It's A Model Hobby

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday October 8, 1986

WENDY GOODWIN

THE model railway enthusiast is many things: engineer, electrician, artist, landscape designer, builder, historian and, by and large, a bit of a romantic

He - the vast majority of enthusiasts are men - is quite different from the collector of antique toy trains who displays his mint-condition 1930 Garrett locomotive as something of an art object.

The model railway enthusiast, or railroader as he is becoming known, creates a functioning layout - a microcosm of the railway system as it once was. And while many are drawn to the hobby by a sense of nostalgia or memories of childhood days of collecting train numbers, this is no child's play. Articles in numerous model railway magazines are definitely written for adults.

According to Bob Gallagher, managing editor of Australian Model Railway Magazine, there are around 10,000 railroaders in Australia, but it is something of a closet hobby with many reluctant to admit their passion.

"A lot of men are frightened they will look immature and be laughed at if they admit they still play with trains," he said.

Bob hints at but will not reveal prominent identities of his model railroading acquaintance - a Catholic archbishop, a politician, academics and several prominent businessmen - who use their model railways as a form of relaxation.

"It's a hobby they don't brag about except among themselves, and their set-ups are usually on out-of-the-way shelves in a cupboard or in a shed at the bottom of the garden."

Bob, an engineer, got into the hobby at an early age. "I was always fascinated by steam trains, the power and perfection of their design, and when I was around 20 I took it up as a serious hobby."

Australian Model Railway Magazine was started by a Dr Tim Moss in 1963. Bob Gallagher took it over in 1974 and it now has a steadily growing circulation of over 7,500.

The Sydney Model Railway Exhibition which has been held annually for close to 20 years and which was held at Liverpool over the long weekend, now attracts more than 15,000 people who stand mesmerised by about 50 different model railway creations.

Most of the people who visit the show have never had, and will never build, a model railway system, but the fascination of the scene in miniature draws them in.

"There's a lot of romance in railways," says Bob. "The railway and the station were once the centre of life in many small towns."

Model railway enthusiasts come in all ages, from 8 to 80. According to Bob they start quite young and with great enthusiasm but often give it up in their late teens and twenties when girls become more interesting than trains.

"They don't like to admit to their girlfriends that they play trains, and if they do, the girls object to their being closeted up with toy engines instead of them," he laughed.

"Later in life, when they have children of their own, they have the excuse to take up the hobby again and often embark on building a really big and authentic model."

Although a starting layout, the sort found under the Christmas tree, may cost around $100, the serious hobbyist hardly stops there. In fact, a model railway is rarely finished; it can always be changed or expanded. A typical attic layout, say five metres by three metres, can easily cost $1,000 just for basics. Layouts costing many thousands of dollars are by no means uncommon.

Advanced railroaders may build engines and carriages from scratch but plenty are available ready to paint or in kit form. The most prized locomotives are the brass models imported from Japan and Korea which require meticulous hand painting. These originated in the mid-50s when American importers encouraged Japanese craftsmen to produce them.

Extraordinary in their detail, they cost from $200 to $2,000 and can appreciate in value very quickly. An AD60 Garrett locomotive, specially made for the Australian market in a limited edition early this year for $850, is now worth around $1,500.

Considerable research and expertise goes into getting the locomotives and carriages to look just right: mint condition is not the aim, as weathering and the effects of various climatic conditions all add to authenticity. The model train must pull into its model station looking as if it has really been on a long haul.

Building the scenery is just as important a part of the hobby as laying the track and running the trains. Papier-mache hills, dales, tunnels, model stations and towns, lakes, rivers, boats, cars and even tiny figures in period costume, all add to the authenticity of the scene.

But it's the little engines racing around the track that are the main attraction.

"You can be an engine driver for a while, running around the countryside you have created at will, letting your cares and worries disperse as you control the sound and movement of turning wheels and clicking signals."