Rod Stewart’s secret passion: A 38-metre model railway he plans to leave behind in a museum
Sir Rod Stewart’s model railway will become a “museum piece” and live on after he dies, his wife Lady Penny Lancaster-Stewart predicts.
The 80-year-old music legend has spent decades creating the 1500sq ft train set, and when he tours, he has parts of it shipped around the globe so he can work on it during his free time.
Lady Penny, 54, says the model railway, a World War II Manhattan replica called Grant Street and Three Rivers City, is such an amazing and unique set that it deserves to eventually be enjoyed by others.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Rod will live on,” she said during a discussion about the possessions of lost loved ones on UK daytime TV show Loose Women.
“His railway that he’s worked on for 30 years will be a museum piece. For sure.”
The intricate set features a running railway station, period cars, lorries, along with several classic American city scenes, including a 1940s-inspired Pennsylvania Railroad scene, making the model 38m long and 7m wide.
Sir Rod - who has two sons, Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 14, with Lady Penny, as well as six children from prior relationships - also added a tribute to his British roots with an ode to his lifelong support of Scottish soccer team Celtic FC by incorporating a Celtic coal and steel firm building on the tracks.
The Maggie May singer began his model railway when he first moved into his Beverly Hills mansion in 1993.
Sir Rod previously confessed that he was concerned about divulging his passion for model railways as he didn’t think it was a “rock’n’roll” hobby, but he finds working on his set “relaxing” and he will often spend several hours in his workshop.
In an interview with Railway Modeller magazine, he said: “When I walk into my workshop, it’s like entering the gates of heaven for me. It’s just ahhh ... this is my time. I would say I spend, on average, four or five hours a day if I can. Even if there are twenty minutes, I go over to my workshop”.
“In twenty minutes, I can get quite a lot done. And it’s really taken over my life somewhat. In a wonderful way. There was a time I hid away from it”.
“Because I thought railway modelling and rock ‘n’ roll don’t go together, and I was sort of embarrassed. But I’m not anymore, I’m proud of it. I mean obviously music is my main life’s work, but this is definitely second.”
