Model railway gifted 58 years after owner's death

Alfie, 11, received the set from Val Wilkinson, the previous owner's aunt

A woman has travelled across the country to give a Lincolnshire boy a model railway set kept in storage since the death of her nephew 58 years ago.

Val Wilkinson saw 11-year-old Alfie, from Bourne, talk about his hobby on BBC Breakfast.

The 75-year-old travelled from her home in Hertfordshire to donate the set which belonged to her nephew John who died of cancer in 1966.

Mrs Wilkinson said she wanted Alfie to have the trains after his interview had "melted" her heart.

She said: "The trains have just been sitting in the loft and I feel so much better knowing Alfie has it and he will look after it."

Alfie, who is a member of the Market Deeping Model Railway Club, was delighted with the gift: “I've always wanted a nice steam locomotive.

"I don’t have an enormous layout at home so I can’t have a really big train but a smaller one to pull coaches or coal is something I've wanted."

The train set had been in storage since the death of its owner, John, in 1966

Mrs Wilkinson said the set had been stored away in boxes for almost 60 years after her nephew John died just before his 17th birthday.

She told the BBC: “I remember him playing with these trains and it’s lovely to see it out and being played with again."

Alfie first became interested in model railways when his grandad introduced him to the hobby.

He is one of more than a dozen youth members of the Market Deeping Model Railway Club.

Sir Rod Stewart donated £10,000 to the club in 2019 after vandals destroyed their display.

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