By opening our model railway we shall give volunteers the opportunity to train in useful skills. We shall also entertain and educate public visitors who come to see the model railway in Markeaton Park when it opens early in 2014. We have completely refurbished a large building after 40 or more years in use as a Council store. We shall shortly erect our 40feet-long 00-scale model of Chinley station there, rearrange its tracks, rewire it and add scenic details ready for its opening in early 2014.

Derby is traditionally a railway city, the one remaining centre of train building in the UK. Visitors to our model railway will learn about Derby's railway history and about the way the early railways enabled Derbyshire's quarries to flourish. Our model railway is a 40 feet-long model of Chinley station between Sheffield and Manchester as it was in the late 1950s. There will be about 20 different model trains running. Why not volunteer with us?

From the "Grow your Tenner" campaign last year we were able to progress our search for grant funding, which has now been successful with enough raised to refurbish our building. Funders include the Big Lottery Fund, Biffa Award, The Hedley Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Derbyshire Community Foundation and our local council. We thank them all.