THE annual Forest model railway show smashed the record for the numbers coming to see the meticulously crafted lay-outs on a single day.

The 540 people who came through the doors at The Dean Academy in Lydney on Saturday (September 28) was probably more than the number for the entire weekend in previous years, according to organisers the Forest of Dean Model Railway Club.

The show was held on Saturday and Sunday and included around 30 layouts including some based on the Forest, the wider UK, the USA and India.

There were also displays featuring cars and buses as well as demonstrators showing their model making skills and traders.

Among the more unusual displays was a working layout made entirely of Lego by Dean Forest Railway volunteer Jamie Ivin and a miniature set in the back of a car named the Train Trailer by the Fish family of Lydney.

Among the most popular stands was that of the Museum of Transport which showed a wide range of trains and vehicles.

Other exhibitors came from across the South West of England, South Wales and the Midlands.

Chairman of the Forest of Dean Model Railway Club Jon Beale said: “Saturday was a record day for the show – we had 540 through.

“If you go back 10 or 15 years we wouldn’t have got that in a weekend.

“We’ve kept the price the same for about 10 years and I think that helps.

“It’s a relatively cheap day out and we provide a good show and we have a good reputation.

“We provide something for the kids and the serious modellers.

“There is something for pretty much everybody and we get a very good quality of modellers every year.

“We have to thank the Dean Academy, this is a very good location and its wheelchair-friendly.”

The club meets on Mondays and Fridays at the parish room at the United Reform Church in Drybrook and is working on a number of projects including a large-scale model of a local station and one based on Lydbrook Viaduct.

For more information visit www.fodmrc.org.uk