Strathpine Model Railway Exhibition

This weekend I’ve clocked up the Kilometres travelling to and from Strathpine for the Strathpine Model Railway Exhibition.  The collection of layouts this year featured some QR ones.  Three absolute rippers in fact.  Stannum Vale was there in HOn3½ with fantastic scenery and exquisite models.  Across the aisle was Samford making its debut.  It was in On3½ with S scale track – 22 mm I think.  Great big rollingstock vehicles, nice scenery and inspirational.  Just next to this layout was Dagun in also HOn3½ .  Another relatively new layout.  It even had two of my scratch built grain wagons with tarps on it a couple of times on the weekend.  I must admit that they were not up to the same quality as the others, but at least they got a run.

We also had a sugar industry layout also representing QR outline, and we had a couple with NSW and Victorian outline trains making appearances.  We also had a fictional On30 layout Mt Mee Tramway also with very nice scenery.  With a bit of imagination, we could also include two other layouts in the local outline.  Urangan Pier based on a replica of the pier at Hervey Bay and also Broxburn Sidings, but you need to watch out for the huge crocodiles on this layout.

There were the usual culprits with their shops and/or businesses and I saw plenty of folding stuff handed over – particularly from my wallet.  I have about 4-6 weeks before the wife finds out how much I spent.  Just be quite PK!  On Wednesday this week, I might get down to the shed and install a decoder in a new 1720 class loco - actually James Cook 1770.

So over the weekend I had plenty of fun.  I built a few models.  I gave away a few items.  I sold a few loads and tarps.  I had plenty of conversations with exhibitors, Club members, and the public.

Soccer season has now finished and my son’s team won one game and drew won in a challenging season.  Yesterday was a 9-0 loss against a team of thugs.  My weekend have freed up somewhat.  Now next weekend is the NMRA meeting at Darren’s place.  More trains.