Bekonscot

A guide to the oldest model village in the world.

Curated by Tim Dunn.

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Last updated on 10 December 2015.

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Model Railway

We love trains at Bekonscot. We think they’re amazing. And judging by the excitement on their faces, most of our visitors do too. That’s why we’ve been running what is famously the UK’s finest public model garden railway for over 80 years.

The Gauge One Bekonscot Model Railway is the highlight of every small person’s visit to Bekonscot – and a fascinating network of historic equipment for any railway enthusiast. There are almost 10 scale miles (that’s 450 metres in “real” life) of realistically-signalled main line, branches and sidings, with up to eleven passenger and goods trains criss-crossing the landscape, trundling under your feet or rushing right in front of you.

Just don’t ask about leaves on the line. Or even frogs. It’s a bit messy.

A driver’s eye view of the Gauge 1 model railway at Bekonscot Model Village, Bucks. It’s a 10 scale mile model garden railway of 1:32 scale, in a 1:12 scale miniature village. The line was started circa 1929 and has been updated continuously for 80 years. We strapped a camera to the front of one of the engines and sent it off - we’ve added some subtitles so you can see what you’re passing.