Over the weekend of September 21/22, Heritage Railway staff writer Owen Hayward will be leading a team of railway modellers in an ambitious challenge to complete a working model railway layout in just two days. In a bid to promote how the hobby can be beneficial for your mental health, the team is also fundraising for the mental health charity Mind that offers support to those who are struggling.
The challenge was inspired by the Channel 5 programme ‘The Great Model Railway Challenge’ which broadcast in 2018 and 2019, whereby teams of modellers (formed by groups from clubs or individuals coming together) had to build a layout against the clock in competitive heats and with a specific theme in mind, before winners advanced to a grand final. Owen and Team’s take on the challenge aims to show how much fun the hobby can be out of competitive situations, while also presenting a live demonstration on what goes into building a model railway layout.
Two of the team are former contestants of that programme; Max Davies was a member of ‘The Railway Children’ in series 1, the team comprising a group of close friends who originally all met online. Their layout was themed around fire and ice and featured a mountainous volcano as the centrepiece set amid a snow-covered village, with tracks on different levels weaving about.
Meanwhile, Paul Lawrence starred in series 2 with ‘Team Phoenix’ which had been made up of modellers who were all meeting for the first time. In their heat layouts had to draw inspiration from classic books, with the ‘Phoenixes’ opting to showcase scenes from many of the works of Agatha Christie and featured moving boats on rivers, flying aircraft and an avalanche burying a train.
Joining them will be Alex Goodman and George Dibben who bring with them a wealth of model railway expertise.
The build will be livestreamed each day on Max’s YouTube channel allowing those unable to attend the exhibition itself – which takes place in the 1886 locomotive shed of the Spa Valley Railway at Tunbridge Wells in Kent – a chance to follow the build’s progress.
The team is hoping to raise money for mental health charity Mind, which has supported some of its members or close friends in difficult times, with the project also aiming to show how the hobby can be beneficial in this aspect. Donations are encouraged through the JustGiving page which has been set up: https://www.justgiving.com/page/layout-in-a-weekend
The project has also been generously supported by model railway manufacturer PECO and natural scenics supplier GeoScenics to whom the team are incredibly grateful.
An announcement video giving a little background to the project can be found on Max’s YouTube channel, where the livestreams will be broadcast:
For details of the exhibition at the Spa Valley Railway visit https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/product.php?xProd=279&jssCart=3f267d9a96916915f47778faa4e9bb3b
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