Malkara 2017

I spent an enjoyable weekend attending the 45th Malkara Model Railway and Scale Model Exhibition in Canberra.  The exhibition is a major fundraiser for the Malkara Specialist School in Garran.

There were a number of model railway layouts and associated scale models (ships, doll houses, etc.) to entertain the general public. As a school fundraiser, many of the people going to the Malkara Exhibition do so to support the school rather than as exhibition junkies. As such, it is a pretty useful way of introducing the model railway hobby to people who might not ordinarily go to model railway exhibitions.

The two main commercial outlets at the exhibition were Casula Hobbies and Model Railroad Craftsman. Both of these Sydney-based shops have supported the Malkara Exhibition for many years and I thank them both for coming along each year.

Talking with Joe from Casula Hobbies on Saturday, I realised that it was forty years ago when as a young lad I first went to Casula and met Joe from the newsagency (as it was then) which had begun stocking model railway items, including the early Australian polyurethane kits. I bought a couple of MRC and Friedmont kits. Since my dad and I had driven quite a way to get to Casula, Joe gave my dad a discount on the cost of the models - something both dad and I never forgot. That early encouragement was the precursor to four decades of involvement in the hobby for me. Thanks again Joe!

Other retailers supporting Malkara were Pallas Hobbies, Runway 13, Euro Hobby Trains, Kerroby Models, and Matt's Ballast.

Here are some layouts that caught my eye over the weekend.

The Epping Model Railway Club, a traditional supporter of the Malkara Exhibition, exhibited the massive layout Bethungra Spiral (HO scale). Watching trains snake their way around the spiral among the hills and the trees is truly awe-inspiring.

Another long-time supporter is the Illawarra Model Railway Association. This time they were exhibiting Kelly River (HO scale). The feature of this layout is the operating bascule bridge which always draws a crowd.

The ACT Scale Model Society, who organise the exhibition with the Malkara School, had Yendys (HO scale) on show. Despite having seen this layout many times now, I always enjoy this layout.

The Georges River Model Railway Club had their N scale layout Dunblurtin on show.

The Hills Model Railway Society brought down to Canberra their large N scale South Bend and Hilltop layout - a very impressive layout indeed.

The Guildford Model Railway Group had their exhibition layout, Goulburn (HO scale), on show. I very much like this layout. They have really captured the look of the wonderful Goulburn station buildings. There is always plenty of mainline Australian action on this layout.

Another club layout, this time from the Sydney Model Railway Society, was Mungo Scott (HO scale). This layout is based on the iconic flour mill on the Metropolitan Goods line in Sydney that ran between Dulwich Hill and Darling Harbour. Now the line is part of the Sydney urban transport network.

But for me, my favourite layout (and the first time I had seen this layout) was the beautifully presented "Inglenook" layout called Rozelle Street (HO scale). I freely admit to being a fan of "Inglenook" layouts and this was no exception. Well done Ben!

I also had a great time catching up with friends and fellow railway modellers, plus the odd purchase or two (or three) items that is always a must at these type of events. Thanks to the organisers, exhibitors, and retailers for making the weekend such an enjoyable experience.

Sydney Model Railway Exhibition 2011 Report

Another Sydney Model Railway Exhibition is over. The three day event will be on again next year - the 50th!

There was a good selection of layouts and plenty of commercial stands at the exhibition.  I did feel that there were less layouts than usual but this certainly increased the aisle spacing and made it easier to walk around than in previous years. And like previous years, the Saturday morning crawl to get into the exhibition was slow. Note to exhibition organisers: is it possible to have four ticket booths operating instead of two at the busy periods of the exhbition please?

While many of the layouts at the exhibition had been on the exhibition circuit quite a few times before (no, Brisbane Waters from the Epping Club missed out this year and was replaced by the more recent Brunswick Park layout). But there were  a couple of new arrivals. The layouts that most caught my eye included the following:

The NSW O scale (7mm) layout Arakoola was very well presented. It follows the familiar NSW branch line format popular in HO scale but this time double the scale size. There certainly is the impression of weight and power when you see these O scale trains in operation, at realistic speeds, on a nicely scenicked layout. The layout is 17 metres in length and operated by digital command contril (DCC).

A G scale layout, Shady Hollow, featured a logging and forestry scene. It was amazing how much detail could be accomplished in such a relatively small layout size for a G scale exhibit.

Barcoola from the Bayside Model Railway Club represents the junction of the Trans Australian Railway and the Central Australian Railway and featured Australian National locomotives and trains. The layout is long which allows for some very lengthy trains. The layout is operated by DCC.

On a much smaller layout was the compact but well detailed Broxburn Sidings. This OO scale (4mm) layout is a small shunting layout with a freelanced Australian theme (Quinton River). Interestingly, the locos and rollingstock use Alex Jackson couplers, popular among British model railway folk. Having come all the way from Queensland, Broxburn Sidings was a nice addition to the Sydney exhibition.

A new layout to the Sydney Exhibition was Mungo Scott's, based on the iconic flour mill on the Metropolitan Goods Line in Sydney. This layout was built over a fifteen month period by members of the Arncliffe Model Railway Society (formerly Sydney Model Railway Society).

Wallerawang from the Guildford Model Railway Group is a good solid exhibition layout. The station building and footbridge are standouts, but the rest of the layout is well modelled and presented as well. For more information, try http://www.gmrg.org.au/

Oddwalls is another NSW-based HO scale layout, having started the exhibition circuit earlier this year. I enjoyed looking at the layout when I first saw it, and I still enjoy the detail in the layout now. The layout also presents very well and is a good size for both setting up and for viewing.

