IT’S the hobby where there are no rules, but has famous followers such as Rod Stewart, Neil Young and Roger Daltrey.

The only limit is your imagination.

Untold thousands of people across the UK are hooked on model rail.

Their layouts can range from tracks, sidings and a few trains to stunning, massive layouts that encompass mountains, cityscapes, harbours and roadways, as well as dozens of engines and carriages.

Now enthusiasts north of the border are looking forward to Model Rail Scotland, a three-day-long showcase that starts at the SECC on Friday.

The Association of Model Railway Societies in Scotland (AMRSS) states: “With around 30 member clubs of AMRSS this is the only show in the UK where such a large group of member groups pull together to produce a Model Railway show.

“In addition to our member clubs we also invite guest layouts from other clubs and private individuals across the UK. With such a large group pulling together it creates a great friendly atmosphere for which Model Rail Scotland has become renowned for across the UK.”

One of the clubs taking part at the SECC is Falkirk Model Railway Club, with two of the layouts that will be exhibited at the show.

The larger of the two, ‘Tamshooglie’, is 16 feet in length and is a convincing and highly detailed miniature landscape: trains, tracks, buildings of every description, a painted scenic backdrop (‘backscene’), a viaduct, a functioning windmill, grassy meadows, trees and shrubs, tunnels, railway platforms.
There are road vehicles, too, and tiny little people everywhere you look, all going about their daily business.

But take a closer look and you’ll see that the tall building at the back is actually the Great Hall from Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School. And one of the engines on the track is actually Thomas the Tank Engine.

Dave Patterson, a longstanding member who is co-ordinating the club’s November exhibition, says Tamshooglie was designed as a fun layout.

“It takes its inspiration from Potter, and Thomas, and from the children’s animated TV hit, Underground Ernie,” Dave says. “It has proved extremely popular with adults and kids alike.”
The smaller layout is called ‘Smierweida’, which depicts a small station and goods depot in southern Germany. All the stock here comes from the former East Germany.

“It has been by far the most popular layout we have ever had,” says Ron Young, a retired chemistry teacher who has chalked up several stints as club secretary or treasurer. 

Ask model railway enthusiasts why the hobby fascinates them and they talk about the satisfaction of creating miniature worlds, about the skills required – woodworking, electrical, artistic and modelling – and the joys of researching the different trains and railways.

To Dave, model rail is “very relaxing”. Ron says: “To be honest, I’m much more interested in building layouts than running them. Smierweida’s the only one that you could get me happily running. I’m building one for myself just now which is Continental N gauge, 10 feet by four.”

lModel Rail Scotland, 50th Anniversary Show, SECC, February 26-28. Tickets on the door, £12 (adults), £6 (child), £27 (family – two adults, two children). Websites: modelrail-scot land.co.uk or falkirkmrc.co.uk/