Kaleen Exhibition - 2026

 The 2026 Kaleen Model Railway expo

Last Sunday, I accompanied Pete, and Ben on the trip from Junee, to Kaleen to attend their 37th model railway expo.

Before we left Junee, we filled up the car.  These fuel prices are per litre,  and are quite a bit higher than a few weeks ago, as a result of the price shock caused by the unpleasantness in Iran.  

The expo was organised by the Canberra Model Railway Club, and held in the University of Canberra High School Kaleen.  The expo included 37 model train layouts, 20 places to buy trains,  one modelling clinic, and a couple of displays.  In addition, the school provided catering.  Entry was $20 adult/$15 concession.  You received a 60 page colour guide booklet, and a voting stub for the best layout

My photo coverage in this blog post is slightly limited, as I have covered many of the layouts previously. 

LAYOUTS

90 mile beach by Jeff and Trish Mayhill. HO scale

A marklin Z scale train is used as a miniature railway for the HO scale passengers.   Small details abounded on the layout, which rewarded careful viewing. 

The circus had come to town, whilst cattle are moved along the beach.  This layout had various animation effects, using the Faller car system, Magnorail, and Viesman animated figures.  The wave effect on the beach was particularly well done

Alp Grum by Greg Coggins.   HOm scale Switzerland

Alp Grum is a real location in the Swiss Alps.  Greg's interpretation of the scenery is very good.

A rack train climbs to a small halt. 

Greg had 2 trains that automatically ran on the main loop - one in each direction.  This allowed Greg to talk with the public whilst the trains ran themselves

Amy's Creek by Sydney N scale Model Railway club   N scale, Victoria

A small layout of a fictional location in the Beechworth area.  I particularly liked the scenery  

Binawyle by Kyle & Wayne Lewis & family.  N scale, NSW 

The layout doesn't represent anywhere specifically, but the extensive scenery, and structures give a great small town feel 

Blue Mountains by North Shore Model Railway Association.  HO scale, NSW 

This large layout is representative of the railway line over the Blue Mountains, and many of the scenes are accurate reproductions in miniature of the real areas.  This module represents Hazelbrook Station

Katoomba Station, and town

Oil siding

Another view of Katoomba Station

Warrimoo Railway station has been heritage listed

Valley Heights Railway station

Valley Heights Coal stage

Campbelltown exhibited by Stephen Smith.  N scale, NSW

Campbelltown was once a semi rural settlement on the outskirts of Sydney.  This layout represents that time around 1960, although many of the trains are more modern

The branchline to Camden, goes up Kenny Hill. 

Main station

The Dairy Farmer co-operative is a representation of the real building.   

CMNSG Exhibition layout Modules by members of the Canberra Monaro N scale group.  N scale

The layout consists of various modules built to the T-TRAK standard.  The layout changes each year.

Modules allow flexibility, and can allow the builders to explore various ideas, without commiting to a lengthy, and time consuming process of building an entire layout.  Trains of various prototypes were seen circulating around the serpentine main line

Chapel Road. by Dan Osbourne  N scale British

Chapel Road is a small British shunting layout, to show what could be done in a restricted space

The track layout of Chapel Road offers a challenging shunting challenge.  Many of the structures are cardboard kits, giving a consistant look with quick construction

CLUG. by Canberra Lego Users Group.  Lego

A layout for the kids - all made from the humble Lego Brick by members of the Group.  Big colourful, and lots of action.  A crowd pleaser

I didn't know Lego made monorail tracks.

Grandad's Toy Trains by the Hornby Railway Collectors Association (ACT Vintage Trains)

Trains from the golden age of toy trains, after 1920, to around 1964.  These models were designed to be played with, and have been carefully restored by members of the group.  Seeing them running on typical period train sets baseboards will have brought back fond memories for some.  

Hornby Dublo - OO scale

Hornby O gauge - tinplate.  Electric and clockwork

Eurobodalla  by the Eurobodalla Model Railway club.  HO scale, NSW 

The club made the trip up the mountain from Batemans Bay.   Euroboadalla MRC  is a 100% NMRA club, and was also promoting membership to the NMRA (National Model Railroad Association)

Keeping small (and big) hands away from the models often involves a barrier.  Eurobodalla uses some PVC pipework attached to the baseboard sides, with a plastic chain to maintain separation

Hexamish by Stephen Curry.   N scale NSW.

