Oldest complete working model railway

The oldest complete working model railway is located at the National Railway Museum in York, UK. It was built in 1912 as a signalling demonstration layout for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company and still uses the original locomotive, track and rolling stock. It is still operating one of the original locomotives and a selection of rolling stock that was supplied new with the layout. The model railway was built using material supplied by the Bassett-Lowke Company of Northampton UK and assembled by staff and apprentices at the Horwich Workshops, of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company. It is 15.24 m (50 ft) long and 2.74 m (9 ft) wide, and built to a track gauge known as Gauge One. This is generally recognised as 45 mm between the rails but was probably built as 44.4 mm (1.75 in). It has approximately 42.6 m (140 ft) of running track and sidings and was electrified using an additional third rail fixed outside the normal two running rails. Built in 1912 and installed in the L&Y Company signalling school in Manchester, UK, in 1913, the layout was exhibited at the British Empire Exhibition in 1925. Used until 1995 it was considered surplus to requirement by the then owners Railtrack, and was acquired by the museum, where it is operated on a regular basis.