2024 National N scale Convention

 The N scale convention at Wangaratta, May 31st - June 2nd 2024

Last weekend, I drove the 3 hrs down to the Victorian regional city of Wangaratta for the bi-annual N scale convention.

Many conventioneers were able to travel from Melbourne to Wangaratta by train, this being the 2:42pm service, just one of the 5 trains that arrived from Melbourne on Friday 31st May.

The convention was held at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre.  An excellent venue.  A good selection of reasonably priced accomodation, all within walking distance, made for easy access, and avoided the pay parking on the adjoining streets.

A screenshot of the Googe Street view of the venue.  The venue included an integrated cafe  which was open all weekend

Inside view of the main foyer during the clinic times.  At lunch, morning and afternoon teas, this area was very busy.  Note: The cafe was on rear right of this picture

Layouts and traders

There were 11 layouts, and 15 trade stands at the convention.  This is an amazing turnup, and a good idea of the growing support for N scale modelling in Australia.  Below is just a small selection

Inland Rail had their small layout, along with large information displays of the work being performed at Wangaratta station

Pocket Sized Modules.  Settrack with scenery?

Binda by Pat Gagel

Gresham

Gunnadoo

Essendon Depot by Pete, under development.  This is a display layout featuring Pete's 3D printed trams running on Tomix chassis

Senohikui Tetsudo - Japanese N scale

Hexhamish, is a representation of the South Maitland coalfields. Fine running scratchbuilt locos, and long rakes of 4 wheel coal hoppers was hypnotic to watch

Auscision had their display layout, and display cabinet showing their current, and future N scale offerings.  The XPT was newly announced.  And they were also giving away drink bottles, rulers to conventioneers who engaged in conversation with them

Aust-N-Rail had a large number of models for sale

Lynton Trains, and Gopher models.  Gopher were running their pilot models, NSWGR C38 class 4-6-2 engines on the Gresham layout all weekend

Trackrite has their range of N scale track underlay.  Whilst N scale was on display. Trackrite HO products are intended for my home layout, and based in Albury, I consider local to me in Junee.

Other retailers were Buckambool model trains, Pallas Hobbies, J&J Hobbies, Millennium Engineering, Burfitt Tools, Frate N, Rosco Models, and Vision N scale.  

Clinics

As my interest is not N scale specific, I chose clinics that would be more suitable for HO.  I had no problems with the selection - at times there were 4  clinics simultaneously occuring

Malcolm Jenkins gave an introduction to Railway operations, and touched on JMRI Ops-Pro for producing switchlists, and cards.

Gray Rose had a clinic on Railway signalling

Phil Badger is always entertaining, and went through the mechanics of acheiving reliable running

One product that Phil recommends is Track Magic.  Apply sparingly once, and it keeps you track pretty clean for 6 months.  Sounds like it is 'Magic'

David McMorran & Martin Watts described their system of adding signals to your modular T track layout, using WiFi communications between sections, rather than wires.  Far too complex for my home layout, but an indiction what is possible

Steve Price found time from his convention chair role, to give an excellent clinic on modelling roads.  The handouts of actual model road surfaces, using the techniques described, was brilliant

Ian Wood showed his expertise in constructing eucalypt trees from 'Sedum Autumn Glory'  

Eric Coughlan made conifers from the twisted wire method, but using 2mm woodland scenics static grass as the foliage, rather then ground foam

Paul Antoine tallked about the DCC-Ex system of an inexpensive DCC system, designed to use WiFi android throttles,  and Auduino components, with specific programming, which Paul is a member.  Paul described how the system is being developed, and expanded

 

Meals, and Convention Dinner.  

On Friday evening, we were treated to a welcome reception at the venue, sponsored by Micro Trains USA.  The morning and afternoon teas, and lunch on Saturday, and Sunday were catered.  Dietrary aspects were also catered with specific boxes for those of us with these. 

