Large German Model Rail Shows 2022 - looking for suggestions

[cheekychops]

Hi, I'm looking for recommendations for a large German Model Railway show to visit in 2022. Based on your experience what would you recommend?

 

Thanks

[Ian Morgan]

I went to a large-ish exhibition in Munich in 2003 which was pretty good.

 

Stuttgart has an amazing Modell + Technik exhibition that we took a british layout to a while ago. This show is enormous and includes model cars, tanks, boats and even indoor model aircraft flying.

 

I took a british layout to the one in Frankfurt in the 1980's, but it was more of a Toy Fair for manufacturers to show their wares.

 

Just outside Germany, I also visited a really good large exhibition in Liège, Belgium. Again it also had halls for model cars, tanks, boats and other things. One hall started the day with a huge mound of earth in the middle that radio controlled trucks, diggers and bulldozers formed in a road system over the weekend.

 

Many of these large european exhibitions make Warley look like a local church hall fund-raiser.

 

On a smaller scale, we have also visited the exhibition of the model railway club of our twin town, Euskirchen near Köln, a few times. We have been doing reciprical visits taking layouts to each others exhibitions for some years. I am not sure if we will be able to repeat this in future following Brexit, as too much paperwork may be required.

 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Our club paid regular visits to the big show at Cologne a few times (should have gone last year, but for obvious reasons it didn't happen!). There may well be better shows in Germany, but this is very much the complete package - easily within a day's rail journey from the UK, the show has a reasonable range of layouts, with lots of manufacturers - large and small - and some dealers, plenty of interest in the city itself (with a good selection of hotels and restaurants), a good variety of prototype operation (passenger and freight; the city also has trams) and a decent selection of model shops in the city itself. We are considering the Dortmund show either next year or in 2022 (Cologne may well reappear on the show calendar for 2022 as well).

[Erichill16]

Inter Modelbau in Dortmund is great. Only issue is is that it’s too big! The model railway section has two halls and then there are about 6 other halls with other modelling disciplines in. As I’m passively interested in all modelling I have to go into the centre  by the doorway that leads directly to the railway section or I’d never make it.

Eurospoor in Utrecht is also good. Usually branded the ‘the largest model railway show in Europe.’

regards

Robert

 

[jonhall]

+1 for Intermodellbau Dortmund, and I keep hearing good things about Cologne. Not Germany, but Eurospoor at Utrecht is definitely worth a trip.

 

Jon

[Erichill16]

Also been to Koln, Dortmund and Utrecht have a large second hand section. Koln has sales areas but not to the same extent.

Robert

[Mike Bellamy]

2 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

Inter Modelbau in Dortmund is great. Only issue is is that it’s too big! 

Eurospoor in Utrecht is also good. Usually branded the ‘the largest model railway show in Europe.’

 

2 hours ago, jonhall said:

+1 for Intermodellbau Dortmund,  Not Germany, but Eurospoor at Utrecht is definitely worth a trip.

 

Our former club layout Farkham has been to both Utrecht and Dortmund - I understand that both of these shows normally have a small contingent of UK layouts and visitors although both Covid and Brexit may reduce those numbers.

[cheekychops]

Thanks for all the replies. I have found links to some and they are still on for 2021. Looking at the situation in Germany re. COVID I am sceptical that they will happen this year though.

 

I cannot see any of RMWeb's calendar as yet.

Edited April 4, 2021 by cheekychops

[Andymsa]

Like others can highly recommend Dortmund, unsure if it will take place this year although advertised it is on. But they have moved the dates twice already at relative short notice. Utrecht is another good show and has a great second hand section and some more obscure second hand sellers. If you can I would drive by car, which is what I do for both shows as your limited otherwise as to how much you can buy.

[Marc Osborne]

Intermodellbau in Dortmund is excellent. The Cologne show which happens every other year was going to be moved to Friederichshafen but of course nothing happened due to the pandemic. The last Cologne show was in 2018 Stuttgart is good but generally n gauge only though other scales are on sale. Modelspoor at Utrecht is great especially for buying stuff. There are other shows I haven’t seen but can recommend any of the ones I mention here. 
 

A few years ago I went to a couple of the Munich shows which happened every other year. Not sure these days 

 

Check out the ads in Continental Modeller because they include the overseas shows. 
 

Don’t forget though we are no longer in the EU so beware of VAT implications of bringing stuff home. I understand there is no import tariff on model railways. 
 

 Marc