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.

Wagga Yard's Loop Sidings

 Wagga's loop sidings - now just a memory

Earlier in February, The Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage museum posted a drone picture showing the recent removal of the yard loop sidings.  The work was in conjuction with Inland Rail.  So, I thought I would check it out for myself, and document the sidings with a series of pictures, and describe how they were used.

Wagga's X200 shunting tractor is pulling some wagons off siding#2 on siding#1 in  this early 1980's picture.  (my picture converted from slide)

What are the sidings?

Officially, these sidings were known as nos.1 to nos.4 sidings - with #1 acting more like a run-around track, than one used just for storage.

Signal box diagram, as displayed in the Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage Museum

Detail - showing the sidings #1 through #4, with a headshunt that ran behind the signalbox to help make up trains for the Tumbarumba branch (etc)

Pictures over the years

Before "Mothers Bridge" had been constructed, #1 siding comes off the 'Through Road', just beyond the signalbox.  (source unknown)

5337 and 5231. Nov 1947. Note the fuel tanker and carriages are on Siding #2.  National Library of Australia image as displayed by the Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage Museum

In 1962, Tony McIllwain, who was studying at the Wagga' Teacher College at the time, found time to take some pictures, which he has gratefully provided to me.   The next 4 images are those of his showing steam trains working the sidings

Unknown 53 class has presumely run around its train, and is about to shunt wagons from the train on #1 siding, onto sidings #2 or #4.  There appears to be a water gin on siding #3. Tony McIIwain picture

Unknown 50 class shunting the sidings. Tony McIIwain picture

5375 with train on #1 siding.  Not sure if this image, and the one below are of the same train. Tony McIIwain picture 

Unknown 53, and 5375 ready to depart towards Junee with the train. Tony McIIwain picture

During a drought, moving stock to "greener pastures" was considered urgent enough to use open wagons, rather than dedicated cattle wagons.  The goods train on Siding #1 is full of 4 wheel wagons, and the tarpaulins are a feature.  Image from internet - and I have it also in a book.  Date unknown, probably in the 1930s. 

Intercapital Daylight hauled by 44232 eases slowly into Wagga around 1980, whilst X200 shunter and oil wagon are on Siding #1.   Steve Kaiser picture.

42102 hauls  a number of VR cement wagons back towards Victoria in this 1981 picture.  Bogie wagons stored on Siding #2.  Note the doubleslip connection to the Through road had been removed..  

Graeme Dodds recorded this image as the X212 removing a louvre van off a northbound train in 1979 

X212 got a better shunting truck in this undated image from the late Phil Sloan.  I have scanned this picture from a small size print, so the quality isn't there. 

The NSW "Green Train" stabled on the "headshunt siding".  This was the location for various exhibition trains to be stabled, to enable the public to access from the roadway that existed beside the rail track.  Phil Sloan picture

A northbound train (headed by a 421, and 42) enters siding #1.  Maybe picking up wagons from the headshunt?   The headshunt includes a number of BSV, and CH coal hoppers.  These wagons will have either come, (or be going to) the Mortimer Street gas plant, and trucking yards respectively.  The X200 shunter will be doing the honours of transfering these wagons from/to the Wagga yard sidings.  Phil Sloan picture, scanned from small sized print

Heading south, looking along Siding #1.  The pointwork for Sidings #2 - #4 is just beyond the signal bridge.  X200 is on the platform road.  "Do not loose shunt" carriage on siding #2.  My picture from early 1980s

3801 on Siding #1.  The signal gantry ion the previous picture has lost all its semaphore signals (1983) and 8174 is in Candy livery, so this image is after 1985.  Poor scan from my slide image.  (note to me - need to redo it)

BSV wagon on the headshunt siding.  My picture.

The down steel train passes through Wagga in 2015, showing the sidings, and a lot of rust on the now disused siding tracks.  Observant viewers will note that one of the sidings is missing - so sometime after 1990, and 2015 the sidings had been relaid. My picture

Operation.

