British rocker Rod Stewart has joined the rush for boxship capacity by booking seven containers to ship his beloved model railway across the Atlantic.
The Sun newspaper has claimed Rod, 76, chartered the space to shift the kit from Los Angeles to the UK. And with rates booming, the singer would certainly have had to pay a tidy sum.
It would be remiss of TradeWinds not to point out that the former spandex fashionista is probably most widely known for his 1970s nautical hit Sailing.
The revered train set — called Grand Street and Three Rivers City — is said to be very realistic and is a 23-foot wide replica of a 1940s US city.
"It's no secret Rod is mad keen on his model railway," a source told the Sun. "He treats them like the crown jewels."
Stewart's children are educated in the UK and he wants to spend more time with them.
A 23-year labour of love
The train set appeared in Railway Modeller magazine in 2019.
The star assembled it in the attic of his home over 23 years.
It includes skyscrapers, bridges, a rush-hour traffic scene, "transition era" facilities for both steam and diesel traction and a power station, according to the Daily Mail.
Stewart signalled that the move was imminent last year. He said a team will reassemble the set in the UK after its voyage is complete.
The layouts are called Grand Street and Three Rivers City and span 1,500 square feet.
He has previously said: “A lot of people laugh, but it’s a wonderful hobby.”
Stewart spent lockdown last year with four of his eight children and wife Penny Lancaster in Essex, England.
Let's hope being reunited with his model railway stops him going off the rails in such turbulent times.