On Saturday evening, the Quality Hotel Wangaratta Gateway was the the locaton for the convention Dinner

Around 190 delegates, and partners were at the dinner.  Guest speaker was Peter Grubby Stubbs, well known to 3AW radio listeners.  Peter has had a lifetime love of trains, and his stories, particularly his hijacking of a 3AW afternoon timeslot to talk models was a great insight into how radio producers view the hobby.   The meal too was excellent.  And Mark Jesser, part of the Convention organising group, was very busy with giveaway door prizes.

Contest

Not much to report on this.  Possibly a bit poor, in that the entrants were crammed onto a table, with inadequate lighting (in my opinion).  And the number of entries seemed a bit down - after the flood in 2022 with what might have been covid shutdown projects.  At this stage, I don't know which models won awards - the wrapup event awarded the builders, without describing, or showing the model on the screen.

Prototype Tour

SCT Logistics opened up for Friday - bus from Wangaratta, met independent travellers at the Barnawatha logic centre Service station at 12 noon

Matt from SCT, guided the group into the shed, and described the process about transfering pallets of goods, from semi, to train and vice versa.  Most interesting.  We didn't get to the container depot unfortunately.   SCT trains are frequent visitors though Junee, and I see them regularly

The convention bus.  After the SCT tour, the bus continued to Wodonga for lunch, whist the independant travellers headed to Wangaratta.  On Saturday, the partners were taken on a full day tour of the areas around Wangaratta, up to Beechworth, and Bright, and I understand it was a great day

Wangaratta Station

After the SCT tour, and before I booked into my motel, I explored the Wangaratta railway station.  Wangaratta was originally on the victorian broad gauge (1600mm), which ran from Melbourne to Albury.  In 1960, a new standard gauge line was laid behind the station in a trench, with a small station platform on the lower level.  The 2 gauges remained seperate until around 20 years ago, when the broad gauge north was truncated at Seymour, and the broad gauge line converted to standard gauge.  

Inland Rail newly laid trackage.  Station is on the left, goods shed, and brick water tank on the right.  Note the new station platform being built opposite the existing platform

Looking north from the footbridge.  The alignment for the original trench standard gauge on the right is being buried.

Best view of the station is pretty hard with the work occuring

This footbridge is slated for removal/replacement for the double stack trains clearance

Signs of steam still exist

The large goods shed no longer has tracks.  I had heard a few months ago, that Inland Rail wanted this shed removed as access to the shed could be dangerous with the trains being so close.  nanny state?  The new platform being constructed. 

The original standard gauge trench - being filled in.

Signalbox

Picture that I had never seen before - in the waiting room.  The VR 2'6" narrow gauge line to Whitfield left Wangaratta at the rear of the station.  This is the same general location as the standard gauge trench.  I wonder if the demise of the Whitfield line was in part of the standard gauge plans in the 1950s?  I suspect this picture was taken from the water tank.  Station, Signalbox, and goods shed are still there.  (left click picture for as bigger image)

The waiting room reminded me of some USA station waiting rooms

Station rear - approximately the location of the 2'6" gauge Whitfield train in the 1908 picture

Conclusion

The convention was a great way to re-engage, and meet new friends.  And it is always good to learn new techniques.  The convention bag included quite a bit of merchandise, as well as guides for the region's attractions, should one need an escape combined with a rail trail bicycle trip when the weather improves.  

The Convention,  being N scale, was also good in that I was not tempted by most of the items being sold, although I did acquire a few tools, and some books at the buy-swap-sell hour on Sunday morning.  And yes, I was accused as not being an N scaler - despite my Bethungra Loop N scale layout I built for the Junee Broadway Museum.  (I described that in about a dozen blog posts in 2019/20 if anyone wants to search my blog for these)

The next N scale convention is planned for South Australia in 2026.  Probably in the last half of the year to avoid the accomodation hikes that happen earlier in the year with certain events.  Save the date....

Until then, build a model or two.