PLANS are on track for Keighley Model Railway Club's next major event.

Members are preparing for the annual 7mm-scale festival, being held at the clubrooms – in Keighley Business Centre, South Street – from 10am to 4.30pm on October 11.

The club, founded in 1974, is now the largest of its kind in the UK. Its membership is 100-strong and it has an annual turnover exceeding £32,000.

A main exhibition is held at Victoria Hall in Keighley every March, but a series of other events take place at the clubrooms.

There are a number of layouts – complete or under construction – in various scales.

"Whilst the view of model railway enthusiasts as a legion of anorak-clad 'inadequates' is still around, it isn't as all-embracing as it used to be!" said a club spokesman.

"Building a model layout demands a variety of skills – carpentry, metalwork and painting, plus working with kits and bits to produce a finished article where small-scale trains run in a convincing landscape.

"The fact so many visitors come to the club's open days and exhibitions proves that many, if not modellers themselves, still appreciate seeing what others have achieved."

The club holds its regular meetings from 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and also opens its doors from 1pm most Saturdays. New members are welcome.

Contact John Stokes on 01535 212047 or Peter Morrison on 01535 601943 for further information.