Pete Waterman OBE and the Railnuts are putting the finishing touches to a brand-new 64ft-long ‘OO’ gauge model railway of Blisworth on the West Coast Main Line. The layout is due to make its debut at the 2026 Great Electric Train Show at Arena MK in Milton Keynes on October 10 and 11 — and is described as Pete Waterman’s last big build.
Blisworth takes shape
Key Model World is delighted to announce that Pete Waterman OBE and the Railnuts are in the final stages of building a brand-new 64ft-long ‘OO’ gauge model railway of Blisworth on the West Coast Main Line, which will make its debut at the 2026 Great Electric Train Show. And it will be Pete Waterman’s last big build.
Based on the double-track section of the West Coast Main Line through Northamptonshire, the new layout is designed to set scale-length trains into a highly detailed landscape. The project is the latest in Pete Waterman and the Railnuts’ Making Tracks series of large-scale portable model railways which have been attending the Great Electric Train Show each year since 2021.
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Finishing touches before the show
With just a few weeks to go before the Great Electric Train Show on October 10/11 at Arena MK in Milton Keynes, the team is concentrating on the finishing touches for the new layout to make its debut appearance at the event. Work includes producing the final handmade trees, installing the overhead catenary and completing three buildings needed to bring the scene to life.
A major feature of the modelling calendar
Pete Waterman’s Making Tracks layouts have become a major feature of the railway modelling calendar. Previous projects have included large-scale recreations of sections of the West Coast Main Line, while the combined Making Tracks: The Final Frontier display reached 208ft and achieved an official Guinness World Records title at Model World LIVE in 2024.
Great Electric Train Show Event Manager Mike Wild said: “The latest Making Tracks project is now entering its final stages, and the level of detail being applied to Blisworth is remarkable. Visitors to the Great Electric Train Show will get their first opportunity to see the completed layout in action.”
Great Electric Train Show 2026
The Great Electric Train Show takes place on October 10 and 11, 2026, at Arena MK in Milton Keynes. Discount advance tickets are available, offering a saving compared with on-the-day prices and early entry from 9.30am. Children under 16 enter free on Sunday when accompanied by a paying adult.
