The Diesel Hall of the Northern Vehicle Repair Depot in Kőbánya, where real engines were once looked after, is currently filled with model railways. This sideshow to the summer-long Once Upon a Time in the North exhibition of retro transport has been set up by local modelling clubs, and will be running until 4 September.

Those heading down to Kőbánya for this year’s sequel to the successful 2021 retro transport exhibition Once Upon a Time in the North are in for an extra treat.

On 18- to 20-metre-long tables, model trains meander here and there around urban, mountain and waterside locations, vintage and current examples from the Hungarian state-run MÁV fleet. Their German and Austrian counterparts do their endless loops beside them. In addition, little trams scoot round, again with German and Austrian models alongside the domestic ones.

The detail used for each layout is striking. You might spot the former station building from Leninváros (today’s Tiszaújváros), graffiti-covered fences or a Toi Toi toilet by a pond as everyday Hungarian life unfolds beside the tracks.

This attraction is free for all those who buy admission to the main Upon a Time in the North exhibition.

Event information

Model Railways at the Northern Vehicle Repair Depot
1101 Budapest, Kőbányai út 24-28 
Open: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm 
Tickets here (including entry to Once Upon a Time in the North) 

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