Yorkshire has a rich railway history and gave birth to some of the most iconic steam trains the UK has ever produced.
To the north, York is home to the National Railway Museum which sees thousands of visitors every year while to south, Doncaster also holds claim to the famous LNER Doncaster Works. The latter was responsible for creating such memorable steam locomotives such as The Flying Scotsman Mallard. These two engines alone went on to gain notoriety not just in the UK but across the globe.
The Flying Scotsman became the first locomotive to break the 100mph barrier on its route between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh Wavereley while Mallard went one step further. On July 3rd 1938 the North Eastern Railway Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive managed to reach a speed of 126mph making it the fastest steam train ever. It placed itself in the Guinness Book of World Records and remains there to this day.
It is not just the real McCoy that Yorkshire is proud in terms of steam engines as the end of the month sees the return of one of the region's most cherished model railway exhibitions. Wakefield Railway Modellers' Society (RMS) will be hosting the 52nd Wakefield Annual Model Railway Show at Thornes Park Athletics Stadium between November 29th December 1st.
The event will once again bring the best together some of the best from within the model railway community. It is also perfectly timed to complement the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition which takes place at Birmingham's NEC this weekend (November 23rd and 24th). Wakefield RMS is one of the most respected and revered society's from around the region and the show is set to wow visitors in attendance.
All the big names from around the region will be setting up shop at the venue including the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the Middleton Railway Trust who will be on hand to provide advice and tips for enthusiasts. Collectors will be able to discuss their own sets with experts who will be able to give information on how to get the best out of a layout or even expand to incorporate scenery and other interesting accessories.
The main highlight of the event is the multitude of layouts that will be on display. Visitors will be able to feast their eyes everything from O Gauge – 7mm to 4mm Narrow Gauge to Z Gauge designs all presented by various collectors and enthusiasts. These layouts are not only impressive in the sense of logistics but they also depict various pieces of scenery from around the world.
For example, there will be a new layout featuring the Delaware and Hudson in the 1970s, a 1950s steel works, a station and goods yard near Oldham from the 1960s as well as a 1950s Dorset clay mining scene.
The event kicks off on Friday (November 29th) evening at 17:30 GMT and will be open until 21:00 GMT. Over the weekend doors will open at 10:00 GMT on Saturday (November 30th) closing at 18:00 GMT while it will shut at the earlier time of 17:00 GMT on Sunday (December 1st).
Entry costs £7 for adults, £5 for OAPs, £2 for children aged six and over while family tickets are available for £15.