Railway enthusiasts from the Nottingham Model Railway School will recreate a scale model of Colwick’s locomotive depot, known as Loco, the rail yard where the locomotives were kept as part of an event to celebrate Netherfield’s heritage.
The model will be over four feet long and will include key details about what the Loco Depot looked like and how it housed large trains.
There will also be other static models of the types of locomotives in various scales and other railway models linked to the history of the town.
The ‘Loco Remembered’ event to celebrate Netherfield’s rich railway history will take place at the Crossing Social Club on Station Road, Carlton on Saturday 4th March.
Once a prosperous railway town, Netherfield was home to the largest freight concentration yard in Europe, built by the Great Northern Railway in 1875. The yard was used to collect coal traffic from the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire coalfields and ship it to London. The railway prospered and grew, with a locomotive department and housing for the workforce.
However, in the mid-20th century, declining traffic due to road competition and internal railway politics led to the closure of the yards and locomotive department in 1970. Today the site of the old railway is occupied by Victoria Retail Park .
This free event is being organized by the Nottingham Model Railway Society in collaboration with Gedling Council. The event remembers through models, photos and memorabilia the Colwick railway sidings and sheds, which closed over 50 years ago, and shows how the railway shaped Netherfield as a community.
Residents and visitors alike are encouraged to attend and learn more about this important part of the city’s history.
Gedling Borough Council Leader, Councilor John Clarke MBE, said
“Remembering our history is crucial to understanding who we are as a community and where we come from. This event is a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate Netherfield’s rich railway history and its impact on the town.”
Hayden Reed of the Nottingham Model Railway Society said:
“We are incredibly pleased to be a part of this exciting project. We are recreating the model of the Fool to show the size of this building, which was central to the entire railway system in Netherfield and may not be realized by residents where they live. We hope it will help bring the community together to celebrate the rich history of what was once a railroad town.”
For more information on the event, visit www.gedling.gov.uk/whatson