An exhibition featuring more than 50 model train layouts will be held in Goulburn
The Goulburn Model Expo—a model railroad exhibition featuring more than 50 layouts—will be held again in Goulburn at the end of August. The event is organized by the Georges River Model Railway Group in collaboration with the Goulburn Mulwaree Council, according to ABC News Australia.
The first expo was held in 2024. Last year, it attracted nearly 2,000 visitors. Peter Tonks, a representative of the Georges River Model Railways, noted that one of the event’s goals is to engage young people in a hobby that allows them to develop various skills.
Among the largest exhibits is the 45-meter-long Illawarra Model Railway layout. Michael Golden, president of the Illawarra Model Railway Association, said the association has 50 members. Members of the Illawarra Model Railway Club meet regularly to socialize and share their skills.
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Enthusiasts don’t just build model locomotives and railcars. Dave Pallas, who converted a room in his home into a model railroad layout, explained that over time, hobbyists decide what exactly they want to model, which trains to run, and which historical era to recreate. His wife, Tracy Pallas, works on a smaller scale and focuses on the landscapes and scenes surrounding the tracks. She believes that figurines of people, cars, and other details help bring the miniature scenes to life.
Another member of the community, research engineer Terry Flynn, recreates the railroad as it was in 1953. His layout features miniature stations at Waterfall, Metropolitan Colliery Junction, Otford, and Scarborough. According to him, model railroading combines technical, artistic, and social elements, and the accuracy of scale and historical period is of particular importance to him.
