The International “Railway Model – 2026” exhibition, held under the auspices of the All-Russian Society of Railway Enthusiasts, took place at the Russian Railway Museum for the first time from April 11 to 19, 2026. More than 4,000 people visited the exhibition.
A railway layout made up of 110 modules was assembled by the “Railway Crossing” installation in Building N of the museum. In 2026, the exhibition brought together 175 modelers from different Russian cities, as well as regular international participants. More than 500 unique author-made models were displayed.
“Holding the exhibition at our museum created a vivid, three-dimensional impression: guests saw miniatures ‘from a bird’s-eye view’ and could immediately compare them with the originals—the real locomotives and carriages in our exhibition. We were delighted to be part of a true celebration for railway enthusiasts,” said Vladimir Odintsov, Director of the Russian Railway Museum.
The exhibition included lectures on the art of railway modeling and the preservation of historic rolling stock on Russia’s railways. The events were attended by 160 people. Alexander Litvinov won the 2026 Title Prize. The exhibition was complemented by works by students of the Quantorium children’s technoparks, children’s railway clubs, and finalists of the Second City Competition “Open Steam-Locomotive Races: Revival Two Centuries Later,” organized by the Academy of Technical Creativity and Digital Technologies.
Interesting facts:
The main theme of the 2026 exhibition was the 175th anniversary of the St. Petersburg–Moscow railway. Models of rolling stock used on this line were displayed, including the ChS200 electric locomotive, which operated with the Aurora train; the ER200 high-speed train; and historic Red Arrow carriages painted blue. For the first time in the history of railway modeling, two different types of modules were connected into one layout by a special module: the Nevsky Module (St. Petersburg) and the Lokotrans-MOSmodule (Moscow–Rostov). Records were set: the layout ran a train of 34 freight cars hauled by an M62 diesel locomotive (one section) and 22 passenger cars hauled by a two-section ChS200. When converted to real kilometers, the modular layout’s length equals that of the Malaya Oktyabrskaya Railway. During one exhibition day, 90 pairs of freight and passenger trains ran according to the schedule at H0 scale.
Partners of the “Railway Model – 2026” exhibition were Transmashholding, a manufacturer of rolling stock for railway and urban rail transport, and Pacific 88, a manufacturer of model paints.
