Rosehill Model Railway Exhibition 2022 - Part 2

Continuing on from the first instalment about last weekend's Rosehill Model Railway Exhibition, let me continue with some more layouts that grabbed my attention. I'll then finish up with some concluding comments.

A new layout (for me at least) was the HO scale Sydney suburban Carlingford branch terminus railway station. The layout depicts the terminus from the late 1980s to early 1990s. On the prototype, the Carlingford line was a relatively short suburban line (7km) forking off from Clyde on the Sydney Western line. The Carlingford line north of Parramatta Road was closed on 5 January 2020 to allow conversion works to light rail to take place. This also involved the closure of Rosehill station and rail access to Rosehill Racecourse where the exhibition was held. The layout showcased a range of suburban electric sets, including the brightly coloured "Zoo train".

Cockle Creek (N scale) was another NSW-themed layout featuring a range of locomotives and rollingstock from the 1960-1980s. The prototype is situated on the Short North between Sydney and Newcastle. The layout is from the NSW N scale group.

Dungog (HO scale) made another exhibition appearance and continues to display some of the best modelling of the NSW prototype. Dungog is on the Main North Coast Railway line to Brisbane. You can see a wide range of prototypes on the layout as it showcases action from the 1940s to 1970s. I always take time to look at the station and yard infrastructure on this layout as they are of excellent quality. And, of course, one cannot enjoy Dungog without taking note of the iconic layout lighting.

Wingello (HO scale) was another NSW-themed layout being based on the prototype station on the Main South line in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, 132km from Sydney Central. The layout is from the Georges River Model Railway Club. The layout features a range of trains from the 1960s through to the 1990s. This was a nicely detailed layout with some excellent scratchbuilt structures.

Gunning (N scale) made another appearance, folowing on from Canberra last month. Gunning is a small town on the Main South line and is a popular spot for railway photographers. The layout incorporates the railway station and infrastructure of Gunning, as well as some additional railway structures to the north and south of Gunning itself. 

Also on the Main South line, north of Gunning, is the major regional town of Goulburn. The Guildford Model Railway Club's exhibition layout of Goulburn (HO scale) is a great representation of the station and yard infrastructure. You can always be assured of plenty of railway action on this layout.

 

Another favourite on the exhibition circuit is Waterfall (HO scale) from the Illawarra Model Railway Association. The prototype location of Waterfall is 38km south of Sydney Central on the Illawarra line. The period showcased by this layout is the 1960s, well before electification in 1980. All of the buildings and structures are scratchbuilt. Track is Peco Code 83. Operation can be either DC or DCC.

Turning now to some overseas prototypes, we start off with the HO scale US-themed layout, Springfield Junction from the Hills Model Railway Club. This layout has many industries and plenty of railroad action. Operation is with digital command control (DCC).

Erbschaft (HO scale) was a wonderful layout from Ross James and son, particularly given that much of  the buildings, locos and rolling stock came from Ross's father's collection from the 1960s and 1970s. The layout depicts a fictitious West German town in the 1960s. The layout uses the centre-stud Marklin track and locomotives. The buildings are early Faller and Kibri. None look the worse for wear! I spent quite some time enjoying this layout and all it had to offer. A very well composed layout indeed.

   

Another German layout was Luneberg from the Marklin Modellers Sydney club. The layout features the medieval town of Luneberg in northern Germany. This layout had some very nice buildings, as well as showcasing a variety of trains from Era III to the latest high-speed trains. The layout also uses the Faller car system and the town was well serviced by regular buses.

I'll finish up with another of my favourites from the exhibition: Uley Junction (O scale). The layout is based on a fictitious location but following Great Western Railway (GWR) practices. Being a branch line terminus, there are a number of short trains coming and going, as well as plenty of shunting. The layout showcases two periods of operation - late 1800s-early 1900s, and the 1930s. As such, there is a very interesting array of trains that you can see on this layout throughout the day. The layout uses a turntable fiddle yard (which is pretty big!), being able to hold and turn a train of 1200mm in length.

