The Kyle Model Railway club is run by a few enthusiasts who are responsible for the building of some prize winning layouts.

The Kyleport Layout is one of their prizewinning layouts.

The members of the Kyle Model Railway club are hosting a big event on the 17th and 18th of May and they would love as many to attend as possible. For further information on this event please click the 'Events' button above.

Hope to see you on the 17th or 18th May.

The club meets on Monday's and Friday's from 7pm - 10pm.

Full Membership cost £8 per month

Associate and Junior Memberships cost £4 per month

This club is available for all to join please contact one of the members listed for further details.

A member of The Association of Model Railway Societies in Scotland (AMRSS) Kyle Model Railway Club (KMRC) was formed in 1986 with four members and they met in a garage in Ayr.

They eventually moved to larger premises at Jelliston Farm outstide Coylton, where the membership steadily increased to around twenty.

It was during the time spent at Jelliston that the layout now known as Kyleport was constructed. The name was derived from the club name, and as there was a harbour incorporated into the design of the layout "Kyleport" was born.

Kyleport was first exhibited at Model Railway Scotland in 1998 as this is the Premier Exhibition in Scotland and organised by the AMRSS.

The layout is 00 gauge and approximately 24' x 10'. Twenty one trains are required which are normally a mixture of express passenger, local stopping trains, as well as freight, parcels and Royal Mail trains. Being an Ayrshire club and no matter what era is being modelled there is always coal trains to be seen!

Six trains can be run at any one time on two levels, and shunting duties can also be performed in the yard adjacent to the harbour without affecting the running of the other trains. The Scottish Queen is the train ferry which is moored in the harbour and loading/unloading operations can be seen.

Kyleport has been transported all over the country to be exhibited to the public and has won first prize at almost every show at which it has appeared. We are not in the Model Railway Club to win prizes, but it is nice to receive some recognitition.

Kyleport can be seen at our Pickering Showground on 28th and 29th April, 2007 at The Giant Model Rail Show. Some pictures can be viewed on the following link - layouts.

In 1996 the Club held its first ever exhibition in Mauchline Scout Hall and although a small affair, was very popular. The Exhibition was supported by John Hutchison and Scotsmann Models. Prior to this we had been able to accept invitations but unable to offer any.

To allow us to invite our friends from other clubs like Ayr, Kilmarnock, Greenock, Renfrew, Perth, Falkirk and Dundee it was decided to hold our second exhibition in Mauchline Community Centre where with more space available trade stands were also invited. Macs Model Railroading, Townfoot Models, Scoonie Hobbies and Moncrieff Models all supported us.

We continued using the Community Centre in Mauchline in 1998 and 1999. Such was the success that we immediately booked the Centre for the 2000 exhibition and went about inviting layouts from as far away as London. With everything arranged, imagine our disappointment on learning only 4 weeks beforehand that the hall had been double booked. As we could find no alternative venue the show was cancelled!

After that unfortunate error we decided to look for an alternative venue. As Ayr Model Railway Group held an exhibition in Ayr, and Kilmarnock Model Railway Club held their exhibition in Kilmarnock we looked for suitable premises in Irvine and Prestwick but were unsuccessful. Dumfries was chosen and suitable premises were found. Little did we know that the Loreburn Hall in Dumfries was to become the centre of operations when the deadly foot and mouth disease struck south west Scotland, and we only found out by accident that our exhibition would not be going ahead!

With only 2 weeks to go until our exhibition we had to secure an alternative venue and inform everyone concerned of the pending change. The Ice Bowl in Dumfries came to our rescue and has been the venue for the exhibition since 2001 and is now well established on the Calendar of Model Railway Exhibitions.

Over the years we have attended exhibitions in

• Ayr,
• Bonnybride,
• Dundee
• Glasgow
• Helensburgh
• Kilmarnock
• Lanark
• Leigh (Lancashire)
• Millom (Cumbria)
• Paisley
• Perth
• Wakefield
• Workington

We have enjoyed them all!

Getting to these places is made easier by having access to a 40' articulated semi trailer unit in the bright red and cream livery of local haulage contractor T. French & Son of Cumnock who has supported us since 1996, and more recently by white vans or trucks from another local company Kerr & Smith of Cumnock, Ayr and Glasgow.

If you are interested in joining Kyle Model Railway Club as a Junior, Adult or Associate member, whether you are a beginner or experienced modeller please contact either George Patrick on 01563-571080 or Tom Rout on 01294-466438 for more information.

The club meets on Monday and Friday evenings from 7pm till 10pm and attends around ten exhibitions annually.

We have three layouts in 00 Gauge and one N Gauge. We now also have G Scale (Garden Railway) which can be exhibited if requested A new 00 gauge is under construction..

We can run stock depiciting the Pre-nationalisation period, British Railways 1948-1995 and also the Privatised Railway as it is today.

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