McKinley is a large model railway based in Dorset, capturing the energy and variety of Britain’s railway heyday in the 1950s–70s. The layout features seven main locations - four in the original room and three in the newer extension—each offering its own blend of passenger traffic, freight duties, and railway character. Here’s a tour of these locations and what makes each one special.

This grand terminus is McKinley’s busiest and most impressive station. With six platforms (five can handling eight-coach trains), carriage sidings, and a large engine shed with turntable, it’s the model of a bustling city hub. Passenger services dominate here—from suburban and cross-country trains to overnight sleepers and fast expresses heading west and northwest.

Freight is limited but high-value - refrigerated meat, bullion, bonded goods like alcohol and tobacco. London is also the perfect training ground for new operators, thanks to its manageable track layout and frequent train activity. On an operating night, three people typically run London, ensuring its constant hum of movement.

Another key city terminus, Manchester is slightly smaller with four long platforms, but adds a twist: scissor crossings allow quick turnarounds and intense suburban activity. It also features carriage sidings, freight reception tracks, and an engine shed with turntable.

Passenger traffic here mirrors London but with a greater suburban focus. Unique to Manchester is a brewery that receives grain from Birmingham and ships beer across Britain. With only enough space for two operators, Manchester isn’t for beginners—its complex trackwork needs a steady hand. These operators also oversee the adjacent Portarlington yard.

This under-appreciated gem is vital behind the scenes. Though access is tight and it's not visually prominent, Portarlington is the main overnight storage yard for all McKinley’s passenger stock. Long sidings and a single reception track make it ideal for handling empty trains from London and Manchester.

After peak hours, trains “go to bed” at Portarlington - just like real-world movements to Old Oak Common or Red Bank. These operations clear the city platforms for night freight. It’s a quiet but essential cog in the McKinley machine, demanding skill and coordination, especially from Manchester’s team who must switch focus between both sites.

Birmingham breaks the pattern. Unlike London or Manchester, it’s not a terminus but a busy through station and junction. It has four platforms, a single freight reception track, two freight customers - a metal-bashing factory and a grain depot - but no carriage sidings and very limited loco facilities.

It’s all about through traffic here. Trains may stop briefly to detach wagons or divide carriages, while others reverse or start/terminate here. The emphasis is on quick decisions and tight timings - any delay can ripple across the network. Two operators run Birmingham, supported by a dedicated station manager/signalman, a McKinley rarity. With its deceptively simple look and real potential for chaos, Birmingham is both feared and loved by operators.

Entering the extension room, we find Wakefield, McKinley’s first freight-only location. It’s home to Alberry’s, a vast mail-order distribution centre, think of it as the 1950s Amazon. Alberry’s handles everything from garden tools to false teeth, arriving and leaving by rail in an endless loop.

Wakefield’s upper yard stores and prepares wagons for outbound journeys, while all trains pass through one direction only - from Sheffield. Though shunting here is manageable, the sheer variety and volume of goods makes this a busy post. Two operators stay engaged with assembling and dispatching wagons across the country.

Originally a through station, Halifax was reshaped into a branch line terminus with two modest passenger platforms. Suburban trains head to Manchester and beyond, but Halifax’s real focus is goods. What makes it unique is its split design: two halves on opposite sides of an aisle.

One side houses the passenger station, yard, Tibbles Mill, and the McKinley Confectionery factory. The other half is dedicated to the impressive gasworks, the layout’s largest industry. Operators here face a fun yet challenging shunting puzzle, with runarounds, drop-offs, and collections constantly shifting. Its slower pace and isolated geography also make Halifax a great training location for newer operators.

The final destination is Sheffield, McKinley’s central freight marshalling yard. Inspired by the real Tinsley Yard, it’s the beating heart of goods movement across the network. Trains arrive from all corners of McKinley, get broken into smaller parts, and are reassembled into new trains headed out.

Sheffield includes:

• Three reception tracks
• 10 marshalling sidings (split into “Victoria” and “Albert” yards)
• An engine shed with turntable
• And a brilliantly reimagined loco store - Doncaster - made from a wine rack holding 100 locomotives!

Sheffield needs three operators, including a station manager, to keep everything coordinated. With freight constantly arriving, leaving, and shifting wagons, it’s a thrilling and intense spot.

Beneath Sheffield, Wakefield, and Halifax lies Hades, McKinley’s hidden storage yard. This underworld can hold up to 160 full trains, tucked away until their moment arrives. Linked to McKinley’s Time Machine (which changes the operating year between 1956 and 1975), trains rise from the depths on schedule—ready for scenic or operational use.

Hades ensures that historical accuracy and variety are always in play, keeping McKinley fresh and full of surprise.

Each of McKinley’s seven locations offers its own operational flavour:

• London and Manchester: major city terminuses with rich passenger and high-value freight traffic.
• Portarlington: behind-the-scenes night storage hub.
• Birmingham: a vital junction with a ticking-clock challenge.
• Wakefield: freight-only mail-order central.
• Halifax: a branch-line puzzle with heavy goods movement.
• Sheffield: the marshalling kingpin connecting it all