 

As well as a great and varied selection of layouts on show at the exhibition, there was also a wide range of commercial vendors as well. These included, ARHS bookshop, Alco World Trains, AndIan Models, Auscision, Bergs Hobbies, Burfitt Tools, Casula Hobbies, Eureka, Euro Hobby, Forest Miniatures, Hobbyland Hornsby, IDR, Ixion, Kerroby Models, Model Railroad Craftsman, Pallas Hobbies, SCMRS, SDS, and Wombat Models. Apologies if I left anybody out. And I cannot forget to mention the exhibition's second-hand stall which is synonomous with the event.

The Epping Model Railway Club is to be congratulated for a first rate exhibition with plenty of layouts and commercial stands to make the day (or weekend) a truly engaging experience. Thanks, fellas!

Sydney Model Railway Exhibition 2016

For me, the Labor Day October long weekend is synonymous with the Sydney Model Railway Exhibition at Liverpool. And so it was that I made the 2.5 hour journey from Canberra to Liverpool for this annual exhibition.

I had purchased my ticket online in the preceding week. However, when I arrived around late morning on Saturday the general admission queue was very small. Nevertheless, I gained entry straight away and made my way around the perimeter of the main hall. The majority of the trade stands occupied this space and so my circumnavigation took a wee while as I looked for new products, examples of pre-production models, and any bargains. Austrains and Trainorama seemed to have some decent specials, and I think Southern Rail Models may have had some discounted L class locos, but that was pretty much it as far as I could see. The SDS Models upcoming Speed-E-Gas tanker was on display and looked terrific, as did the selection of models in the showcases from Auscision and Bergs. Other notable commercial stands included Orient Express from Adelaide, Runway 13 from Canberra, ARHS books, Anton's Trains, Casula Hobbies, Chucks Ballast, Railroad Model Craftsman, Train World, Kerroby Models, Eureka Models, Pallas Hobbies, and IDR Models.

As for the layouts, there were about 25 or so. Most of the layouts I had seen before, but that shouldn't surprise as I have visited quite a few exhibitions over the years.

Here are a few representative layouts from the exhibition.

Upon entering the exhibition, there was the familiar live steam Railways in the Garden layout. The railway uses two gauges of running tracks - 45mm and 32mm - and the locos are fired by either gas, methylated spirits, or coal.

Bethungra Spiral (HO, NSW) from the Epping Model Railway Club was on display and the scenery looked superb. This layout offers a different design to the usual exhibition layout which are mostly based on station and yard scenes.

Yendys (HO, Australian) made the journey up to Liverpool from Canberra. This layout has been around the exhibition circuit quite a while now. I love the composition of the layout, and the bridge scene is always a stand-out. Colour light signalling had been added this time around.

Oddwalls (HO, NSW), another exhibition regular, features a typical country town and distinctly Australian scenery. Here a 32 class engine hauls a rake of four-wheeled goods wagons.

Mungo Scotts (HO, NSW) has also been on the exhibition circuit for a while now. The layout was built and is exhibited by the Sydney Model Railway Society. The photo below shows a Beyer-Garratt locomotive on the Metropolitan Goods line with a run-through train.

Goulburn (HO, NSW/Australian) from the Guildford Model Railway Group, was making its second exhibition appearance. This layout has proved inspirational to a couple of my model railway friends; something that makes attending exhibitions worthwhile. The photo below captures the Sydney-bound XPT about to depart Goulburn railway station.

Waterfall (HO, NSW) from the Illawarra Model Railway Association, was tucked away in an annex off the main hall (across from SDS Models). This layout is a quality exhibit and features some great scenery, especially around the station precinct.

Broxburn Sidings (OO) was also off the main hall. This layout is a lovely compact layout featuring industrial sidings with plenty of opportunity for shunting action.

Kyogle (N scale, NSW) from Peter Boorman was a nicely crafted rural NSW layout featuring a station, yard and bridge scene. This layout will be featured in the December 2016 issue of the Australian Model Railway Magazine.

Dunblurtin (N scale, NSW) was first exhibited by its previous owner way back in 1990! This layout has stood the test of time with some nice scenery, buildings, and plenty of train action.

