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.

Malkara Exhibition 2010

The 38th Annual Malkara Model Railway & Scale Model Exhibition was held over this weekend at the Malkara special school in Garran, Canberra. The exhibition featured model railways, other scale modelling, and crafts as a major annual fundraiser for the school.

There were about fifteen model railway layouts on show, as well as examples of military modelling, woodturning, slot cars, radio control cars, and Victorian dollhouses. The number of layouts and displays seemed slightly smaller than in previous years but this didn't detract from the weekend.

For railway modellers, the weekend is just as much about meeting friends and enthusiasts as it is to watch the layouts. It was therefore great to catch up with so many people I know through the hobby; the local Canberra railway modellers, and the lads from Goulburn and Wagga Wagga. Runway 13, Pallas Hobbies, Model Railroad Craftsman, and Kerroby Models were the commercial stands in attendance.

Two new layouts on display included Wallerawang and Waterfall, both in HO scale. The Guildford Model Railway Club exhibited Wallerawang, showcasing a beautifully constructed station building based on the stone prototype. Waterfall was exhibited by the Illawarra Model Railway Association and featured some exquisite buildings, including the main station building and road bridge overpass. And whilst I'd seen the N scale Tarana before, it too was well worth some time watching the trains roll by.

Below: A couple of 82 class locos haul a coal train through Wallerawang

 Other layouts on show included Campbelltown (HO scale), Crestwood (HO), AustTrak N scale, Duck Creek (HOn2.5), Jembaicumbene (HO), Kangaroo Valley (HO), Nicholls Siding (HO), and the Epping Model Railway Club's Brisbane Waters (HO). There was also quite a nice British layout in 00 scale, Southern Revisited, that featured the Southern Railways with a single track double looped layout only 1 metre wide by a couple of metres in length. For its size the layout was well presented, even if the shortest width curves were only 17.5" radius!

With perfect sunny Canberra weather, the weekend at Malkara was a great success.

Caulfield exhibition report - final

Thanks to the people who have been in touch asking for more photos from the AMRA Caulfield model railway exhibition from last weekend. Here are a few more photos from the exhibition. I will load some more photos into a photostream in Flickr and link to there at another time.

However, I have a few images here to show. The first image shows one side of the layout, Murri. This side features the station and yard while the other side is principally an open fiddleyard from where the trains are stored between runs. You can get a good view here as to how the layout is illuminated, using fluorescent globes mounted between boards attached to a metal frame.



The next image shows End of the line - note the gap between the scenic boards in the middle towards the top of the photo where trains enter from a lead that turns ninety degrees to the left to a small stub-ended fiddleyard. This image shows the station area in the foreground and the sidings at the top right of the photo.



The next image is a full length shot of the HO scale US-inspired Yardwork layout. The layout as exhibited is the same as it is at home. Note the book-case like framing and the neutral colours.



As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, the operators of Bright/Everton operate the layout outside of the middle well and are indeed part of the spectators! The next image shows the operators on the Everton side of the layout. One thing I forgot to ask them was what headset communication system they were using to let operators on each side know when a train was coming.



I also want to mention Duck Creek, a narrow gauge HO scale Victorian-inspired layout. Duck Creek had been exhibited in early August at the Malkara exhibition in Canberra. Because I'd seen it so recently, I didn't spend as much time looking at this layout as I did for others. However, it is a very nice and compact layout, worthy of a mention and a photo!



And to end off our journey to Caulfield, the dirt road rail crossing between Everton and Bright...



As one exhibition ends one weekend, another begins! This weekend (29-30 August) the Newcastle (Our Town) model railway exhibition is being held at Broadmeadow. I sure hope Bob takes his camera and gives us a report on his South Coast Rail blog! Until next time...

Malkara, Canberra, 2009

The 37th annual Malkara Model Railway & Scale Model Exhibition was held today and yesterday in Canberra. The event is the Malkara School's major fundraiser and plays host to a range of model trains, boats and 'planes, as well as doll houses and other crafts.

I only had an hour on Saturday and a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon to get around the displays. After chatting with people (including Lloyd Sawyer from the now retired Lloyd's Model Railways) and buying a couple of things from The Model Railroad Craftsman, time was at a premium. I glanced at several exhibits but only spent time at displays of immediate interest to me. I took several quick shots with my "snappy" camera; a few being shown below.

The Epping Model Railway Club exhibited East Mateland and although a veteran of the exhibition circuit these days, was still voted by the public as the most popular layout of the show.

The first photo shows Phil Skelton's beautiful streamlined 38 class and passenger car set crossing the four-track steel bridge just past East Mateland station. The second photo shows a garratt with a line of LCH and CCH four-wheeled coal hoppers. And the third shot shows a 620/720 railcar set.






In the same room were two small but delightful layouts. The first was the HOn2.5 Duck Creek. This layout had some exceptional scenery, including a terrific saw mill with appropriate industrial sounds. Victorian Railways narrow gauge locos and rolling stock were nicely modelled.



The other layout was a terminus station layout, Blagdon, showcasing the Wrington Vale Light Railway in the UK during the first quarter of the 20th century. The layout was about 12 feet long (approx. 4 metres) and is quite a nice length for this kind of layout.




Canberra-based layout Willigobung was also on display. Willigobung is a real town name, although the layout is fictionally based on the Main South somewhere between Yass Junction and Cootamundra. This was the last photo of my day since the battery in the camera ran out!


There were several other layouts exhibited (including Crestwood, Kelly River, Tarana, Yendys, and the Canberra NMRA club's US modular exhibition layout). However, the layout, L's PaPerGlen, was of special interest because of the central road and rail overbridge - a feature that I had not seen modelled previously. The roadway sits above the rail line on the bridge.


Besides RRMC, other commercial outlets at Malkara were Pallas Hobbies, Kerroby models, Simply Glues, and local airbrushing specialist Runway 13.

The Malkara event is not a specialist model railway exhibition. However, it is always popular with the public who come to support a good cause. And there is always the chance that the Malkara event might ignite an interest in hobbies and crafts with people who would probably not ordinarily come to a specialist hobby event - something to hope for.