The Greatest Gathering: a railway event for the ages

Coined the “Glastonbury of Railways,” The Greatest Gathering at Alstom’s historic Derby Litchurch Lane Works did not disappoint. Held from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd August, the event was a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of rail history, heritage, and innovation, featuring the largest ever gathering of historic and modern trains.

The occasion marked almost 50 years since the train factory opened its doors to the public. With over 100 iconic vehicles from the past, present, and future, to say this was a railway enthusiast's dream would be an understatement. You could say it was like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, but for trains.

Each day started at 10am with a whistle up: diesels and steamers singing out a chorus of whistles to mark the opening of the event. Floating in the air, it almost seemed as though they were talking to each other.

A line-up to remember

Naming all the individual trains is a tall task but there were some highlights on display. For example, it wouldn’t be a rail event without an appearance from Flying Scotsman, which many consider the most famous locomotive (although some disagree). Scotsman stood alongside Sir Nigel Gresley, Blue Peter and Bahamas.

Joining these iconic steamers was Golden Arrow, Tornado, Clan Line, and Standard Five. There’s no doubt that these iconic steam locomotives sitting together against the backdrop of the iconic factory, viewed by thousands, was an unbelievable sight.

If you were a fan of diesels, then you would have racked up some steps at this event. Featuring everything from Class 66s to Class 99s and Sentinels, the event had more on display than we could see in one day. A highlight was D5910 from the Baby Deltic Project, although currently sporting an all-over grey undercoat, this loco really stood out, in contrast to some of the bright liveries surrounding it (and the fairground).

If modern image is your thing, you’d have gravitated towards the Eurostar, Pendolino, and ‘Flirt’. Many of these units stood alongside historic locomotives demonstrating the different eras of rail.

With this year marking 200 years of passenger rail service, it was Locomotion No 1 that got the most attention. Beautifully displayed and showcasing the unbelievable engineering that went into these machines back in 1828, it’s hard to believe such an amazing piece of machinery is still in pristine condition today.

Famous faces and fan favourites

The stars were out in full force for the event too. Jeremy Vine conducted an interview on a miniature railway and Michael Portillo was honoured, with Class 66 – 66719 being named after him. Pete Waterman was in attendance showcasing his Making Tracks layout, which continues to grow.

Unsurprisingly, the guest who turned the most heads was Francis Bourgeois, who was filming with Top Gear’s Chris Harris. Flanked by many railway enthusiasts, Francis took the time to say hello to fans whilst trying to contain his excitement at seeing some of his favourite locomotives.

Honouring 200 years of passenger rail

However, the stars of this show were, of course, the locomotives themselves, standing tall and proud, representing 200 years of railway history. It is often thrown around that certain events are once-in-a-lifetime experiences, but the Greatest Gathering truly was.

Logistically navigating this many large machines into the factory was a feat of organisation, but the number of locomotives and rolling stock on display and the smiling faces of all the attendees made it all worth it.

The Hornby team would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the staff, volunteers, and organisers who made this spectacular event possible — and to everyone who visited our stand. The Greatest Gathering lived up to its name and will be remembered by rail fans for many years to come.