Market Drayton Men's Shed volunteer saves library train

The locomotive bookshelves had been neglected and had to be kept out of sight after falling apart until John Edge of the Market Drayton Men's Shed stepped in.

Librarian Tori Watson asked him for help and the 71-year-old had it back on its wheels in no time.

"We used it for years but it got broken," Tori said. "It just sat in the back for years."

That was until she contacted John, who volunteered his own time and equipment to fix the train up.

He refused payment and even compensation for the screws he used, Tori said.

John said: "I was one of the founder members of the Men's Shed in Market Drayton a few years ago.

"We try and help the local community with what they want.

"The librarian must have found my telephone number on the internet, she rang me up and that was it really."

John had the train back together in less than half an hour to the delight of the library staff.

"It was just a matter of screwing it back together. It wasn't particularly well-constructed, it wasn't a piece of engineering.

"It was nothing dramatic but it feels useful to help."

Members of the Men's Shed in Market Drayton are "thin on the ground" these days, said John, and they are always happy to see new faces.

"We're always after members. It's open to women as well, we don't restrict it to just a men's shed – that was just the name historically.

"We have had women come down and any age really. People with mental problems or people like me who are retired and twiddling their thumbs – it's something for us to do.

"It's a place to just go and have a cup of tea and a biscuit. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to."

The Market Drayton Men's Shed is based in a facility at the Greenfields Sports Ground. It is equipped with lathes and saws for anyone working on projects, and the group meets on Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and 2pm.