Leamington and Warwick Model Railway Society’s 40th anniversary exhibition

The event, which is being held at Stoneleigh Park on Saturday March 7 and Sunday March 8, is expected to attract up to 3,000 people.

It’s a clear indication of how the group, which has a club room based at New House Farm in Knightcote, is still thriving after its humble beginnings of starting off from a shed in 1975.

Mike Collins, the society’s current chairman who has been a member for four years, said: “There’s some long standing friendships between members who have been in the club for a long time and we also have a sense of comradeship from working together as a team on layouts - it’s fine scale engineering.

“The facilities we have are so good here as well - we have the space to have all the layouts out to work on and all the tools we need.

“The skills group members have are impressive as well - the Clarendon layout for the exhibition had to be hand built - you wouldn’t get the same thing from buying parts from a shop and building a layout at home.”

The Society has more than 70 members aged from 15 to past retirement age.

Members come from across Warwickshire and also further afield including Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

Record producer Pete Waterman OBE, who is working on a model of Leamington Station, is the club’s honorary vice president.

The society has built up a very good reputation on the exhibition circuit over the years with members taking layouts to events up and down the country.

Mr Collins said: “Building model railways brings back childhood memories of the days when members used to stand at the railings and watch trains go by.

“These days we are seeing more and more layouts from the 1970s and 1980s with diesel trains as younger enthusiasts look back to their youth.”

The exhibition will include more than 25 layouts, more than 40 traders, a second hand stall and attractions for all ages.

Tickets £7 for adults, concessions £6, and children £4 with a family ticket for two adults and two children priced at £18.

For the first time, Sunday will be a special family day where children can go free when accompanied by two adults.

Opening times are from 10am to 5pm on the Saturday and 10am to 4pm on the Sunday.

Parking is free.

For more information visit www.lwmrs.co.uk