The 2025 Goulburn Model Expo

 The 2nd Goulburn exhibition

Last Sunday, Ben, Pete, and Geoff accompanied me to attend the 2025 Goulburn Expo, held at the Veolia Arena.  

On the return trip, we detoured via Galong to view the disused station. 

We arrived around 9:30am, and with a 3pm departure time,  gave us just over 5 hrs to explore the exhibition. 

Last year's experiment with a large country based exhibition must have been a success.  I thought the Veolia stadium alone was huge, but must not have been large enough to house all the layouts, retailers and  exhibits this year - so the adjoining Ross Whittaker stadium was also occupied.  

The layouts

A few of the layouts shown this year, were also seen last year.  If so, I have limited my coverage of them, but more pictures can be found on last year's report.  

https://buildingwagga.blogspot.com/2024/09/goulburn-model-railway-exhibition-2024.html

(note, click on any picture to get an enlarged image)

"Goulburn" (NSW HO) by Guilford Model Railway Club made another appearance.

Goulburn Station

The goods shed is quite large, and well detailed

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"Bullenbung Creek" (HO NSW) by Ian Phemister was inspired by the Kywong branch line in southern NSW.

The curving backscene supporting the lighting valence is very effective.

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"A Small Depot" (NSW HO) by Geoff Small continues Geoff's tradition of making smaller sized exhibition layouts for display (and later sale).  The maintenance depot theme allows for a good selection of motive power to be shown

Geoff has been tongue & cheek using  his names of  Endfield, and Neverlee, rather than Enfield, and Eveleigh - also key locations for NSW train maintenance 

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"Chamatiago & Southwestern" (USA HOn3) by Steve Petitt MMR.  Steve is another modeller who can build exhibition layouts quickly - this one is in a different scale from the Gn15 Touble Brewing company layout seen last year.  

Steve's Colorado based scenery is extremely effective.  All the locos I saw on the layout were K27 "mudhens".

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"Changing Times" (NSW N) by Julian, Michael & Chris Ford.  The layout was originally built by the late Keith King

N scale allows for more expansive scenery.  The curving main line is typical of many NSW railway lines. 

The bushfire scene on the LHS was actually smoking.  The original single track tunnel was replaced by the double track tunnel.  This too will soon be bypassed by a large cutting. 

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"Darling Harbour" (NSW HO) by Epping Model Railway Club.  Before containerization, and prior to the 1988 Bi-Century celebrations redevelopment, Darling Harbour was Sydney's main port.  The layout gives an indication of the immense scale of the operation

The Metropolitan goods line disappears through a tunnel (as accurate to the prototype), continuing to White Bay, and later to other industries, including Mungo Scott (see later)

The double deck goods shed was unique

The overhead gantry lighting was a new addition to the layout that I last saw at the 2024 Kaleen exhibition

The goods line disappears through buildings (the real line continued under Parramatta road, to reappear near platform 1 at Sydney Central Railway Station)

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"Downtown Spur" (USA HO) by Gary Rumming has made a welcome return.   A switching layout, loosely based somewhere in Florida. 

Buildings shaped around the track layout make for realistic looking alleys, typical of  run-down warehouse districts throughout the USA

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"Eurobodalla" (NSW HO) by the Eurobodalla Model Railway club - based in Batemans Bay.    This layout started as a point to terminus layout, but recently expanded for continuous running. 

The NSWGR D57 sounded great.

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"FreeMo" - (HO scale) by the Illawarra Model Railway Association.  The FreeMo concept is very big overseas, but is in its infancy here in Australia.  The general idea is that people can build Free Format  Modules in their own homes, and then travel with them to a large venue, where the modules can be assembled into very large layouts.  This promotes the social side of the model train hobby, and ideal for people who do not belong to a Model Railway club, or do not have space for a larger home layout.

A station can be made up of a number of sections, but the end tracks have to align with the module standards.  The station is based on Merrygoen on the Mudgee to Gwabegar line and is 4 sections, each 1.2 metres long

This module was designed to return trains back to the main layout

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"Glasson" (NSW O) by Brian&Fran Thomas, Andrea Cortese, John Harriott, and Brett Warburton.  Glasson is a reasonably compact (for O scale) shunting layout.  More pictures on my last year's Goulburn 2024 Blogpost

Glasson is a branch line terminus after the line further on was truncated, thus explaining the lack of a turntable.  This picture was taken from the fiddleyard end

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"Katsura Valley Railway" (JNR N) by Mark Peterson.  This small layout depicts one of the local lines, and ran point to point, without a hidden fiddleyard

Must be spring, as the apple blossoms are everywhere

Small EMU, and DMUs are used for the passenger trains, as they look great running forward, or backwards,

It is a shame that the photo backscenes of Kyoto were not printed consistantly, as they were otherwise quite effective in extending the scene off into the distance

"Mungo Scott" (NSW HO) by the Sydney Model Railway Society.  Mungo Scott was a large industry on the Metropolitan Goods line (that also connected to Darling Harbour).  

