YORK Racecourse played host to one of the country’s largest independent shows of its type this weekend.
York Model Railway Show is now in its seventh decade and it was standing room only over three floors as the Knavesmire stand was bursting with over 100 participants and groups.
Traders, demonstrators and societies shared the whole of the space with 40 ‘layouts’ – the name for the miniature representation of a railway system, tracks, trains, building and scenery – which drew inspiration from all four corners of the UK and the rest of the world.
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Gareth Coles is a show official and has watched it increase in size and stature from its beginnings in the sixties in York’s Assembly Rooms and De Grey Rooms.
In his 50th year with Network Rail and currently working in telecommunications for the railway company, Gareth said: “My train set is 1:1 scale!
“I’m a railway employee, we also have drivers and guards here as enthusiasts too.
One of the volunteers, Maggie Gravett, lives in Weston-Super-Mare but has been attending the York Model Railway Show since 1989.
She said exhibition managers here will scout other shows to see if there are layouts to be shortlisted for an invite to the York event.
She said its testament to the quality and longevity of the group and its volunteers that York Model Railway Show has only had three show managers over its 60 year history.
Phil Greaves from Warrington has been exhibiting for around 25 years and was showing his layout for the last time in ten years at York.
‘Ellsemere’ was modelled on the late 1950s to early 1960s period and, like many layouts, was operating to a sequence based on what would have been a typical day’s activity at the station.
Phil said his layout, made up of passenger trains and good trains, takes three cars to get to an event and about three hours to get it ready.
There was praise over the weekend for 13-year-old Oscar Robson, from Hemel Hempstead, who took a special prize for ‘Most entertaining layout of the weekend’ – for 'Fordon Hill', which was said to contain a working merry-go-round, windmill and busy pub.
Dad Ken said he couldn’t believe the five-year project won the trophy, and Oscar said so many well-wishers has been commenting all weekend about how good it was before the award was announced.
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