“FOR enthusiasts, the Swindon Railway Festival is like a pilgrimage.”

That is according to music mogul and television railway historian Pete Waterman, who has never missed the town’s now iconic model and train show in its 13-year run.

The presenter will be among the thousands expected to travel to the STEAM Museum to attend the festival this weekend, not only as a guest speaker but as an aficionado keen to meet some of the last remaining railway workers and true voices of our country’s rich industrial past.

“It’s probably one of the most famous railway works in the world,” he said. “I go every year because you meet a lot of of people that were on the works, with a unique view of the railway – guys who made the engines –and that’s quite phenomenal.

“They can really tell you the story of the railway and it just beats any expert or book written about it.

“It’s just 14 hours of talking trains, which suits me down to the ground.”

To mark the World War One Centenary, the festival includes STEAM’s new exhibition, A Railway at War, exploring the role of the GWR and its employees during the conflict.

Pete, who has led pioneering research into the railway works’ crucial role in this most secretive period of history, is eager to delve deeper into the festival’s wartime theme.

“This year’s Swindon Railway Festival is especially important to me as it gives both visitors and exhibitors the chance to have a lot of fun celebrating our railways, past and present; while on a more serious note – to explore the importance of the railways during wartime,” he added.

“Particularly in World War One, railways changed the way wars worked.

“Because of secrecy some of that stuff still isn’t in the public domain. One of the fascinating things nobody talks about is the hospital trains that were built to take anybody who was injured in Europe to hospitals.”

As usual, visitors will be treated to a large display of model railway layouts as well as an array of demonstrations and trade stands.

Children will be encouraged to take the controls of the engines running on the Thomas the Tank track as well as being invited to climb aboard the iconic No. 4073 Caerphilly Castle and No. 4003 Lode Star.

Coun David Renard, leader of Swindon Council, said: “The Swindon Railway Festival is a fantastic day out for all the family and is one of the highlights of the year at STEAM. The model railway layouts at the show are incredibly intricate and a joy for enthusiasts of all ages.

“I would encourage anyone who has not been to the festival before to pop along and enjoy seeing the beautiful models for themselves as well as our magnificent museum collection.”

The festival will open on Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 5pm.

For more details visit www.steam-museum.or.uk or call the museum on 01793 466646.