MEMBERS of the Bentley Model Railway Group are getting ready for the annual Calne Model Rail Show at the Calne Leisure Centre this weekend (Janury 19-20).

This year marks the event's 25th anniversary, and is the third to take place since the club moved its base to Calne.

The 2019 exhibition will be open from 10am. to 5pm. on Saturday and from 10am to 4.30pm on Sunday, with 17 working layouts representing railways from the steam trains of the last century to the diesels and electrics of the present day.

The event will also include 14 trade stands and a fund-raising stand for the new Dyson Cancer Centre at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, in memory of the group's chairman Chris Young, who was cared for by the hospital last year.

Three years ago the group moved to an industrial unit on the Porte Marsh Estate. Since then a small but dedicated group of members have transformed the building beyond all recognition, from a basic industrial unit to a bespoke model railway clubroom, with new lighting, multiple electrical sockets, a fire protection system and a kitchen area. Grants from the Calne Area Board of Wiltshire Council, the Aaron Lewis Foundation and Calne Town Council enabled the group to install a disabled toilet and a stair lift.

Rail show admission on the door costs £5 cash with discounts available for children and groups. Payment in advance by card can be made online at wegottickets.com/event/455102.