A model railway layout built inside four box files and reflecting the work of Southeast Communities Rail Partnership (SCRP) has been displayed at a festival of modelling.

The layout – called ‘Box End Green’ – highlights the community rail activities across the region, with a special focus on the national Railway 200 celebrations happening throughout 2025.

As the box files were no longer needed at SCRP’s offices, Marshlink Line officer Paul Bromley took them home and, with the help of fellow members of the Eastbourne Model Railway Society, built the layout over a period of three months.

The layout, which cost less than £200 to build and involved about 200 volunteer hours, was debuted at the Ashford Festival of Modelling in Kent over the weekend of 12 and 13 April (having of course been transported there by train!)

Among the current and recent community rail activities featured in the box files were:

• Supporting school children and community groups to travel safely, confidently and independently by train
• Developing travel plans for disabled people in consultation with train and bus companies
• Bringing redundant station buildings back into community use
• Developing integrated and sustainable transport links with buses, walking and wheeling and cycling routes
• Working with Scout groups on their railway safety and Platforms for Change badge

The model railway also included scaled-down representations of Rye Station, Bodiam Castle, the Eastbourne RNLI museum and children’s artwork on display at Ore Station.

Paul Bromley, Marshlink Line officer, said: “This was a first for all of us – the first time our activities have been reproduced in miniature and the first time the model railway society has built a layout inside box files. We were delighted with the finished product and equally delighted with the enthusiastic feedback from visitors at its debut.

“We intend to display the box file model railway layout at other community rail and Railway 200 events this year.”

Ashford Mayor Cllr Lyn Suddards was among those in attendance and said: “It was a very effective exhibit with each box segment expressing a great deal in a minute space.”

Fred Garner, director of Ashford International Model Railway Education Centre (AIMREC), which organised the festival, said: “Box End Green told a lot in a small space and showed the story of community involvement in our railways.”

Comments from other visitors included “lovely to see the impact on the community”, “such a cool idea and sustainable”, “informative and engaging for all ages to showcase the work of community rail”, “a unique repurpose of old files, truly inspirational” and “fantastic way of demonstrating the great work that the partnership is doing”.

Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from Southeast Communities Rail Partnership via their website.