The society behind an impressive miniature railway situated in Flintshire woods is hoping to encourage the younger generation to join this nostalgic hobby.
Celyn Wood miniature railway in Northop boasts a woodland track which makes up around a third of a mile passing through patches of bluebells, garlic and beautiful wildflowers.
The railway has been running for around 35 years and is open to the public from 11am to 3pm most Sundays throughout the year depdendent on the weather.
The attraction is free to enter on Sundays and, at just £1 for a ride on the trains, offers an affordable day out for families.
The railway will be closing from October 30 until April 2 of next year to enable essential maintenance work to take place.
The railway is run, maintained and even station managed by the Mold Engineering Society, which contains around 50 members of train and model engineering enthusiasts.
Around 10 members of the group actively take on the maintenance of the track which can involve a huge workload including forest upkeep, carpentry and fixing the track and trains.
The work that will take place this winter includes; track replacement, lawnmower bridge replacement, tidying and cleaning as well as dealing with a current outbreak of an invasive plant.
The railway is a non-profit organisation is completely self-sufficient relying solely on the earnings from Sunday rides to keep the track running.
The railway truly resembles an old-fashioned railway station and track in a shrunken down size and several toys and animals can be spotted along the route.
There is space available for guests to enjoy picnics at the site as well as watch a smaller railway which contains several model tank engines, including an infamous Thomas.
The society does offer birthday parties on a limited basis of six parties per year at a cost of £100 for two hours of unlimited rides.
Mold Engineering Society consists of mainly those who are over retirement age, therefore they hope to encourage train and model engineering enthusiasts to come onboard.
Secretary for the group, Paul Wilbraham, said: "We need younger people.
"It's easier for us as we remember what the steam trains and the diesel trains looked like, whereas for younger people this may not be the case."
Chairman of the group, Dave Eldridge, said: "It is a hobby driven by nostalgia."
The impressive locomotives on the railway are either built or owned by members of the society.
According to Mr Wilbraham, who has built several trains, it can take around four years to completely build a train and requires a lot of patience.
The members of the society are extremely proud and passionate about the enchanting world they have built.
Mr Wilbraham added: "It really is a labour of love."
More information about Celyn Wood Miniature Railway can be found here.
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