This month, the Rail Trail Trust announced a project with Otago Museum aimed at presenting a range of scientific concepts in an engaging way to visitors, schoolchildren and their communities.
It received $24,000 from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's "Unlocking Curious Minds'' scheme.
In a trial for the project, a 1:100,000,000 scale model of the solar system will be created on the trail in which model planets will be as far as 70km away from each other.
Cromwell man Ian Begg, who conceived the idea, said it had been in his mind for "many years''.
"Four years ago, I decided the peace and tranquillity of the Otago Central Rail Trail could be a great location for it.''
He then arranged a meeting with trail trust member Daphne Hull.
"Despite initial enthusiasm for the proposal, the idea lapsed.''
In 2014, he revived the project after "lots of work'' establishing the correct scale and the position of the sun.
He organised more meetings to present the idea to the trail trust, Department of Conservation and Otago Museum.
"These were greeted with some enthusiasm and the decision was made to apply for funding for the project.''
His sister, Pam Constable, of Dunedin, said her brother liked to have projects.
"It wasn't necessarily a passion with astronomy, he likes to invent things. Before he moved to Cromwell he was on the farm and there are always things to invent on a farm.''
The siblings have astronomy in their family.
Their grandfather, John Campbell Begg, was a member of the Royal Astronomical Society and the co-founder of the Beverly-Begg Observatory in Robin Hood Park, Belleknowes.
The project will begin with school and public meetings in Ranfurly in June to discuss design and potential materials.
