A model railway diorama of Gloucester Station through the ages has been unveiled by the Mayor of Gloucester, Councillor Ashley Bowkett, and has gone on display in the waiting room at the city’s railway station.

Unveiled by the Mayor of Gloucester, the display recreates the station across 140 years, from the 1880s, through to the present day, 50 years after the city’s second station closed.

Twelve people spent a year completing the model, which was funded by a £1,000 grant from Great Western Railway’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund. The level of craftsmanship and historical detail is extraordinary, showing miniature scenes of everyday life at the station.

Intricate details bring the station to life, with customers, hand-painted signs, milk pails from the days of the dairy trains, and even a station cat. An illusion created by a cleverly placed mirror gives the impression that the model is a continuous stretch of track that links the past and present by travelling through time.

Laurence Pegrum from Gloucester Model Railway Club commented that it was a labour of love for many at the club. It celebrates Gloucester’s railway history and the generations of people who have worked and travelled through the station over the decades, and offers both a glimpse into the evolution of rail travel and a snapshot of community life during a defining period of British transport history.

Customer and Community Improvement Funds are used for a variety of projects throughout the country, such as Bures railway station, on the borders of Essex and Suffolk, where Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund has contributed towards a new garden.

“We’re proud to have supported this incredible piece of work by the Gloucester Model Railway Club through our Customer and Community Improvement Fund, and to welcome it to Gloucester station for all to enjoy. It captures the history of the station beautifully, and the level of detail is so exquisite that each time you look at it, you find something new; every part tells a story. This is a great opportunity to give our customers something unique, engaging and nostalgic to enjoy while waiting for their train.”

Chloe Coglan, Gloucester Station Manager

“I am delighted to unveil this historical model railway display at Gloucester Railway Station. It is a fine example of what can be achieved when organisations such as GWR work in partnership with local community groups like the Gloucester Model Railway Club. Supported by the 2025–26 Community Connectivity Improvement Fund, this project celebrates the heritage of Gloucester Station while also recognising the club’s wider social value in bringing people together, supporting mental wellbeing, and fostering friendship and inclusion among members of all ages.”

Councillor Ashley Bowkett, The Right Worshipful, the Mayor of Gloucester