Model railway business to open at Sheffield train station

by | Mar 13, 2025 | Culture

People sitting in the middle of a model train store on a bench. There are lots of shelves in front and behind them with products and lights.

Family run business Rails of Sheffield plans to open a new store this Spring based inside Sheffield Train Station.

The business was started in 1970 by Hedley Barber and has collaborated with local brands, such as Henderson’s Relish and Abbeydale Brewery, creating custom wagons which included bottles of relish and custom beer mats.

Jack Morgan, Marketing Manager of Rails of Sheffield said: “I don’t think there’s ever really been a model railway shop at a mainline station like this before. We thought it’s a match made in heaven, model railways and real railways, so why has this not been done before?

“We want to do it as a statement to show the industry is alive and well and have it as a good news story for high street retail in general to show that not all shops are shutting down.”

A custom model train wagon for Abbeydale Brewery including a custom beer mat which reads 'Abbeydale Brewery' and wagon which reads 'Moonshine.'
A custom model wagon for Abbeydale Brewery with a custom beer mat.
A custom model train wagon that is orange for Henderson's Relish which reads 'Henderson's Relish' and includes a small bottle of Henderson's Relish.
A custom model wagon for Henderson’s Relish with a small bottle of relish.

Image credit: Rails of Sheffield.

The hobby experienced some doom and gloom when Hattons Model Railways went out of business last year, leaving Rails of Sheffield to fill the number one spot in the industry.

Mr Morgan said: “We’ve tried to go the extra mile in what we’re offering. We’re not just a little local shop, we’re a sophisticated e-commerce business behind it all as well.

“You talk to people about model railways and they think it’s like old wally, sort of niche, but if you go to any of the trade shows nowadays it’s quite sophisticated.

“There’s always stuff going on in the industry, and hopefully it can be showcased that it’s not just an old man’s hobby anymore.”

The main shop on Chesterfield Road has essentials to help begin the hobby of model train collecting, such as tracks and controllers, and also has an area called the Emporium which is constructed from locally sourced materials.

Mr Morgan said: “When the original shop opened Hedley Barber had a very traditional Yorkshire penny saving sort of attitude. I think he actually reused some of the letters from the sign next door to save money, so he called it Rails as those were the letters left as part of the other shop.”

They will be selling traditional model railway products, but also plan to offer unique railway-themed products such as colouring books, tote bags, t-shirts and prints.

Rails of Sheffield also has partnerships with the National Railway Museum, East Midlands Railway, and plans to support more local businesses in the future.