A RETIRED pastry chef has created an amazing train model out of sugar.

Alan Whatley came up with the idea for his Star Class locomotive after being asked to judge at a four-day culinary salon at London's ExCel.

Having been asked to exhibit an item of his own, Alan, a steam enthusiast and member of Taunton Model Railway Group, plumped for a locomotive from sugar.

He based his model on drawings, scaling it up as he set about making the engine in a medium called pastillage.

Alan said: "This is a firm paste made from icing sugar, egg white and gum tragacanth, a natural product with fantastic setting properties. It can be rolled, shaped or cut and when dry becomes quite brittle.

"Having cut a baseboard, which fitted into the back of my car I cut, dried and coloured the sleepers and set them in place using icing.

"Next came the ballast, four colours, cut, dried and then mixed before applying around the sleepers

"Finally, the rails were made and attached.

"At this point, I needed to put a small structure in place to hold the weight of the boiler and cab.

"This was achieved with a thin strip of wood held in place at the correct height and secured with thin metal rods, bolted securely in place. This was necessary to ensure the integrity of the piece and is the only part not made from sugar."

Every item was to scale, while the wheels were made made by cutting individual spokes, attaching them to a rim then covering with a final tyre.

Rivets were piped in icing, wheels were coloured then dusted with a cake decorating dust called dark silver to give a metallic appearance.

There was one problem though - after taking around 24 hours to make the six driving wheels, Alan discovered they were a centimetre too small, so he had to bin them and start again.

Having begun planning last July, most items were ready for assembly in January.

"It was starting to look like a locomotive," said Alan.

"Colouring was done with food colouring paste, which was diluted down to brushing consistency with alcohol. Once coloured it received a coat of confectioner’s varnish.

"Coal was made in individual pieces, sprayed black and dusted with black cake decorating powder.

"Each side of the tender took five hours to dress with transfers."

By end of February, it was finishing touches, then packing for transport to London.

It has now back at Taunton Model Railway Group clubhouse at Bishops Lydeard Station.