The good-hearted chaps from the Illawarra Model Railway Association were there with their US-based layout Kelly River. Kelly River features an operating Bascule Bridge and gauntlet track. You can find more information about this layout at www.imra.org.au/kelly.html

Still one of my favourite exhibition layouts, and still going strong, was the HO scale layout, Dungog. Dungog is an actual town located about 80km north of Newcastle and is famous as the birthplace of NSW and Australian cricketer, Doug Walters. I must say I find myself looking on the layout for a chap or a kid with a cricket bat somewhere but have yet to see it. The layout uses photographs from the Dungog district which are very effective. At the left hand end of the layout (when viewed from the front) is Martin's Creek and the quarry, while at the opposite end is the butter factory. Dungog is very nicely composed layout with some great scenery, buildings, and bridges.

Another layout on show that I liked, but unfortunately the photos were not of sufficient quality to produce here, was the HO scale Tasmanian Railways Avoca. Having a layout based on Tasmanian Railways (the Fingal Valley) was something different to see and something to be encouraged for the future.

And for the kids, there was the popular Lego layout, Brickston Valley.

The exhibition was certainly well attended on the Saturday. I enjoyed my time there looking at layouts, checking out some of the commercial outlets, and chatting to various modellers throughout the day. I trust the exhibition organisers were happy with the three day show.

Canberra Exhibition report 2010

I attended the Canberra Model Railway Expo yesterday and today. The exhibition was located this year at Kaleen High School in the northern Canberra suburb of Kaleen.

The exhibition used the hall, a stage, and some other general purpose rooms for the layouts and commercial stands. At first glance, it looked a little confusing with the all the rooms and the different pathways to and from the rooms (the exhibition organisers would have you believe that I am always lost and confused!). However, once I found my bearings all became clear!

The first things to say was that there was plenty of room to move around. This was because the layouts were given plenty of aisle width in the main hall. Layouts located elsewhere were not packed into rooms like sardines. This was excellent since mid-morning Saturday and Sunday had good crowds.

As usual, I bumped into many fellow modellers from Canberra, Sydney, and even Hawks Nest on the NSW mid-north coast. You can always rely on meeting a host of friends at an exhibition!

Now, to the layouts.

The class layout on show was clearly Sydney Terminal Station by Ross Balderson. This layout, in N scale, featured the magnificent Central Station building in all its splendid glory. The surrounding buildings and the park in the foreground were also brilliantly done. And the famous suburban "Red Rattler" trains maintained a steady procession around the layout, just like their 1:1 counterparts did over forty years ago. The following three photos give an indication of the overall display and the exquisite modelling.




The Sydney Terminal layout was a superb piece of architectural modelling; exceptionally well detailed, and exceptionally well lit. Full credit to Ross for his dedication and skill in building this layout. I expect the layout will be exhibited at the inaugural Bungendore Model Railway Exhibition (October 16-17) so make sure you can come along because the layout is a "must-see".

When I was not marvelling at Sydney Terminal Station, I was operating Willigobung on Saturday. Willigobung is a generic HO scale NSW layout set roughly on the Main South Line between Gunning and Cootamundra, featuring a station, goods facilities and a wheat silo.

Sunday morning saw me on my shift with the Canberra NMRA club's US prototype exhibition layout. We try and have a couple of operators out the front of the layout to let the kids learn how to operate the trains using the DCC throttles - a very popular option for "serious" young modellers!

Other layouts at the exhibition included the Illawarra Model Railway Association's Kelly River (HO scale, US) with the iconic bascule bridge, Smaldon Curve (HO scale, NSW) featuring a cement works, the small but effective Gum Tree Plains (HO scale, NSW), the ACT Model Railway Society's Twelfth Street Yard (HO scale, US), Canberra Monaro N scale Group's Australian N scale modular layout, Canberra Model Railway Club's Crestwood (HO scale, NSW), the German Mittelstadt layout (Marklin, HO scale), Victoria Mountain (HO scale, NSW) set in the Blue Mountains and featuring some amazing lighting effects, and an un-named US N scale layout with plenty of action and some great scenery that was near the canteen. Apologies if I have missed a couple of layouts but I didn't get a program this year.

More photos from the exhibition are below.

A 49 class on Willigobung waits in the passing siding for the all clear to proceed.


The cement works on Smaldon Curve.


Gum Tree Plains showed that good quality modelling is possible on a small layout; encouragement for all of us!


A Clinchfield Railroad steamer leaves the engine house on the Canberra NMRA club's US layout.


An express steam hauled freight train through Twelfth St Yard.


The Bascule Bridge, based on the Walthers model, on the Kelly River layout.

The commercial stands included Casula Hobbies, Gwydir Valley Models, On Track Models, Pallas Hobbies (where I got a great book (The American freight train by Jim Boyd) for $10 - thanks Dave!), and Runway 13. Also, there was a second-hand stall and a collector (Triang, Marklin) stand.

Peter from Runway 13 was also giving tips about airbrushing, while Bob Olde and Phil Badger were giving tips and tricks about model building. I must say it was odd to see Bob Olde on his own without his modelling buddy Graham Walker working beside him (Graham sadly passed away a couple of months ago).

Overall, the organisers must be congratulated for another entertaining Canberra Model Railway Expo. Get ready to do it all again next year!