Rod Stewart unveils his epic model railway after 26 years in the making

13 November 2019, 15:38 | Updated: 16 November 2023, 14:22

Sir Rod Stewart's biggest passion outside music (or maybe even more than music) is his love for model railways.

And now, Sir Rod has finally revealed his true labour of love: a massive and detailed model of a US city, which he has been making for 26 years.

The incredible 124ft long x 23ft wide model is set in the 1940s, and contains hundreds of buildings including trackside shanties, large factories and skyscrapers.

Called 'Grand Street And Three Rivers City', it also has a railway station and several bridges. There are also period cars and lorries, and a gorgeous landscape.

Sir Rod told Railway Modeller magazine that scenery and structure modelling, rather than trains or tracks, are his personal favourite part of the building process.

"It's the landscape I like. Attention to detail, extreme detail, is paramount. There shouldn't be any unsightly gaps or pavements that are too clean," he said.

He was inspired by American railways as he was living in the States when he began the model in 1993. At the time, he had just built a new house in Los Angeles, which included an attic room specifically for the build.

"When I take on something creative like this, I have to give it 110%," he added. "For me it's addictive. I started, so I just had to finish. I'm lucky I had the room. If I'd have realised at the start it would have taken so long, I'd have probably said, 'No! No! Nah!'"

Meanwhile, Rod has announced he will perform at a "secret dinner party" organised by his wife Penny Lancaster to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, with the hopes of raising £1m.