Monday April 15th 2024
Thistle Modelmakers, a group based in the Mayfield Industrial Estate in Dalkeith, will be attending with a layout representing the fictional town of St Cuthberts.
Martin Stewart, a talented Midlothian railway modeller based in Bonnyrigg, has built a highly detailed model of a typical station on the picturesque West Highland Railway to a scale of 1:76, the most popular scale for model railways.
The model, which has been named ‘Tulloch Bridge’, features bespoke items made using both 3D printing and laser cutting technologies and is operated using models of the trains that traversed the line between the years 2004 and 2012. Although Martin has exhibited his layout at several model railway exhibitions since he completed it in 2022, June 2024 will be the first opportunity that the public will have to view this excellent layout in Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh and Lothians Miniature Railway Club (E&LMRC) are holding their first model railway exhibition for many years in the Senior School Assembly Hall at George Watson’s College, Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH10 5EG on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June 2024, where Martin’s work will be on display between 10am and 5pm each day.
Martin said, “I’ve always thought Edinburgh is missing an exhibition, so it’s great to be able to participate in this event”.
Thistle Modelmakers, a group based in the Mayfield Industrial Estate in Dalkeith will also be attending with a layout representing the fictional town of St Cuthberts, set somewhere in the Scottish borders near Carlisle. The town is served by a small station with a regular passenger service and much of the local goods for shops and farms arrive and depart by rail, as the layout represents the late 1950s, a period where no one has heard of anyone called Dr Beeching.
In total, this new exhibition will feature 13 layouts from across Scotland in five different scales/gauges with six traders and two societies also attending.
The Club’s secretary said, “I’m grateful to all our traders for their support and confidence in launching this new exhibition in Edinburgh, allowing us to create a fun day out for collectors, enthusiasts, and families alike, with something on offer for all ages and interests”.
There will be a chance to operate one of the layouts yourself thanks to the Dundee Model Railway Club, who will be bringing ‘Dain’s Yard’: a small layout to allow you to practise your shunting skills.
The venue is fully accessible for all and there will be an on-site café serving a selection of hot and cold food and drinks to allow you to make this a great day out.
There will also be a raffle with over £400 worth of models from Rapido Trains UK as prizes, with the star prize being a Great Eastern Railway tram pack – will you be the lucky winner? The prototype was the inspiration for Toby the Tram Engine in the books about Thomas the Tank Engine: a character known to and loved by millions.
Tickets can be purchased on the day at a cost of £8 for Adults (16+), £3 for Children (5-15), and a Family ticket (2+2) will cost £18. However, advanced tickets can be purchased on-line at a discounted price through www.ticketsource.co.uk/elmrc until 31 May 2024.
A free family ticket is also up for grabs on the organiser’s Facebook page. To enter, visit www.facebook.com/EdinburghLothianMRC before the end of April. The lucky winner will be announced on 2 May 2024.
Full details of the layouts and traders that are attending are on the club’s website at elmrc.org.uk
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