My local(ish) model shop, Tony's Trains, is celebraiting it's 10th birthday this year. To this end, Tony organised a small exhibition at the Mountsorrel and Rothley Community Heritage Centre. I was promised cake, and toy trains, and real ones, so of course I went along.
The centre isn't somewhere I've ever been before, and getting in is a little fiddly until you work out you have to go through the cafe. First impressions are good, everything looks very professional, especially the historical displays.
The show was in the loco shed, and consisted of half-a-dozen small layouts, a trade stand (Tony's Trains) and displays from Bachmann and Accurascale - he'd pulled in a few favours to get these two there.
I enjoyed the layouts, and have even booked one for a future magazine shoot.
Outside though, well that's where the fun started. There is a nice little narrow gauge railway, which runs around a sensory garden.
The trains always seemed to have passengers, who were enjoying the ride. Mind you, the weather was suited to open coaches, perhaps the would be less popular on a wet and windy day!
The other bit of fun was "Driver for a Fiver" in the line's Barclay shunter.
OK, the site isn't large, and you only got to bat up and down twice, so the total running time would be 5 minutes, but this loco can shift! None of the drivers seemed to be taking prisoners, and Tony encouraged them to make use of the regulator.
Of course I had a go - it would be rude not to after all, and the money was going to a good cause, keeping the centre open.
And cake. Well, lunch actually. A tuna melt that is worth travelling for, and a wide selection of tempting cakes to follow.
A cracking day out. I want to go back again, just to do the historical stuff on quarry railways. Well, that and try more cake of course!
Visit the Mountsorrel and Rothley Community Heritage Centre website for full details.
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