‘The gates of heaven’: Rod Stewart to upgrade his ‘world-class’ model railway

He may have had an international hit single called Sailing, but Rod Stewart’s heart is in an altogether different mode of transport.

Such is the 70s pop legend’s love of model railways he has relocated his “world-class” collection from his Los Angeles home to his country estate in England, and plans are afoot to upgrade the setup.

The 156 sq metre (1,674 sq ft) model, which features towering skyscrapers, bridges, a rush-hour traffic scene and a 275-metre (900ft) mainline train track running through a finely detailed cityscape, was built over a period of 23 years before being unveiled in 2019.

Having transported and reconstructed the gargantuan layout back home, Stewart told Railway Modeller magazine how he plans to develop the scene: “I’m not happy with the lights – we’ve really got to work on that.

“We’re going to add some uplights on some of the buildings and skyscrapers,” he added. “Then we’re going to have thunder and lightning, everything but rain put in for effects.”

Other new features will include advanced lighting for day-to-night transitions, sound effects and a computer-controlled automation system for seamless train operations.

Built over two decades, Stewart would book out an extra room in hotels whilst on tour to sculpt and paint the scenery. “Nearly all the buildings are either scratch-built or adapted from kits,” he said. “Nothing is recognisable – everything is unique.”

Named Grand Street and Three Rivers Railroad, the layout is modelled on mid-20th-century New York City and Chicago.

In 2019, when Jeremy Vine suggested that Stewart did not make the set himself, the singer called into the presenter’s radio show to insist he built 90% of it. “The only thing I wasn’t very good at and still am not is the electrical, so I had someone else do that,” he said on air.

As he gears up for his newly announced Glastonbury 2025 legends slot, Stewart said he spent up to five hours each day making models for his mini-city. “When I walk into my workshop, it’s like entering the gates of heaven.”

“Sir Rod’s dedication and eye for detail elevate this project beyond a simple hobby,” the Railway Modeller editor, Craig Tiley, said of Stewart’s set-up. “It’s a world-class exhibit, blending artistry and technology.”

Stewart’s love for model trains began as a young boy. “I was born in Highgate, north London, and out of my window I could see railway lines and, beyond that, football pitches,” he told the Guardian. “I once said that I’d rather be on the cover of Railway Modeller than Rolling Stone magazine and Rolling Stone haven’t spoken to me since.”

In 2019, when vandals destroyed a model railway exhibit, Stewart donated £10,000 to the Market Deeping model railway club to help it restore the display. “It’s the greatest hobby in the world,” he said.