Railnuts achieve Guinness World Record at Model World Live

Making Tracks has been awarded the Guinness World Record for the LARGEST PORTABLE MODEL RAILWAY

On Saturday 27 April Pete Waterman’s Railnuts team set a Guinness World Record with their Making Tracks 4 layout – ‘The Final Frontier’ at Model World LIVE at the Birmingham NEC.

The record was for the worlds Largest Portable Model Railway and had to meet stringent criteria set by Guinness including being measured to within 0.001m, being a single scale model, prove that it is portable, be built to a professional standard as well including details of the number of trains, loops, track length, locomotive movements and all measured tracks being used.  One of the criteria was for all the usable track to be measured for which a special Sonic Track Measurement wagon was created.

The official track length came in at 694.9m / 2279ft.

The story of this world record attempt is being captured for a new series of 'Little Trains & Big Names' with Pete Waterman OBE.  The first series was the highest rated show on More4 in 2023.

Making Tracks creator Pete said: "Extending Making Tracks for Model World LIVE at the NEC has been a huge challenge and the Guinness World Record attempt was a fantastic achievement by the Railnuts.  It was a credit to all the team involved and proves that the model railway hobby is alive and well.  The media interest in the Guinness World Record was off the scale with 28 interviews and broadcasting live on BBC Breakfast!”

Model World LIVE Exhibition Manager Mike Wild added: "The 208ft long layout at Model World LIVE was a staggering achievement for Making Tracks which has already had a huge impact on the modelling hobby. We were very proud to have hosted the World Record attempt and to be sharing that with the modellers from across the country and around the world."

The first series of Little Trains & Big Names with Pete Waterman is available to watch on demand on Channel 4.

A pop-up edition of Making Tracks will return to Chester Cathedral this summer.

Photograph: Jonathan Newton, Hornby Magazine