Rod Stewart ‘charters seven shipping containers to bring his model railway back to the UK’

‘It’s being treated like the Crown Jewels!’ Rod Stewart ‘charters seven shipping containers to bring his giant model railway back to the UK from the US’

  • Rod started started building the 124ft-long, 23ft-wide railway – a miniature replica of a 1940s US city –   after moving to Beverly Hills in the 1990s 
  • It took him 23 years to complete and now includes 5ft skyscrapers, bridges, a rush-hour traffic scene, and a power station
  • The set lived in the attic of his Los Angeles home for decades

He has long been known for his passion for model railways, even appearing on the cover of Railway Modeller magazine back in 2019.

And Rod Stewart has taken extra special care to make sure his legendary 124-ft long model railway set reaches the UK in pristine condition, according to new reports.

The Handbags and Gladrags rocker, 76, is said to have hired seven shipping containers for his beloved 23-ft wide replica of a 1940s US city – to ensure it travels safely from his LA home to the UK, reports The Sun.

Hi track: Rod Stewart has taken extra special care to make sure his legendary 124-ft long model railway set reaches the UK in pristine condition, according to new reports

A source told the website: ‘It’s no secret Rod is mad keen on his model railway.

‘He treats them like the crown jewels.’

Another added: ‘The kids go to school in the UK and he wants to see them grow up so wants to spend more time here.’ 

Mailonline has contacted Rod’s representatives for comment. 

Training: He has long been known for his passion for model railways, even appearing on the cover of Railway Modeller magazine back in 2019 (pictured visiting the Toronto Railway Museum in 2018)

Training: He has long been known for his passion for model railways, even appearing on the cover of Railway Modeller magazine back in 2019 (pictured visiting the Toronto Railway Museum in 2018)

Breathtaking: The Handbags and Gladrags rocker, 76, is said to have hired seven shipping containers for his beloved 23-ft wide replica of a 1940s US city - to ensure it travels safely from his LA home to the UK

Breathtaking: The Handbags and Gladrags rocker, 76, is said to have hired seven shipping containers for his beloved 23-ft wide replica of a 1940s US city – to ensure it travels safely from his LA home to the UK

The impeccably detailed model railway, considered a masterpiece among enthusiasts, has taken decades to build and  lived in the attic of the singer’s Los Angeles home. 

Back in October, Rod spoke of how his beloved set would  be dismantled for the journey and will be painstakingly put back together in his mansion in Sheering by the veteran singer and a team of craftsmen and women.

  ‘I am moving my model railroad from America over to here,’ confirmed Sir Rod, who says his interest in model railways goes back to his childhood in North London.

‘It is all because my dad bought me a signal box and I was born across the railway tracks in Highgate,’ he adds.

Stunning: The impeccably detailed model railway, considered a masterpiece among enthusiasts, has taken decades to build and lived in the attic of the singer's Los Angeles home

Stunning: The impeccably detailed model railway, considered a masterpiece among enthusiasts, has taken decades to build and lived in the attic of the singer’s Los Angeles home

The singer who has sold more than 250 million records and enjoyed massive hits with the likes of Sailing and Maggie May in a career spanning 59 years, started building the railway after moving to Beverly Hills in the 1990s.

It took him 23 years to complete and now includes 5ft skyscrapers, bridges, a rush-hour traffic scene, ‘transition era’ facilities for both steam and diesel traction, and a power station.

‘They say model railroads are never finished but this is finished,’ Sir Rod says. ‘When I completed it, I thought, ‘Jesus, what am I going to do now?’ So it is all coming over and will be up and running after Christmas.’

Sir Rod, who was knighted in 2016, first relocated to the US from the UK in 1975 to avoid tax but has now relocated back to the UK. 

Happiness: Rod, wife Penny and their two sons are now living back in the UK (pictured in 2020)

Happiness: Rod, wife Penny and their two sons are now living back in the UK (pictured in 2020)