Lleida Expo Tren kicks off with nearly 900 linear metres of track and 363 model trains
Raül Valls states that the first day "is working very well, with a high number of commercial transactions and a high level of satisfaction from the public"
The 15th edition of the Lleida Expo Tren trade show kicked off this Saturday with a massive attendance of enthusiasts from across the country, with long queues to enter that were maintained until midday. In total, and apart from the commercial sector, visitors can enjoy 15 large model layouts with a total of 890 linear metres of track — which in real scale would amount to 76 kilometres of railway line — and 363 model trains of all types, with their respective locomotives, made at scales N (1:160), H0 (1:87), H0m (1:87), TT (1:120) and 1 (1:32).
Raül Valls, organiser of the trade show, commented that the first day "is working very well, with a high number of commercial transactions and a high level of satisfaction from the public, thanks in large part to the expansion of the exhibition space and the offerings we have registered this year". Today's session will close at 20.00 h while Sunday's will run from 10.00 to 14.00 h.
On the other hand, Inma Garcia, member of the Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles and curator of the Railway Museum in Madrid, visited Lleida Expo Tren and wanted to see the trade show and stated that "it is essential to have a monographic event of this type where companies and railway modelling enthusiasts from everywhere can share knowledge and see what is being done in this field".
The International Trade Show of Railway Modelling and Leisure is held in Halls 4 and 5 of Fira de Lleida with a total of 75 leisure and commercial exhibitors, 420 accredited participants and 32 represented brands. The trade fair reaches this year a record surface area of 7,300 m2, thanks to the incorporation of Hall 5, practically doubling the surface area of the previous edition.
Lleida Expo Tren has been held in Lleida since 2010 and receives thousands of railway enthusiasts from across the country and abroad each edition, as well as a large local family audience. The trade fair offers two distinct sections: the leisure section, where all kinds of train models at different scales are displayed, and the commercial section, where you can find stands of manufacturers, distributors and shops of miniature trains and materials for model railway building. This latter section includes a second-hand market.