International Model Railway Day (International Model Railroading Day) is celebrated on December 2. At the end of the 19th century brothers Eugen and Karl Merklin, owners of a German toy company, presented a miniature railway for the first time at the Leipzig Fair. It was a locomotive with cars, which, thanks to the built-in clock mechanism, turned on tracks in the shape of a figure of eight. The novelty immediately became the subject of interest of children and adults.

Gradually, the models of trains were improved, gaining popularity all over the world. For more than a century, the toy was a welcome Christmas gift for many, and the railroad game grew into a hobby.

A shared passion for miniature railways brings several generations together. For children, it is a toy that develops imagination and creative thinking, and for adults, it brings pleasure from the time spent playing their favorite game.

Today, computer games have somewhat supplanted railway modeling. In order to give miniature railways the recognition it deserves and to inspire new fans to the hobby, a German rail travel TV show and the European model railway community have decided to celebrate December 2 each year International Model Railway Day.