Stephen has been building Hexamish over the last few years, to showcase his scratchbuilt locos, and wagons, depicting the private collery railways west of Newcastle. 

A peephole through the backscene gives a great view of the storage lines

It is hard to look at this picture, and pick it as N scale.  

Mungo Scotts  by Sydney Model Railway Society.  HO scale, NSW 

Mungo Scotts Flour Mill was a large structure on the former Sydney Metropolitan Goods line.  This scene depicts the line after 1967 after electrification 

Omega  by Daniel Thompson & Family.   HO scale, NSW 

A small display layout, that consists of 6 sections, that packs into a 1.2x0.9x0.5 metre volume - small enough to happily be moved in the back of a hatchback car

Omega is a real location on the south coast line, south of Kiama NSW.  The blend of the backscene with the scenery was masterful.   

Strassenbahn Caruana  by Ian Williamson.    HO scale, European trams.  

A simple street scene, allows Ian to showcase trams from his extensive collection

Tarana to Oberon  by Georges River Model Railway Club.    N scale, NSW 

The club brought along their full layout, with a continous run oval (fiddleyard at the rear)  for the mainline, with the branch to Oberon almost wrapping around the smaller mainline oval.  Unfortunately, the number of members from the club who made the trip to Kaleen was lacking, so action on the branchline was sporadic (just like the prototype?)   

I have seen this layout a few times now, and I am noticing extra details each time

The mainline has disappeared behind the road, and the extensive tree cover.  The branchline emerges from under the road bridge 

Carlwood was a small station along the line.  I expect that this scene is not yet finished.  

Oberon Cattle yards

Oberon station.

Traintasia  by Graham McMillan   G scale, Freelance

  

Another one for the kids.  Featuring a Disney character theme, the layout had 2 seperate ovals, on different levels

Watling Street  by the Small family.  OO scale - London 

London Underground is the theme for this display layout, showcasing British Rail, Metropolitan, and Tube trains

The Metropolitan train approaches the Watling Street station.  The simple lighting gave a good effect with no shadows

A view of the Ermine Street tube train station

Whitford and Noel - British Railway Modellers of Australia.  OO scale - British

This layout was under construction, which is informative for people considering building a layout

The trackplan has a terminus station, with a length of branch line circling around the station, to a fiddleyard behind the backscene

The curved backscene is particularly effective

Wynyard by Stephen Smith.  N scale NSW

Wynyard in Sydney, before 1958, when trams from North Sydney crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  This moving diorama showcases the trains, trams, buses, and buildings that existed from that time. 

I understand that the Trams and Trains were 3D printed. 'Wynyard' was my pick for the best exhibit

AWA tower, and Transport House dominate the skyline.  Also modelled is the Occidental and Langham hotels.  All these buildings are on York Street Sydney.  The Diorama was positioned very high, so one did not have to stoop down to view the underground area.  The period photographs were helpful to interpret the models. 

The underground platforms.  Trams on platform 1&2, North Sydney trains on platform 3&4, with the deeper city circle trains on platforms 5&6.  Sydney Harbour bridge is to the right of this scene.  Note.  The double deck trains are the wrong era for the tram operations

Yendys by the ACT Model Railway Society.

I still have a soft spot for this layout, having been involved 20 years ago with its design, and construction.  But, whilst the ACT model Railway Society prioritizes their club layout at the Belconnen Men's Shed, the replacement HO exhibition layout is very slow at progressing.  

I had included a small car shed facility in the design of Yendys, so members could showcase the Bergs Minimodels 4 car electric train set, without blocking the main line.  These electric trains featured as moving scenery on occassion, when they moved on and off the main line.  Little did I know then, that there would be a burst of new  electric outline trains produced by the local importers.  Yendys continues to showcase these models in a realistic setting

Steam trains can be seen too.  Many members of the society are involved with the ACT railway museum, and Yendys give them a place to run miniatures of the real trains.

