Ref: 12790/2GAZETTE & HERALD: SEVERAL thousand model railway enthusiasts queued for tickets to view the latest displays at this year's Trainwest exhibition at the Olympiad in Chippenham at the weekend.
More than 3,000 people were rewarded with the chance to admire 30 detailed layouts of railways from around the world.
The Bentley Model Railway Group, which organised the show, exhibited a layout entitled Wartime, featuring an RAF airbase complete with Spitfires.
There was a layout of a Ugandan railway, designed and built by a former serviceman, that included tiny model animals ranging from aardvarks to zebra.
Trainwest 2004 also featured a layout called Rock Springs, which recently appeared in the Continental Model Magazine.
Exhibition manager Geoff Endacott said: "It's a fascinating hobby, which appeals to different people for different reasons. I think its appeal is so enduring because of the variety of skills you need, including artistic skills, technical skills and even carpentry."
He said the nucleus of the Bentley Model Railway Group was founded when he got together with a group of friends while in the sixth form at Calne's John Bentley School, in 1975.
He said when the students graduated from school in 1977 they decided to carry on. The group already has bookings for next year and has started planning for 2006.
The group's website is www.trainwest.org.uk
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