The large flour mill, and wheat silo were a landmark for years.

"Narellan" (NSW HO) by Peter Beyer.  Narellan was a former coal loading point on the Campbelltown to Camden railway line, that closed in 1963.  Peter has been building small branch line layouts for some time; his Muttama layout was an exhibit here last year. 

A Z12 and CCA carriage stop at the station.  The Z12 is a new model by Casula Hobbies, and Peter says it is extremely reliable

Simple backscene may not be accurate for Narellan, but certainly adds visual depth to the narrow layout benchwork

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"Orbost" (VR T gauge) by Paul Blake.  Working Scale Trains in 1:500 scale allows for realistic scenery.  More pictures of Orbost on last years report.

Paul's display of pictures of real trains at Orbost was very effectively integrated into the layout "barrier" 

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"Otham Road" (NSW HO) by the Adamstown Model Railway Club is a very new exhibition layout - depicting an outer Sydney Suburban area.

Use of perspex on the side of the layout stops sticky fingers from reaching in and distorting the overhead catenary wires 

The tracks at the rear were not under catenary wire.

The old Bergs suburban station kit was first sold 1980s, but perfect for layouts like this

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"Paradise Point" (USA On30) by Daniel Thomson.  This layout is a diorama with movement, and a feast for the eyes

Seriously good detailed structures, extensive vegetation, water, and a simple train running on an oval is the style pioneered by the late Geoff Nott

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"Penzance and Malmsbury" (UK and VR 1:480) by Martin Kaselis.  This pair of layouts (each 6'x2') use linear motor drive to move the 3D printed trains in expansive landscapes.  The tracks they run on are paper prints of actual track  (unlike Orbost [previously covered])

Penzance is a seaside terminus on the old Great Western Railway

Malmsbury is a model of the village, and stone viaduct on the Melbourne to Bendigo line.  The backscene is extremely effective

There is some serious electronics needed to make the trains move

"Sunset Creek" (NSW HO) by Ian Williamson.  Rural Branchline

Something that could be built using repurposed items to save costs, but still be effective

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"Oberon to Hazelgrove" (NSW N) by the Georges River Model Railway club.  This layout makes a welcome return, with the bonus that the Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway volunteer organisation was the adjoining exhibit.

The Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway is rebuilding Oberon, and the section of line to Hazelgrove.  I visited them in 2010, when they were just starting the restoration of the station area. 

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"Tulong" (NSW HO) by the Hills Model Railway Society.  Somewhere in NSW.

S008 wheat silo

The laser cut kit of Tenterfield was nicely assembled.  I had considered this kit as a standin for my Wagga Wagga station whilst that was built, but not needed in the end.

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"Billabong Flat" (VR N) by James and Ray Richards.  Remote branchline terminus.  The layout was small 1.6 x 0.6 metres, with a 5 track traverser for the fiddleyard

Possibly the best backscene integration of any layouts at the 2025 Expo

Clinics and Displays

Grant McAdam had made the trip from Victoria, and was constructing a Victorian Railways workers cottage using original plans, styrene, wood, 3D prints, and castings.

The paper mockup isn't always necessary, but Grant said it was to test the angles of the roof

Grant also had on display some other small bespoke structures in O scale

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Ross Balderson MMR was showing off his N scale model of the James Craig, whilst constructing a small steam launch.  Both these models are destined to be incorporated into the Newcastle layout that is shown in the latest copy of AMRM

Ross had made the model from plans he drew himself, styrene, and etched brass.  The sails are an experiment, being glad-wrap, painted with a sand colour.

Ross's "1899 Newcastle" layout is now permanently on display in Newcastle, but 3 years ago, Ross had the layout on display in Goulburn Veolia Arena (same venue as the 2025 expo), so dialing back the wayback machine 3 years to the 2022 N scale convention, we get to see the layout.  Note. The sailing ship in the harbour is the Polly Woodside, also scratchbuilt by Ross

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Bob Hendy & Robert Hodges had an enlarged "Bob's Display" this year.  O scale NSWGR items, either scratchbuilt, or kit made. 

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Aiden Smith was scratch building or enhancing modern freight rollingstock with styrene

easy to see the white styrene, compared to the commercial parts used

I liked the simplicity of the stepped display.