Wagga Wagga once sported a lot of industrial sidings.  There were

- 7 x fuel sidings

- Flour mill

- Gasworks

- Sheep, Cattle, and Pigs Trucking yards

- Tooths beer depot

- Boral siding

- SEC siding

- Hardys Timber

- Goods shed

- loading bank

All of these sidings were shunted (from the 1960s era onwards) with an X200 shunting tractor, which would grab the appropriate wagon(s) from the loop sidings, and deposit it(them) at the respective industrial siding.  The loop sidings were in turn filled, or emptied by passing freight trains, who would drop, or collect wagons assigned to Wagga's industrial sidings.  Effectively, as my American readers might understand,  it was an interchange yard.   

In addition, the sidings were also used for receiving, and making up freight trains for the Tumbarumba branch.

In 1974, traffic to Tumbarumba ceased, and the branch traffic dropped off to just occasional Wheat trains from Ladysmith, and Forest Hill.  This signalled the start of a slow decline in rail movements, as sidings closed, and road transport took over.  Piped natural gas took over the function of the gasworks, the remaining fuel depots  amalgameted to Bomen.  The wheat trains last run was  in 1987, and the branch truncated to Copland Street in Wagga.  The X200 shunting tractor was withdrawn (date?) , and we saw for a short period, mainline engines shunting the Tooths, and Boral sidings on the reminant of the Tumbarumba branch.  But even these closed, leaving no purpose for the loop sidings.  They were spiked out of use, and despite a request from Wagga Rail Heritage to leave them in place for Trike runs, in February 2026, the sidings were lifted.  

February 2026 - Sidings lifted

Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage posted this Drone image of the siding removal.  Note there is no ballast in the sidings area

After seeing the drone image, I made a special trip to Wagga to record what I could.

Contrast this picture with the one I took 45 years earlier (first picture on this blogpost).  The catchpoint on siding #1 is still in place, but I expect this will be removed next weekend, when the main south is being shutdown for 3 days (Feb27-March1).  But I could be wrong.  I note new ballast has been deposited on the dirt that was evident in the drone picture.  No idea why.

Rails neatly stacked for removal?

Probably around 10 years ago, the frog on the through track had been extracted.

The ground frame, installed in 1983 when the signal box was removed for CTC remains (for now).  Of interest is the point blade is still in place

Not much of Siding #1 remains,  (Suspect that even this will disappear in the next 'Main South' maintenance shutdown - Feb 27-March 1st 2026)

It might be 2026, but I see the ghost of two 53s on the now removed #1 siding  64 years ago.  

A last view of the pulled up rail.  Not sure where the bulk of the wooden sleepers went?

Inland rail progress

Road bridge

Preperations for the removal of the Edmonson Street bridge is well underway

A few weeks after my post on the Edmonson Street bridge, part of the embankment suffered a partial collapse, closing one lane.  Wagga City council then appealed to Inland Rail, asking for clarification on the bridge replacement.  The council didn't want to spend money fixing a problem if the bridge was going to be replaced quickly.  Well, it wasn't, and it has taken years.  Then, when a closure date was announced, the Council objected that they didn't have a traffic study to detour the traffic to the other rail crossings in the town.  Go figure....

I posted my notes on the bridge in 2022.

https://buildingwagga.blogspot.com/2022/09/edmondson-street-bridge.html

Embankment collapse in 2022

from the motorist's perspective

Inland rail design 

Note the pedestrian walkway - again a gentler slope to meet modern regulations

Excavation of the northbound roadway ramp.

The span is to be removed on the weekend 27Feb-1st March 2026.  Note the old gatekeeper cottage is still in place, although missing one of its roofing sheets.   The recently rebuilt Wagga Wagga Base hospital is in the distance

Mothers Bridge Footbridge replacement

My earlier notes.

https://buildingwagga.blogspot.com/2025/11/mothers-bridge.html

Work continues with the footings

Summary

When I started this blog, I never expected that I would be documenting history that is disappearing, and changing.   Hopefully you have not found this dull.   By studying the prototype, I get a better appreciation of the railway, and in this case, the operation around the sidings.  It will elevate the humble shunter as being the most important, and potential caveated operator position for the future layout op sessions.

Thank you to all people who have made images available to me to illustrate this blog post.  If I have inadvertently mis-used your picture, please contact me, and I will amend. 

 Until next time, build a model or two.