Casino Model Railway Museum — Attraction in Fingal

[Dropping to 3 stars after my second visit, the working layout is just too dull] This is a tough review to give…. I want to fully support this endeavor by true rail enthusiasts, as a model rail nut this is brilliant to have…

I just recall my youth… my communion, my confirmation… I got to choose what I wanted to do for the day and it was always ‘Fry model Railway’. I would be sick with excitement on the journey out… and the wonder and awe when you walked into that hall…. seeing Dart’s flying around, trams going his way and that, the massive Heuston station, steam trains, Diesel’s flying everyway… ferries moving…. It was huge and truly magical! It made a lifelong railway fan out of me….

I am delighted this Casino model railway is here… it’s a beautiful building and display…. I just wish some of the magic could have been saved. Really hoped it would be the old layout, or at least parts of it. Static models just aren’t the same. The model railway part is ok....a lot of realism... but it needs way more fun... Its essentially 2 loops... you can stand at it for minutes and not see a single train... there should be trains flying everywhere, steam trains, trams, diesels... there is huge sections of sea and nothingness... the cork station is miles away from the viewing section... I mean no disrespect but it needs to be totally redesigned to be 'fun' and inspire and awe young folks... its way too dull (see pics) for a public exhibition...

Again – I love the endeavor, and am delighted that this is here, but its something you'll visit once for curiosity but there's not enough here to warrant a repeat...

Haven't been to the museum since it was housed in Malahide Castle many moons ago. So we were excited to visit and see the new location. It's smaller in layout and lots of history. Models are on display and good infographics dotted around the place. The actual layouts, although seem impressive on first glance, well after40mins of studying the details. You can tell the layouts were designed and built by someone that has no interest in model railways. For one, Fry's models are O gauge and these were OO, lots of the model baseboard is taken up by 'water' effects, making it appear larger than it is. Bray head is just a big mound stuck on the end of the display. The buildings weren't very realistic or built well, I've seen scratch built amateur buildings that are 80% better than what's on display here. The biggest disappointment was the fact the B&I ferry and the Dart are no longer running. I get that models get old and need to be cared for, but those models were built by workers in the "works". They need to be recognised. Overall I just felt disappointed that Fry's enthusiasm and love of modelling his railway is lost in this museum layout. It's a museum first and the railways play second fiddle to that. The wow factor of the original layout is gone and that's heartbreaking for railway model enthusiasts everywhere.

I'd say go see it for yourself, it's a nice day out but it's not Fry's original layout. It's one and...

It's a nice little museum in a thatched-roof building with displays of models of all the old trains from the history of the Irish railway network, along with historical informational text and interactive information stations. Then of course, there is the huge model railway with model trains driving around a signal-controlled track that goes between models of Dublin City Centre, Mallow (Co Cork) Station, the Tunnel on the track between Bray and Greystones (Co Wicklow) and of course Malahide (Co Dublin) Station, beside which the real-life museum is located. My son really enjoyed it and for anyone with kids that love trains (as many kids do), it's certainly worth a visit. The museum is not huge, but I wouldn't deduct any stars for that because I think it's the size that it needs to be. And also the staff were so, so nice and helpful. The girl at the desk listened with interest as my son told her about a particular train he saw earlier in the day that he is fascinated with (the Belfast train), and the manager talked to us extensively about the museum, giving us lots of interesting information. I definitely recommend this museum to people with kids who love trains and, I guess, also to...