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Lyndon Trains is a small bespoke manufacturer, but his booth included some nice displays

QR Garratt in O scale, made by Ron Fox

A small Cane Train display, featuring Lynton's HOe cane loco, and wagons

Retailers

There were almost 30 retail stands at the Expo to tempt the attendee to part with their money.    Below are just a few pictures I took after 2pm on Sunday, when the crowds had thinned out

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Aurora Trains had made the journey south from Yeerongpilly in Queensland - around 1000km.

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Casula Hobbies are a Liverpool (Sydney) based store.  Joe and Taresa have been supporting the model train hobby for around 50 years specialising in Australian trains, and details

Extensive display, and product range

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Euro Hobby Trains from Kogorah (Sydney) specialises in European model trains, and ESU DCC 

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Fortress Trains were selling new, near new, and second-hand items

One could spend a lot of time looking for bargains in the plastic tubs

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Junction Hobbies was another specialist retailer coming a long way, this time around 1000km from Adelaide

Well set out display.  The SAR 620 class pacific engine poster was impossible to miss

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Keiran Ryan Models is a cottage manufacturer, specializing in making NSW Wheat Silos kits.  Now also supplying  brass details, and 3D printing parts to enhance models.  Keiran is currently working on producing a NSW Z20 tank loco in 7mm scale.

I spent a bit of time talking with Keiran.  Plus I ordered one of his S016 silo kits for Shepherds Siding, (see my earlier blogpost)

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Kerroby Models is another small cottage manufacturer, making detail parts mostly in white metal.

The range of detail parts in multiscale is quite impressive.

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Lyndon's Trains made the trip to Goulburn from Kilmore, Victoria

Lyndon's range of models is contining to grow - many 3D printed kits in N HO, and O scales.

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Model Railroad Craftsman has a retail store in Blacktown (Sydney), and carries a good range of USA, Australian model trains, Woodland scenics, and NCE DCC.

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Pallas Hobbies made the trip up the escarpment from Albion Park Rail with their growing range of detail parts and tools, specializing in N scale, but not exclusively.

Dave and Tracey have been regular traders at exhibitions for 25 years.  Always Happy

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SDS Models are a mainstream manufacturer.   Their product range covers not just NSW and Victoria, but Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania.  SDS took over many of the former Austrains model range, and have improved them

The range on display was extensive.  They had a bargain bin where some of their older products were sold at a discount. 

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Wombat Models had a small display of C30T locomotives in various colours

Some C30T locos were repainted in colour by various country depots in the last years of steam operation of the NSWGR.  The C30T is a must have loco for most branchlines  

The other retailers included:-

Auscision, Eureka Models, Matts Ballast, IDR models, RW Hobby, On Track Models, Frate N, Buckambool Model trains, Gopher Models, Ixion Models, West Edge 3D, Railway Coins, Scale Model Co, Scale Workshop, and Kookaburra Hobbies.  Plus the sausage sizzle, and coffee van.

Galong

On our journey home, Ben insisted in a detour to the NSW station of Galong, to view a shed that had blown down in strong winds, and blocked the track on Friday.   Galong was the junction station to the abandoned Boorowa branch.   Below are some pictures of the now disused station

Brick "out-of" shed on the "Down" platform

Grain silo, and gantry crane

The small passenger shelter on the "UP" platform

A4 Goods Shed

Detail of a gate in the fence

About 20 years ago (but it might be longer), a container decided to come off a container train, and collided with the end of the station.  The damage was never repaired, just cleared and the end of the building boarded up.  The internal paint has held up well in the weather

Looking east, the emergency crossovers are still in place

The remains of the tin shed that had been blown down had been bulldozed into a pile, and disappointingly, I failed to take a picture.  However, Pete did, and he sent me a few pictures of the scene, and another one of the shed when it was standing.

Up PN freight train approaches Galong in 2017.  The shed that blew down is the small shed in the background, partially hidden by the out-of shed. Pete Neve photo

The remains of the shed (and contents) unceremonously bulldozed into a pile.  The brick and concrete base shows where it once stood.  Pete Neve photo

It is a reminder that "the permanent way" is not that permanent.   Don't shy away from photographing infrastructure when you see it - because it can disappear just as quickly.  And once it is gone, then too late.  Photo by Pete Neve

Conclusion

Georges River Model Railway club have surpassed their effort from last year.  The 2 booklets provided (one for each hall), gave a comprehensive summary, which has helped me compile my notes.

To all the layout exhibitors, traders, and sponsors, including local businesses in Goulburn, I thank you for a wonderful day.

On the way home.

After Galong, we continued to Harden, and once again, had an excellent meal at the Harden Chinese Restaurant.  

Until next time, build a model (or two).