Wessex Association of Model Railway Clubs welcomes hundreds of visitors
One hundred and fifty enthusiasts came through the doors in the first hour of the model railway exhibition at Frome's Cheese & Grain.
Model railway fans were enthralled by incredible exhibits from 63 clubs and associations; hundreds of hours of painstaking work by groups with members from all kinds of backgrounds at this annual event.
In its first year there were over a thousand visitors, from the stalwart older enthusiasts, but joined by younger fans, re-excited by the arrival of digital controls which means that you can run your stations and tracks via your iPad or mobile.
Chairman of Wessex Association of Model Railway Clubs Ray Mead explained the enduring appeal of seeing tiny trains said: "For many it is the memory of the steam trains, that is certainly the case of the older visitors, but now we have youngsters who come along with DCC systems they can send their trains down the track via a message."
Ray, who has member clubs with 150 enthusiasts, such as the model railway fans in Swansea, or " maybe just one or two people who are interested", said he is heartened by the new arrivals.
He said:" We were concerned about the aging number of people interested but now we have young children involved, and ladies are interested too particularly in the intricate scenery work."
Organiser Tom Snook from the Mere Club, which was founded in 1977, currently has 15 members and of which four are children.
There was certainly something for everyone in the hall, from books, to repairs, hobby shops to selling the authentic railway sound and, of course, the models themselves everything from a Swiss Alpine railway, to a display from Lancashire which included a mine under the train tracks.
Everyone was certainly very welcome at the show, which is also on tomorrow (Sunday 5 January) from 10am with children for free.
The next model railway show in the South West will be Wimborne in March.
More details under the red button.
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