Model railway club chuffed at new venue

Members of Sleaford Model Railway Club have just transferred to new premises at Ruskington Village Hall, having outgrown their old location at Osbournby Village hall.

Chairman Mark Bamford said the extra space and storage for the 32 members and their layouts, means less damage from having to take parts home.

He said: “We were worried about losing some members due to the move from south to north of Sleaford but we have not lost a single one.”

The club meets every Wednesday evening, mainly to work on new layouts, but then have a running night on the last Wednesday of the month.

Mark said: “It is a very friendly club. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. Railway enthusiasm is the second most popular hobby in the country”

They are building up to their second show to be held at St George’s Academy on June 2 after last year’s generated interest from as far as Ireland.

There are a number of displays for this year’s event including an industrial scene, another based on D-Day complete with air raid siren and another called ‘What If’ considering what might have happened if roads had not caught on. There is even one built inside an old suitcase with a Time Team archaeological dig.

Another side to the club’s work is ‘rescuing’ old layouts donated by relatives of enthusiasts who may have died. Mark said they will either take them on or advise on value for sale.

He said: “We have had four of them this year.”