A model railway exhibit destroyed by vandals in Lincolnshire has been restored and put on display, thanks to a surge of donations including £10,000 from Sir Rod Stewart. The Market Deeping Model Railway Club’s £30,000 display was trashed at Stamford Welland Academy on 18 May, with club members describing the loss as a 'life's work'.
An online crowdfunding campaign raised more than £107,000 for repairs, with the singer and model railway enthusiast contributing £10,000. Club chairman Peter Davies said the donation was 'amazing and truly humbling' and enabled the club to 'get back on track'. He noted that such an act of vandalism is rare in the model railway community.
Twenty-five club members spent 1,000 hours rebuilding the models by hand, some of which had taken years to construct. The restored display is now featured at the Warley National Model Railway Show at the Birmingham NEC, showcasing over 90 layouts from the UK and abroad.
Three 16-year-old schoolboys pleaded guilty in Lincoln Youth Court in August to causing criminal damage. They had shared a bottle of vodka before going on a 4am 'rampage', pushing over tables and throwing parts against walls. A fourth defendant was also involved.
Davies is set to meet Sir Rod, now an honorary club member, on BBC's The One Show on Monday. The Warley exhibition runs over the weekend, with the restored layout as a centrepiece of the event.