Also featuring modern locos and rollingstock, the older infrastructure doesn't look out of place

Wombat Creek Railway  by Trevor Moore - G scale Freelance

This layout was under development with no scenery.  However, I was taken by this freelance model of a garratt, built on two LGB chassis

Other layouts not pictured in this blog (but may have been featured before on an earlier blog)

- Goulburn - NSW HO scale

- Penny B Railroad - Thomas &Friends N scale

- Wardell -American Z scale

- Micro Japan - Inaka & Cymru - Japanese N and HO scale

- Kookaburra Park - Freelance australian - HO

- Changing Times - NSW N scale

- Golden Valley - Freelance HO

- Katsura Valley Railway - Japanese N scale

- Gaye Saint Edith - British OO9 narrow gauge

- KcEvoy Junction - Freelance HO

- Hillside Halt - Freelance HO

- Charlestown - British OO - U-Drive

- Errolston - British OO

- The Great Zig_Zag - NSW HO

CLINIC

Kevin Tierman, Evan Rees & Alex Maljevac were building models, and answering questions from the curious.

Ben (our driver from Junee) in deep discussion with Evan.  

TRADERS

 As mentioned, the expo was very well supported by the retail trade, who had come from far and wide.

Buckambool Model trains were running the newly released Gopher models N scale XPT, as well as providing advice, and sales of DCC components

Casula Hobbies from Liverpool has been supporting the hobby for over 50 years.  They were selling their own RTR models, as well as supplying general hobbyist items

Fortress trains from Melbourne, specialises in new and second-hand models.  They had a large walk in sales area.

Gopher Models, and IXION are companies providing N scale, and HO scale Australian trains.  Here we see Phil Badger with a small sales selection of these models.

Model Railroad Craftsman from Blacktown, is a store specialising in supplying Australian and American trains, and models, with a specialty in NCE DCC.  Here we see Maria finalising a sale.

Mountain View Workshops is a new retailer, specialising in Decals, and 3D prints of models & containers.  Also had a supply of paints.  

SDS models are one of the major manufacturers of Australian trains

Other retail outlets

- Matts Ballast

- Railway Coins

- John's Preloved Trains

- Oberon-Tarana Heritage Railway

- Burfitt Tools

- Train World

- Euro Hobby Trains

- Wombat Models

- Runway 13

- Eureka Models

- Past Pleasures/Pat's Treasures

- Tom's Trains

- CMRCI Sales Table

Thanks to all all exhibitors, traders, doners, and members of the CMRC to make my visit a highly enjoyable event.

THE TRIP HOME - Burrinjuck dam, and narrow gauge railway

Ben decided to use our departure just after 3pm from the exhibition, as an opportunity to visit Burrinjuck dam, to explore some old narrow gauge railway relics that were left behind.

The Goondah to Burrinjuck Tramway was a 2 foot gauge line, constructed by the NSW Public Works Department in 1907, to assist in the construction of Burrinjuck Dam on the Murrumbidgee River.  Today's road to the dam follows the route of the former narrow gauge railway, and as I hadn't been to the dam in over 50 years, I was curious to explore. 

The dam wall as seen from the end of the public roadway, and access.  

The boom buoys to warn boaties to not get too close to the wall, and the water outlets.  Water level is down, as a result of low rainfall in the last few years

Looking towards the east.

"set track" turnouts.  Very much light railway practice 

Rail dump.  We were not expecting to sight bullhead rail.  Some of the other rails were stamped '1907 - Hoskinson'.  i.e. Made at Lithgow.  Still in good condition

This axle/wheelset was standard gauge, not 2' gauge - so no idea why it was here

Remains of side skips

Underframe for ???

Rail Tractor - possibly  dating from the dam remediation work starting in 1937. 

After inspection of the relics, we found another railway

An inclined railway up the steep slope.  The cart is attached to a winch cable, and we suspect it is hauled up by an electric winch

The cart

Returning back to Junee, we stopped at Goondah, to the original trans-shipment point for the Burrinjuck railway.  There was little surviving, but we did manage to photograph a modern train.

NR freight train crosses over the Goondah level crossing.  Picture by Ben.  My own effort was a failure

Our last scheduled stop was at the excellent Harden Chinese Restuarant - a tradition for us now.

POSTSCRIPT.  Pete reported to me later, that the cost of fuel for the trip was just over $100 - about 40 litres.  

CONCLUSION

Attending exhibitions has always been rewarding.  Not only does one see great modelling, and the ability to buy items that you might want without postage costs, it also allows catching up with friends who you might not have seen in a while.  This year's expenditure for me was modest - some tools from Burfitt, an Eureka AB91 dining car, and a few second-hand items.

My next blog post will hopefully be a report on the Narrow Gauge Convention in Melbourne, although if the fuel situation gets worse, I may have to reconsider my options.

Until then, build a model or two.