Phil Buckley's travels: THORNLEIGH TRAIN MODEL SHOW

June 10 2012 - Every June Long weekend in NSW, there is a train exhibition / model show at Thornleigh , in northern Sydney. I went along this weekend for the first time and came away highly impressed with the model displays people have spent thousands of dollars and hours building.

It is nice to see railway stations in NSW recreated at a smaller scale to view and appreciate.

I took special interest in a few displays such as Boorowa, Galong and AndIan models.

It is worth the $10 fee if your into train models, as there are many retailers on site selling everything you need for trains and parts to books.

The venue is normally a sports complex so it is large enough for these displays.

BOOROWA RAILWAY STATION - I came across the interesting and life like Boorowa railway station model display replicating the once standing terminus station as was found at the end of the Galong/Boorowa junction. It is interesting that the Boorowa branch had the station and some sections of the track removed which there is hardly any trace left. Normally the railway track in NSW is not allowed to be removed due to the act of parliament that protects the railway perway in place.

If interested in the Boorowa railway station see my feature story at

http://philbuckleytravels.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/railways-down-south-boorowa-branch-line.html

GALONG RAILWAY STATION - The next model that got my attention was the Galong junction of the Boorowa branch line. I visited this station in November 2011 and was amazed how again life like this model display was in recreating it.

WATERFALL RAILWAY STATION - A local outer suburban station in southern Sydney. Now houses a small train storage yard.

WYEE RAILWAY STATION - Found on the Central Coast this station replicates a 1960s era setup.

ARAKOOLA RAILWAY STATION - An O gauge ie large scale train model very realisitc and very detailed.

PUNCHBOWL CARRIAGE SHED- A former south western Sydney train stabling yard now torn down and nothing remains. Red Rattlers and Blue White coloured PTC rattlers could be seen running on this display.

Examples of the bush scenery a person can buy for their modelling - very life like again..

ANDIAN MODELS - My work at the Merriwa Railway Society (MRSI) restoration project as the President / Co-ordinator / Media Officer during 2009-2010 ...... (before i resigned and walked away in utter disgust at how dysfunctional i saw the group's members were acting in breaking laws and being highly stupid during the restoration project planning)......... saw me come into contact with a few people who were interested in saving Merriwa and one of these was a dedicated modeller - Ian who obviously had a keen interest in the Merriwa branch line operations. During 2009-2010 we discussed and shared information about the line and rollingstock.
Ian nowdays has his own railway modelling business which keeps him busy. It was good to finally talk with him in person and his business partner - also very knowledgeable. Both came from the NSW north coast..... 5hr driving to get to the show. The small scale of some of these parts can be measured in tens of mm....as shown by what i held in my hands.. a water gin/tank.

BULLENBUNG CREEK - This was another interesting and detailed model display show a typical NSW town and silo structure. A PC-1 type platform building shared a display with a water tank, water column, silo and a goods bank / weigh bridge operation.

At the back of all displays was the staging or stabling yards. Some had a few hundred items you could see.... worth $$$$$.

YENDYS - Another display was showing a inner city setting.

A kids display for young kids to have a go at trains.

MUNGO SCOTTS - A major industrial siding located that used to be between Lewisham and Summer Hill in inner Sydney on the Rozelle goods line now torn down and converted into a light rail tram line due to be built by 2014. The silos still stand but all the railway as shown in the model is long gone.