Industry Lane (00, British) was my favourite layout from the Epping Model Railway Exhibition in June. It remains one of my favourite layouts. This layout demonstrates that you can still have a great model railway even in a relatively small amount of space. The buildings and scenic composition are superb. More information about the layout and the community group can be found at the following web address: www.platform1mrc.com

Another small layout, this time in G scale, was Whiskey Springs. This layout was a highly detailed logging-style model railway that featured exquisite scenery.

Valley Heights (O scale, NSW) is another layout I have seen before. This time I paid particular attention to the roundhouse (instead of the elevated coal stage which probably gets more than its fair share of attention). The roundhouse has great atmospheric charm generated from the larger modelling scale.

While many of the layouts I had seen before, I still enjoyed the exhibition and catching up with fellow modellers from Sydney, Canberra, and rural NSW. As Canberra does not have a dedicated model railway shop, the Liverpool exhibition was a great opportunity to check out a wide range of retailers all in the one spot. Sometimes modellers don't always appreciate the convenience of having a large range of commercial retailers all in the one place at the one time. That said, I do wonder whether there are sufficient new layouts being constructed to keep exhibitions fresh and engaging for both the public and for existing railway modellers. Perhaps this is a topic to keep for another time...

Caulfield Model Railway Exhibition 2016

I made the trip down to Melbourne over the weekend to visit the Caulfield Model Railway Exhibition. The event was organised by the Australian Model Railway Assocoation (AMRA) Victorian Branch. The exhibition was held at Caulfield Racecourse as in previous years.

There were 35 layouts and just over 30 commercial stands at the exhibition. I thought Waterfall and Mullet Creek were the standout quality layouts at the show this year, even though I have seen them at NSW exhibitions in the past. The wonderful Victorian Railways Maryborough layout was not in attendance which was a pity as this is an absolutely brilliant layout.

Of the layouts that caught my eye, here is a sample.

Jackson Creek (On30) set in the Otway Ranges of Victoria and showcased some wonderful buildings from the Outback Model Company.

Filching Road (O scale, British) is a fictitious location in Eastbourne, East Sussex in the southern part of England. The layout is small and can fit in the back of a station wagon (estate car for all you British folk out there). I just love this tank locomotive.

Catherwood Junction (OO scale) is a British layout which represents a small junction station in the West Dorset part of south England. This is a lovely layout with nice composition giving the full flavour of compact British modelling. Operation is by digital command control (DCC).

Midsomer Norton (OO scale) is another British layout and one I have enjoyed at previous Caulfield exhibitions. I understand that the layout is up for sale now. The layout is octagonal in shape and features the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The photo below shows loading coal from the Norton Hill colliery which operated from 1839 to 1966.

Crosby Stephen (OO scale) is a British-themed layout based on the Settle and Carlisle Railway in the inter-war period. The station has features from Crosby Garrett and Kirkby Stephen on the prototype which is where the modelled station gets its name. This layout is owned and operated by the Sunbury Model Railway Club.

Triang Hornby Wrenn Minic (OO scale) was a trip down memory lane with a layout featuring these pioneering model railways from the UK. Many of us would have started out with models from this period. It is also a good reference point to see how far manufactured model railways have come; yet it remains surprisingly appealing even after 50 years of model railway development and technology.

A town like Alice (HO scale) is a modern Australian-themes layout featuring trains from Australian National Railways (ANR) and Genesee & Wyoming Australia (GWA) prototypes. The layout is operated with DCC and follows on from the previous layout, Barcoola.

Broadview (HO scale) is based on a prototype location in Central Victoria. The layout features a broad range of trains from Victoria and interstate trains from NSW. This layout has plenty of railway action with three main lines (two broad gauge and one standard gauge) to keep the punters happy.

Black Springs (HO scale) is a fictitious location in Victoria. The station resembles Swan Hill. This layout had been absent from the exhibition scene for a number of years but is now back with DCC and JMRI digital operation.

Mullet Creek (HO scale, NSW) made the trek from NSW and was a standout layout from the exhibition. A feature that enhances its quality is the use of layout lighting, something that many layouts at Caulfield still do not provide. The venue has poor lighting which makes layout lighting all the more important. The exceptional water scenes always continue to amaze.

