PENDLE FOREST MODEL RAILWAY SOCIETY

Registered Charity 1002022__________________NWMRCA Member

The Pendle Forest MRS began life as the Brierfield Model Railway Club back in 1964, using a room rented from the local church. The club soon out-grew the room and by 1966 occupied, rather appropriately, the first floor of the stationmaster’s house at Nelson.

No longer Brierfield based, the club changed its name to the Pendle Forest MRS. Dry rot in the building eventually forced a change of headquarters and after several temporary locations and moves, including one forced on us in 1988 as a result of arson, the society now owns its current permanent premises at 6, St. James Street, Brierfield outright.

Since its early days the society has encouraged the education of the general public, especially children, in local railway history and its impact on the area. Railway safety is also high on the agenda and in 1994 the British Transport Police asked us to build a small 4mm scale diorama depicting numerous hazards and dangerous practices, which they could take to schools. The model is still in use and it is believed that lives have already been saved as a result.

Around the same time, the Society achieved Charitable status, the first model railway society to do so, I believe.

From its earliest days, the Pendle Forest MRS has dedicated itself to producing layouts for exhibition. Close links with clubs in our twin towns of Creil, France and Marl, Germany have served to broaden our horizons and several of our layouts have attended shows in both countries over the last 18 years. In their turn, our twinned clubs have reciprocated by continuing to visit the society’s annual exhibition each November.