, forget potential savings in P&P if I buy items at the show, the £12 is worth the money to
1) See the layouts on show
2) Get some free advice from the demonstration stand
3) The odd bargain from the members stand
4) Its a show aimed at Guild members, where non members are welcomed to attend

I restrict myself usually to the larger shows in the South East, I cannot think of any show I have visited in the last few years with a better trade representation. ( I have seen the specialist stands reduce at Alley Pally over the years) In fact a couple of the largest shows I have been to were flooded with non model railway stands

At both Kempton Park and Stafford last year, there was so much space for visitors to move around in. And Stafford had so many demonstrators eager to share their skills.

I remember the Model Railway Clubs Easter show lasting what seemed for a week in Central London, those days are long gone. In fact I have found traders I know are getting more selective on the shows they attend, I think the volume of traders at guild events speaks for its self

John

 

[RichardG]

1) See the layouts on show
2) Get some free advice from the demonstration stand
3) The odd bargain from the members stand
4) Its a show aimed at Guild members, where non members are welcomed to attend

And:
5) See and examine models before you buy them
6) Catch up with people you see maybe once a year
7) See models and techniques you never knew existed
8) Buy items like flexi track which are awkward to post

Our local car wash charges £13 for a supermini size car, a cafe breakfast is much the same. I won't continue in case the Guild realise they could charge a bit more . . .

 

[Heather Kay]

I had considered making the trek from north Kent. In the Before Times, I could cross the Thames without charge, using the Blackwall Tunnel. Now, it’s £3.50 each way, whichever crossing I choose (Woolwich free ferry notwithstanding). Add in the fuel cost and, if I don’t take my own grub, food at the venue… I’m probably looking at the thick end of fifty quid.

That would have been okay when I was being the serious "professional modeller", as I’d be looking to stock up on all kinds of things and could write the expense off. I can’t make the case, sadly, for just going for a day out and meeting up with old chums.

 

[Heacham]

£17 for a model railway show! Really?

The thing is it is not really a Model Railway Show for the general public as there are only a handful of layouts so it can't really be compared to a show like Ally Pally. Also traders at Ally Pally have to pay to sell their stuff where as I believe that the small traders don't pay at the Guild events. It's a great opportunity to see lots of 7mm traders and get together with like minded modellers. I preferred the old title 0 Gauge Get Togethers as I think it better describes the event. I don't go every year as I can buy much too much stuff to make in a year so £17 every two years isn't too bad as postage costs are so high these days.

 

[Pencarrow]

I would be definitely going, and may have been demonstrating, had it not been for a diary clash. Unfortunately I was already booked that weekend for taking a layout to a show. Gutted.

 

[lankytank]

Also traders at Ally Pally have to pay to sell their stuff where as I believe that the small traders don't pay at the Guild events.

Ahem...... traders have to pay to sell at Guild events, rates vary on the number of 6 ft spaces are required, I've the invoices to prove it.

I believe that line societies/MRC's are allocated 'free' space but are not allowed to 'trade' items that charged traders are selling

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

The thing is it is not really a Model Railway Show for the general public as there are only a handful of layouts so it can't really be compared to a show like Ally Pally. Also traders at Ally Pally have to pay to sell their stuff where as I believe that the small traders don't pay at the Guild events. It's a great opportunity to see lots of 7mm traders and get together with like minded modellers. I preferred the old title 0 Gauge Get Togethers as I think it better describes the event. I don't go every year as I can buy much too much stuff to make in a year so £17 every two years isn't too bad as postage costs are so high these days.

The guild lists over 450 O gauge traders on its website. Getting only 62 of them to attend the premier? O gauge event is a pretty poor do especially if they don't pay for their stall.

 

[simond]

They do pay for their stall, as Barry said. They also have to pay extra for mains power. I believe they are permitted to breathe for free.

if there were a bigger UK 0 gauge event, I’d be going. As it is, I’ll be at Kettering, Stafford and Kempton, items 1-7 of Richard’s list apply.