2024 Rosehill Exhibition

I made it through the crowds to the Epping Model Railway Club's exhibition at Rosehill Gardens this morning. While the following photos may disappoint the show certainly didn't. In no particular order, here's action from some of the Australian-themed layouts...

Gresham

Dungog

Inner West

Goulburn

Wyee 

As the sign says... Bombo

Bullenbung Creek

Ettamogah

Glasson

Bethungra Spiral

Otham Road

Blue Mountains

Waterfall

Yarrawa

Tarana

Moruya

Borderline

Monbulk - this is 1:350 scale!

Carlingford

Mungo Scotts

A Small Depot

If the layout you wanted to see wasn't photographed, it is probably because I flubbed the photo.  Sorry.

As an exhibition, Rosehill is as good as it gets in my experience.  Carpeted floors, good lighting, great facilities, interesting workshops, decent refreshments, good company and plenty of engaged traders with interesting gear to buy. 

And the layouts - none were unworthy of being there.  We have some very talented modellers around at the moment.  Some of the newer layouts, like A Small Depot, Yarrawa and Inner West, are just terrific. And all would fit into a single bedroom.

If you get a chance tomorrow, there are worse things than getting along to the show.

Cheers

Don

2024 Canberra Model Railway Exhibition - Kaleen High School

Just a few snaps of layouts from the most excellent model railway exhibition, recreating in minature the railways of NSW.

Gresham: an N gauge layout showing just how much modelling in this gauge has taken off over the last 20 years.  Of course, its rise has only been matched by the descent in my ability to see small things.

A Small Depot: Geoff Small once again proves small can be interesting with an inspired layout.

Gunning: more N gauge goodness.

Darling Harbour: just mesmerising.

I wasn't the only person keen to capture the essence of Darling Harbour.

Yendys: a real favourite. Nannies on Yendys? Yah!

Will finish off with this cute scene from the otherwise work-in-progress freemo layout.

Stayed too long (for others), Spent too much. Chatted until I lost my voice. Can't wait for next year!

IMRA's first major model railway

So, here is a bit of change of pace (and scale).

Moving from the 1:1 to the 1:87, I thought I would post a few sides taken around the Illawarra Model Railway Association's (IMRA's) first major model railway, located at the Wollongong Police Boys Club.

The IMRA club layout was a spaghetti plate of tracks, as was typical of the time.  Sharp curves, heinous inclines and action everywhere.  The layout was scenicked in a European/US style, also typical of the time.  And while as a kid I thought it was huge, it was all squeezed into a single, modest room at the Club.

The layout was a basic double loop (half was hidden under a mountain as staging).  An out & back dog leg formed the other part of the layout on the lower level, while a branchline left the main station and made its way up  and around the walls to a terminus.

Several of these shots were taken in the late 1960s, where we liked too over-expose photos.

Shortly before the Association moved out of the premises, Senior Rambler and I snuck down on quiet weekday night.  We loaded up the layout with our own rolling stock and fired off the following photos.

Here is an out of focus shot of the main station, showing the turntable at the end of the dog leg.  Aisle width was set at squeeeeeezzzzzzzzzy.

Here is a strangely pitched photo of the south end of the main station, with a brass pig about to pass a near new Lima 38 class on an epoxy CUB set.

For a short while we turned on the layout lights and killed the room lights.  How is this for atmospheric? Almost Cityrail standard. Certainly meets the Cityrail standard of having no trains.

Here's a semi-focussed shot of the loco depot in the dog leg.  No doubt the thrill of seeing a bashed up 58 class made the photographer shake.

The branchline was notable for a curved trestle bridge. The same epoxy CUB set has been dragged to the end of the line and is returning, using a Workshop 5 41 class (powered by an AHM mechanism).

A better-staged shot of the same bridge was made using a brass 50 class. 5173 was a long time inhabitant of the South Coast, so its sort of poetic.

And here is the terminus station, with a set of Freidmont FO cars waiting for the 50 class to stop being a show pony down on the bridge.  The left hand side of the photo shows the dog leg yard. 

Here is a sneak behind-the-scene peak under the hill.  Clearly no one had read the NRMA's standards for access when constructing the layout.  Its the 1970s so there has to be a new Lima 44 class in view somewhere.

While the layout was evicted, bits of it did live on in our garage before it made a triumphant return to the exhibition scene around 1979.  It was notable for being the heaviest exhibition layout ever. 

Back to the big scale and out of the 1970s in the next post.

Cheers,

Don

Vale Phil Clarke

Earlier this week the sad news arrived that Phil Clarke, long time rail fan from the Illawarra, had passed away.  I wrote a short piece on Ausloco - Phil's favourite online medium - but its also appropriate to acknowledge his great friendship on this blog.  It also gives me a chance to run a few photos and (hopefully) his videos.


Phil (aka PVC) was a habitual rail photographer.  He had his favourite spots and trains, Cowan, Rhodes, Canterbury, Dulwich Hill, Picton and Werai curve. So regular were his visits to some of these locations he would be invited to share a cuppa with the station staff while videoing the passing trains.  He has left a rich tapestry of the changing nature of NSW railways over the past two decades.  Here is the quintessential, steady-from-the-shoulder, Phil the Video-er shot, from 1998.

I have realised I have more photos of Phil's back than his front, and for once I have a shot of him not videoing.

Phil was not just a rail fan - legend has it he served the warmest muffins on the Cockatoo Run when it operated out of Port Kembla. He was also a long time member of the RTM’s Illawarra Group and the Illawarra Model Railway Association. During a period where he sported a dashing mo, Phil (left of picture) rests in the cab of 3801 after another arduous muffin run.

Phil’s railway modelling reflected his taste for the contemporary. No sooner had a piece of new rolling stock entered service than Phil would use his considerable skills and his former employer’s considerable resources to create a HO model. If delays occurred to a loco’s release in real life, Phil would sometimes beat the prototype into existence (such as the Silverton Cs). One of those Cs is lurking in the background of this shot of his now demolished layout.

Outside of railways, Phil was an accomplished football (he called it soccer) referee and administrator. He was an active volunteer, driving elderly people to medical appointments and participating in his local church. He was devoted to his wife Joyce, his extended family and his wide circle of friends. 


Phil loved a yarn, especially when trackside. He was an avid video recorder, who has left a rich legacy of rail videos. These were spread far and wide as he was generous in sending his videos freely to anyone who asked. His videos grew to be really professional affairs, with annotations and printed discs.

So, time for a couple of Phil's video efforts.  This first one of 4468 and GM27 on a trippy at Canterbury c2003-04 comes from one of the first DVDs he made.  I picked this one because Canterbury was pretty much home base for him for many years.  He would be there by 8:00am and not leave until 4168 had rolled through, usually just before 2:30pm.

And now for one of his last efforts - from late November 2018. This one is from Dulwich Hill, where the station staff were magnanimous and friendly, and Phil could avoid using the steps to get across platforms.  I picked this snap of a track inspection vehicle because Phil loved the new stuff as much as the old, and he had a keen appreciation for the technical side of railways (which he would patiently explain to this knucklehead).

If you are lucky enough to have a PVC rail video or one of Phil’s trains (he divested his collection a few years ago), please give them a run in memory of Phil. If you have a Toohey’s Old handy, Phil would reckon you have the making of a good night.

RIP.