This week was spent looking forward to the weekend just gone. It was the 2025 AMRA Queensland – Model Railway Exhibition. This year it was held at the sports stadium at Zillmere, not far from their Clubrooms. For that matter not far from our Clubrooms either. But a fair distance from my home. The week started with the best intentions of working on my narrow gauge timetable. I did nothing. Of course I did more planning around Sunnybank Station. I have started to lay out potential trackwork. I have also sent out a few requests for people to respond with what the trackwork was like at Sunnybank back around 1991. I await for evidence for this response.
I packed my car on Thursday and went to the show on Friday at my allocated time to unload all my gear in my allotted space. I said hello to a few mates and headed home.
Saturday was the big day. Darren rocked up at 7:00am and we were at the Exhibition at about 7:50am. We unpacked, then had a walk around observing who was there and what new layouts were there. There was one new QR layout – Coolooawah. It was very nice.
There were a couple of other new layouts, Cloudland and Clandestine Operation. These were also of a very high standard.
On Saturday night after I watched the second half of the Lions vs Collingwood game, I got online with the British Region of the NMRA at their regular Brew and Natter. I followed a discussion about layout safety briefings. My attention then turned to my lack of such an event in my shed. I will have to incorporate such a section in my Operations Manual as well as cover it in pre-Operations Session announcements and paperwork. I have started work on this.
Sunday was a repeat of Saturday at the Exhibition. Darren was at my place at 7:00am and we arrived at the Exhibition at about 7:45am. Again we took our eskies, with sustenance in them, and then started roaming around the shed looking at layouts, shops and talking to people. Over the weekend I caught up with many people I have not spoken to for maybe a year – some much longer. I made one purchase of a book from the ARHS, as I think it might give me some background on some QR models, that I might scratch build in the future. I actually did some modelling work yesterday and today at the Exhibition. Many people were sitting in front of me, talking to me and watching me build numerous strings of pallets, one clothesline and then I got started on my next big modelling project. This was even though I had not completed the Cassino Stations building and refreshment rooms on the layout. My next modelling task is to build another Park Road goods shed, the one closest to the station. I have a plan, a couple of photos and I have built the first portal. I will probably build a second one later in the week and work on fine tuning them. Then I need to work on building the structure between the portals. My model will be about 4 or maybe 5 sections long, unlike the prototype which is 11 sections long.
I am amazed by the quality of work from the guys in my Club who produce the 3D prints of QR models. They were in the corner of the exhibition showing off their models this last weekend. I really want Guy to finish off his 2000 Class railmotor. I will get an initial 2 car set, and then I will work on saving for a second set in the future. I will also probably have to buy a set of the 3 car EMUs. Maybe I will need a second set of them as well. My wife will kill me with the expense! However, if I ever build my dream future QR/NSW Dual gauge layout based on a Brisbane suburban location, I will need all these trains for the QR section, and then lots of space to build it, set it up, test it, and then scenic it, add all the structures and then I need somewhere to store it. I then need transportation for it, in order for the layout to get to exhibitions. Maybe I need a new car with a tow bar! OMG I’m dead!
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