East Lancs model rail show comes to Clitheroe

Albert Wilkinson from the Blackburn and East Lancs Model Railway Society with his model of Oswaldtwistle Town railway station at the exhibition at St Mary's Hall.

The Blackburn and East Lancs Model Railway Society ran their exhibition over two days at St Mary’s Centre, Church Brow, and the success of the event could signal a return visit in future.

The society has members from all over East Lancashire, including the Ribble Valley, and locals exhibiting included Mick Bryan with his layout “New Bryford”, and Ribble Valley Live Steamers showing some of the passenger-hauling steam locomotives that they run on a layout at Edisford Bridge.

Young visitors enjoyed operating a Thomas The Tank Engine Layout, and there was a selection of layouts, some based on actual locations and some fictitious, such as the proposed railway to Oswaldtwistle which never materialised.

Society publicity officer Albert Wilkinson said: “We’re very pleased with the response from the public. We had 600 adult visitors and about 200 children visiting over the weekend.

“The venue is superb, in the centre of town and with good access, and a lot of our visitors were in town for the shopping and other attractions.

“We’ll certainly consider coming come back to Clitheroe in future.”