See club’s Great Train Robbery model this Saturday

A highlight for visitors will be the club’s highly-acclaimed diorama of the Great Train Robbery.

It has been built by members to depict the events of August 8, 1963 when a gang of robbers stopped a Royal Mail train at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn, near Leighton Buzzard.

Club project manager, Nigel Adams, said: “We were attracted to creating this diorama in late 2012, because of the impending 50th anniversary of the event in 2013 and we had approximately one year to create the model.

“It has a local significance and is well known in the national consciousness as being one of those events that marks part of the recent history of this nation.

“Whilst we do not condone the actions of that night by the criminals –there was an opportunity to research a very well recorded subject and portray it as a static piece.

“Clearly we had to go back to the original material from the event in order to avoid repeating or making any mistakes that have crept into the account of the event in more recent times.

“Both printed media and film have made ‘adjustments ‘and perpetuated some common errors in the re-telling of the story, perhaps to improve the entertainment value of the event. The original data helped us ‘get it right!’

“The regrettable injuries sustained by the locomotive crew that night are a difficult aspect to deal with and we felt that one of the ways of showing sensitivity to the issue was to have a way of putting something back to support former railway workers.

“We believe we have achieved this quite well, as we are collecting for the Railway Benefit Fund Charity and have so far raised almost £700 from public generosity and donations.

“All funds collected will be handed over at a ceremony on a date to be announced in the future. More donations are always welcomed.”

The 22 layouts will range from N to O gauge, and the club will be exhibiting for the first time three new O gauge layouts belonging to club members.

Other attractions include nine trade stands and four preservation societies’ sale stands.

The exhibition takes place between 10.30am and 5pm and is pay on the door.

Adults are £5, concessions £4, children £3, and families (two adults/two children) £12. Light refreshments and free parking are available.