A MODEL railway enthusiast who ‘doesn’t do’ electric trains celebrated his 80th birthday surrounded by family, friends and steam at a surprise party.

Jonathan Green – a founder member of the Mid Cheshire Model Engineering Society in 1974, and its current president – marked the occasion at the club’s Sandiway miniature railway track on Saturday, February 23.

Through the club’s 45 years Jon has served as treasurer and chairman, and is the senior boiler tester who focuses largely on building steam locomotives.

Four of his seven builds – Quarry Hunslets ‘Red Damsel’, ‘Blanche’ and ‘Lilla’ along with 0-6-0 loco ‘Hercules’ were secretly set up to run in-steam at the track by committee members on the day.

Jon’s other builds have included ‘Simplex’, ‘Louise’ and ‘Lostock’, while another loco is currently under construction at the Four Lanes Garage, of which Jon is proprietor.

Present at the party on Saturday were his wife and all the Green family, together with long-standing friends and club members.

After a buffet lunch, the traditional cake was cut before the day ended by coupling all four locos together and quadruple-heading a lengthy train around the track.

The club is based at Sandiway, behind Blakemere Village.

n mcsme.co.uk