South Croydon Model Railway Show: 20 Layouts, 12 Sept

Twenty model railway layouts go on show in South Croydon on Saturday 12 September, at the third year of a show that has quietly become one of the bigger hobby days in this part of the borough.

The Third South Croydon Model Railway Show runs from 10am to 4pm at St Paul’s United Reformed Church on Croham Park Avenue, CR2 7HH. Alongside the layouts there are trade stalls, children’s activities and refreshments throughout the day, according to the church’s own event listing.

Admission is paid on the day:

• adults £6
• children aged 5 to 16, £3
• under-fives free
• family ticket, two adults and two children, £15

A second hobby day the same Saturday

If model railways are not the draw, there is a second event on in Selsdon the same day, aimed squarely at people who want to take something up.

Rotary Sanderstead and Selsdon holds its annual Hobby Fair on the same Saturday, 11am to 3pm, at St John’s Community Hall in Selsdon. The club describes it as a fair that “showcases local organisations, charities and clubs within the local area to encourage volunteers to support and folk to participate in clubs and activities” (Rotary Sanderstead and Selsdon).

That is the practical use of it. If you have moved to the area, or the children have outgrown one thing and need another, a room full of local clubs recruiting in one afternoon saves a great deal of searching. The club’s online stall booking has now closed, so the exhibitor list is set; enquiries go through the club’s own site.

The two side by side

The hours overlap, so doing both in one afternoon is realistic if you plan the order.

What it means for you

• Take cash for the railway show. The church’s listing says admission is paid on the door and gives no online booking, so do not count on a card machine.
• The family ticket is the saving. Two adults and two children bought separately come to £18, so the £15 family ticket is worth asking for at the door.
• Go early if you want to talk to exhibitors. Twenty layouts in a church hall means the middle of the day is the busy part, and layout operators are easier to get a word with in the first hour.
• Check before you travel. Both are volunteer-run events at community venues, and details can change. The church’s event page and the Rotary club’s site are the ones to check.
• Getting there. Croham Park Avenue is off Croham Road in South Croydon. If you are coming by train, note that trams are still off through the town centre until 30 August and there are engineering changes over the bank holiday weekend, though both should be back to normal well before 12 September; our roadworks and travel page is kept current.

More things to do across the borough are in our things to do in Croydon guide.

Sources

• St Paul’s United Reformed Church: Third South Croydon Model Railway Show (date, times, venue, 20 layouts, trade stalls, children’s activities, refreshments and admission prices)
• Rotary Sanderstead and Selsdon: Hobby Fair, Saturday 12 September 2026 (date, times, venue and the club’s description of the event)
• Rotary Sanderstead and Selsdon: events