Model-maker recreates railway line for centenary

A model-maker and train enthusiast has recreated an abandoned railway line 100 years after it first opened.

The Ashover Light Railway was built to take limestone and flour spar to Clay Cross Iron Works, Derbyshire, along with a passenger service, until the entire line was closed in 1950.

David Wright, a retired graphic designer and model-maker, said he spent two years "on and off" recreating the line for a special event to mark its opening in 1925.

His model will be on display on Saturday and Sunday during a special exhibition in Ashover.

The line was built using leftover equipment from the then-War Department.

Despite the line being built to carry mineral traffic, its passenger service proved popular in the 1920s but competition from buses saw numbers decline.

Passenger services were withdrawn in 1936 and mineral freight continued until 1950.

Mr Wright, from Hilton near Derby, said his passion for the railways started more than 60 years ago at the age of six when he went along with his father to Derby Museum to see an exhibition.

The model itself shows the Ashover Butts stop where the line terminated.

He said he looked at available photos for the work but because the line was not open for long, there were limited resources to model it from.

Mr Wright said he started it two years ago but began to focus on other projects. As the anniversary drew nearer, he spent the last four months on it.

"I've always had a big interest, I did another similar model a few years ago and decided to do it again," he added.

"My passion is still there in making model railways, I really enjoy it and I always strive to make a model as realistic as possible but you can't always make things true to scale because of room.

"I'm looking forward to the exhibition, they're expecting quite a crowd of people to come so it's great."

Mr Wright's model will be on display on 5-6 April at the Ashover Light Railway's 100th Anniversary Exhibition in the Bassett Rooms, Ashover.

It will also be on display at events in Bakewell in June and Buxton in July.

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.