Chesterfield Railway Modellers will showcase creations in major exhibition at Crooked Spire church

Timber Tracks is a new layout built especially for Chesterfield Railway Modellers' exhibition on July 30 at the Crooked Spire church.

Six layouts will be on show at the Crooked Spire church on Saturday, July 30, from 10am to 6.30pm.

Chesterfield Railway Modellers has moved its major exhibition into the town’s landmark church from Bakewell. Up until the Covid pandemic which stopped everything in its tracks, the club would host well-attended major exhibitions of their own work and visiting layouts at Bakewell’s Agricultural Centre in June.

Church warden Malcolm Wilkinson, who is a member of the railway modellers club, said: " It is a real privilege to bring this exhibition to this beautiful church. Being right in the centre of the town will make it accessible to many more Chesterfield people than our past events".

Malcolm Wilkinson and Eric Large operating the Hogwarts layout.

Rev Patrick Coleman, vicar at St Mary and All Saints Church, said: “I’m pleased that we can offer space in this iconic building to showcase the dedicated work of our local model railway enthusiasts. It is a fact that many clergy have a special interest in railways, and I am one of them, so on a personal note this event will give me great delight.”

The six layouts on show will be: Hogwart’s Castle, Cotehele Quay, Tom’s Wharf, USA Logging Narrow Gauge, 0 gauge Loco Depot and Brockwell.

There will be modelling demonstrations, opportunities to talk to the experts and a treasure hunt.

Entry is free. Donations will be split between the church and the railway modellers’ club.

Chesterfield Railway Modellers club has been going for almost 50 years, and currently has a membership of around 16. Ken Davis said: "Two of our members have created a large OO39 layout called Wingfield Junction and we exhibit this every August at Cromford Mill. We don’t ask for an entrance fee but ask for donations to the children’s hospitals in Sheffield and Chesterfield. We have raised around £15,000 over the years this has been exhibited.”

Members have their own clubroom at the Clock Tower Business Centre in Barrow Hill where two large-scale layouts are installed including a model of Hasland Engine Shed that was south of Chesterfield throughout the period of steam.

The club is hoping to run an exhibition in Eyre Chapel, Newbold, in September this year.

For further information about the show at the Crooked Spire church, email: [email protected]. To find out more about Chesterfield Railway Modellers, visit the website www.chesterfieldrailwaymodellers.co.uk