MORE than 7,000 people steamed through the doors of King George's Hall for the 37th Annual Blackburn and East Lancashire Model Railway Society exhibition which organisers said was the biggest and best yet.

The three-day exhibition featured 15 large working layouts, including the host society's new Oxenholme set-up which showed the west coast main line junction as it was in the 1950s and '60s.

The show had a distinctive Northern flavour with layouts showing Grange over Sands, Kirkby Steven, the Settle to Carlisle line in the early 20th century, Banburgh in the North East and the Blackpool trams.

Members of the Blackburn and East Lancashire Society are already working on their next project, an 'O' gauge layout which they hope will be ready for the 39th show in 2004.