Rod Stewart's model railway will be a 'museum piece', says wife Penny Lancaster
Sir Rod Stewart's wife Lady Penny Lancaster-Stewart predicts his model railway will become a "museum piece" after the 80-year-old singer passes away.
Sir Rod Stewart's model railway will become a "museum piece" and live on after he dies, his wife Lady Penny Lancaster-Stewart has predicted.
The 80-year-old music legend has spent decades creating the 1,500sq 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.
Penny, 54, says the model railway - which is a World War II Manhattan replica called 'Grant Street And Three Rivers City' - is such an amazing and unique set that it deserves to be enjoyed by others after Rod's death.
During a discussion about the possessions of lost loved ones on UK daytime TV show 'Loose Women', she said: "Rod will live on.
"His railway that he's worked on for 30 years will be a museum piece. For sure.
"I love watching programmes like 'Antiques Roadshow' and touching those tactile objects from the past.
"Whether it's a book or a medal or a something that you can attach the history and the stories that remind you of your past."
Rod's 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 124ft long and 23 ft wide.
Rod - who has two sons, Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 14, with 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.
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's 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."