Waterfall (HO scale, NSW) was the other standout layout. The layout is based on the real locale of Waterfall south of Sydney on the line to Wollongong. You will see a great variety of steam and diesel-hauled trains on this layout. The backscene is especially noteworthy.

Neubahn (HO scale) was a European-themed layout featuring a good selection of modern diesel freight and passenger action on a double track mainline.

Rounding off this post is Stone Creek (N scale, US). This nicely proportioned N scale (1:160) layout represents a branchline with point-to-point operation between Roscoe and Whitestone. The trestle bridge was scratchbuilt. I like the use of the dam/weir to link the backscene with the modelled scenery.

Once again, an enjoyable day out with the World's Greatest Hobby.

Canberra Model Railway Expo 2013

Tomorrow is the opening day of the Canberra Model Railway Expo. This year the expo is celebrating it's 25th anniversary. The exhibition will feature about 25 layouts (including Waterfall if my information is correct) and just over 20 commercial traders as well.

Some of the commercial traders include Austrains, Casula Hobbies, Eureka, Gwydir Valley Models, Model Railroad Craftsman, MicroModels Hobbyland, On Track, Runway 17, Southern Models, and TrainWorld.

I hope the expo will have a successful weekend.

Malkara Exhibition 2011

I managed an hour each yesterday and today for a quick look around the Malkara Exhibition here in Canberra. The exhibition, organised by the ACT Model Railway Society,  is a major fundraiser for the Malkara School. The show includes a range of scale hobbies including model railways, model cars, plastic modelling, remote control boats, and dolls houses. I was naturally there to help a good cause and check out the the model railways.

There were about a dozen model railways on show, not including the popular train ride for the kids outside.

As I only had a short time at the show because of report writing commitments at home, here is a sample of the layouts at the exhibition.

Yendys (Sydney spelt backwards) is the HO scale club layout of the ACT Model Railway Society. The layout is a double-track mainline with a suburban station and electric suburban carriage sidings. A feature of this layout is the catenary, something that really adds realism to the scene. The following three photos highlight some of the scenes from this layout. I especially like the third photo showing a suburban train about to pull away from the station among the hustle and bustle of the day.

Another layout from Canberra modellers was Willigobung (HO scale). This layout is a generic NSW country through station on a busy two track mainline (obviously the Main South). A good selection of trains is always on show to keep the punters happy.

The amiable lads from the Illawarra returned to Canberra with their exhibition layout, Waterfall (HO scale).

South Bend and Hilltop Railway is an N scale US-prototype layout. A feature of this layout was the long trains snaking through a variety of scenic elements. The yard at the front of the layout is also a good spot to watch the trains pass through.

The Epping Model Railway Club (the "yellow shirts") made the trip to Canberra with their exhibition layout, Brunswick Park (HO scale). This layout features a Sydney suburban scene with a focus on the industries around the North Strathfield/Concord  area.

The magnificent Sydney Central Station (N scale) was back on the exhibition circuit after several months on public display at the NSWRTM office on Central Station concourse in Sydney. It is always a pleasure to admire the fabulous detail and modelling skill of this remarkable layout.

Other layouts on show were Clifton Falls, Crestwood, Mullett Creek, South Creek, and the Canberra Monaro N scale group's AusTrak modules.

Several model railway shops were also in attendance. They included Casula Hobbies and Model Railroad Craftsman (both selling the latest issue of Australian Journal of Railway Modelling I was pleased to see), Pallas Hobbies, and Runway 13. Also in attendance were Ron Cunningham of Eureka Models and John Eassie from Austrains. Austrains seemed to be pretty busy whenever I popped my head in there and I am sure the local Canberra and South Coast modellers kept the cash register ringing! I did my bit in buying another NR for myself on Saturday at the discounted price of $200. One of my mates bought three NR's and another two bought one each - who said that NR's wouldn't still be popular?

I hope the weekend was a big success for the organisers and the school. It was the 39th Malkara exhibition and that is quite an achievement. Well done!