Bristol Society of Model and Experimental Engineers

Home
United Kingdom
Bristol
Bristol Society of Model and Experimental Engineers

Ashton Court Railway provides train rides for kids and adults on our miniature railway, run by BSMEE. Our next open day is Sunday 28th of June!

BSMEE built and operates the miniature railway at Ashton Court. From its opening in 1973 the railway has been developed by the Society to become what you see today … an interpretation, albeit on a smaller scale, of how the railways were operated particularly in the days of steam. We are all volunteers and many of the locomotives you will see and travel behind have been built by Society members as

faithful reproductions of an original prototype that also work in exactly the same way. The diverse interests within the membership covers the whole gamut of engineering , mechanical, electrical, electronic, even civil engineering when you consider the track laying and maintenance carried out at Ashton Court Railway so there is a niche for a wide variety of skills and interests. Why not pay us a visit and see for yourselves? We hold public running days at Ashton Court Railway and bi monthly lectures covering model engineering and related topics at Begbrook Community Centre where everyone is welcome, so come along and enjoy. Fancy a ride on the trains at Ashton Court? Click this link for more information: http://ashtoncourtrailway.org and follow our page for regular updates on our activities.

23/06/2026

It may only just be the start of summer ... but we are announcing the sale date of our 2026 Santa Special tickets!

The Ashton Court Railway ticket office will open at 12 midday on Sunday 19th July for *in-person* ticket sales *only*, for our festive special taking place on Sunday the 6th of December 🎄

Tickets are £12 per child and numbers are limited, so please do get here early on Sunday 19th July to buy your child's ticket and avoid disappointment, as tickets often sell out within an hour or two.

The 19th of July is also a public running day at the railway, so anyone can buy a ticket to ride, and hop onto one of our steam, electric or petrol loco hauled trains between 12 - 5pm 🚂

12/06/2026

We are pleased to see that the sun is returning to Bristol again - just in time for another afternoon of train rides at Ashton Court railway 🚂

This Sunday 14th June we will be open to the public from 12 - 5pm with trains running round our miniture railway tracks, as well as our garden railway. And there's plenty of space for picnics with friends and family too!

04/06/2026

This Sunday (7th) is the first of our three running days in June. We open at 12pm and run till 5, with tickets for your rides available to purchase on the day from our ticket office. Look out for your favourite steam, electric or petrol engine locomotives!

We have a picnic area next to the railway with views of the trains going round, so why not bring lunch and make a day of it 😊

The railway is accessed via the Clifton Lodge entrance to Ashton Court, with council parking available next to our site.

Hope to see you there!

25/05/2026

The trains are getting ready for another day at Ashton Court Railway today.

We will be open from midday until 5pm this sunny bank holiday Monday, with train rides on our miniture railway and models running on the garden railway track 🚂 You can buy your tickets when you arrive, and why not bring a picnic too!

21/05/2026

We're heading towards another bank holiday weekend and Ashton Court Railway will be open on both Sunday 24th and Monday 25th of May!

Between midday and 5pm you can join us for a ride on both our ground level and raised tracks. Car parking is available at the Ashton Court Golf Course car park or you can arrive on foot or wheels! Simply arrive on the day to buy tickets at our station office, then head to the platform, where our volunteers will be ready to help you board the trains.

We've heard the sun is returning to Bristol - so this bank holiday is set to be the perfect opportunity for train rides and a picnic 🧺🌞🚂

17/05/2026

It is a pleasure to be hosting another guest speaker for our next Begbrook Talks evening event. This Wednesday 20th May at 7:30pm, Dr Richard Marks will be sharing his knowledge and research about the story or British Engineering Limited. From the company's achievements to its eventual decline.

We look forward to welcoming you and anyone you think may be interested in the fascinating history of BREL.

05/05/2026

After a fun-filled bank holiday weekend at Ashton Court Railway, BSMEE is heading into another week with an interesting talk at Begbrook Social Club, Bristol. One for the railway enthusiasts!

On Wednesday 6th May Joseph Rogers, author of Railway Enthusiasm in Twenty-first-century Britain, will be joining us to speak about what the hobby looks like today.

The talk starts at 7:30pm and everyone is welcome to join.

Our next public open days at Ashton Court Railway are over the end of May bank holiday weekend - Sunday 24th and Monday 25th of May. We hope to see you there!

03/05/2026

Today was a great start to the bank holiday weekend at Ashton Court Railway! Thank you to everyone who visited and enjoyed the trains 🚂 we're glad the rain held off until the very end ... we hope for the same tomorrow.

We will be open again from midday until 5pm, on Monday 4th May. You can buy tickets at our station building when you arrive, and ride on steam, petrol and electric hauled trains all afternoon!

29/04/2026

There are only a few days to wait for the next train rides at Ashton Court Railway ... and this bank holiday weekend there are two days to choose from! We will be open on Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th of May, with tickets to ride on steam, petrol and electric trains between 12 - 5pm.

Our miniature railway is located at the north side of Ashton Court Estate, with parking available through the Clifton Lodge Gatehouse entrance. Bring family and friends, pack a picnic, and make a day of it 🚂

22/04/2026

The railway may be having a weekend off this week (ahead of a flurry of May bank holiday openings!) but the Society is busy as always. In the workshop, on the track and at our Begbrook Talks.

We have two interesting railway and engineering focused events coming up in Bristol in May. All the details are below, so you can save the dates. And please let other enthusiasts know 😊

Address

Ashton Court Railway
Bristol
BS83PX

Telephone

+441179467110

Website

http://www.bristolmodelengineers.co.uk/, https://www.ashtoncourtrailway.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Bristol Society of Model and Experimental Engineers posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your organisation to be the top-listed Non Profit Organisation in Bristol?