Model Railways in Australia

The last swap meet for 2023.
Today Thursday 14 Dec 2023 from 7pm
At the Oakleigh RSL
ENTRY $2 per person.

MEGA swap meet today
At Sandown
Saturday 9 Dec 2023

LAST DAY to book and pay for your selling spot and allocation for $80.
Otherwise it is $100 per allocation if you come on the day.
Public entry from 10am at $5 per person
Allocations of 2m x 2m are still available for the MEGA Swap meet on Saturday 9 December 2023 at SANDOWN RACE COURSE.
You can purchase multiple allocations to be a vendor and to sell your models, collectables, cards, games, toys, lego, cars, trains, planes, sports cards, footy cards, star wars items, star trek items, doctor who, pop vinyl, action figures, dolls, toys, diecast model, tin plate models and more at $80 per allocation until the day, and $100 on the day. 1 allocation is 2m x 2m, 2 allocations is 4m x 2m, 3 allocations is 6m x 2m and 4 allocations is 8m x 2m. Bring your own tables or hire tables at $20 each for the day.
Contact either Richard or Ian if you want to be a seller, vendor, retailer or stall holder.
Otherwise come and see what is available and buy those missing items for your collection or start a new collection.
Public entry is from 10am and is $5 per person.
We look forward to seeing everyone there

The MEGA Swap Meet at Sandown is on Saturday 9 December 2023, only 3 weeks away.

Allocations, positions, in units of 2m x 2m are still available.
(1) 2m x 2m, (2) 4m x 2m, (3) 6m x 2m, (4) 8m x 2m, (5) 10m x 2m
The cost per allocation/position unit (2m x 2m) is $60 cash if paid before the end of November 2023 or $80 per allocation/position unit if paid by direct deposit or from 1 December 2023.

Allocation/Position units bought on the day, Saturday 9 Dec 23, are $100 per unit. Tables $20 each for the day.

Public entry from 10 am to 3pm with a flat $5 per person entry.

Applications and flyers available upon request.
[email protected]

Swap meet today 7pm to 9pm at the Oakleigh RSL. Thursday 2 Nov 2023.

Planning, organising, setting up, operating and running an exhibition is not easy and the bigger they get the more it takes and the more you do, it does not get easier.
It takes people, money, time, effort, work, motivation and persistence.
The general public love them and few appreciate what it takes.
It is sad and discouraging to hear the knockers who would be better off expending their energies in assisting and making exhibitions happen. Exhibitions are good for the hobby.
The loss of an exhibition is not a good thing and it is was sad but very understandable to read the following:
_____________________________________________

As October approaches, more and more questions are asked as to the status of the Sydney Model Railway Exhibition. I would like to take the opportunity to set the record straight on the matter.
For those who may be unaware, the Sydney Model Railway Exhibition (also previously colloquially known as the Liverpool exhibition, or the October exhibition) is hosted by the Australian Model Railway Association NSW Branch, who bear all financial liability for the running of the exhibition every year.
In order to hold an exhibition, the required financial outlay is significant. The biggest cost for any event is the venue, which will usually require a significant downpayment well in advance of the event itself. There are also the costs paid to exhibitors, advertising costs, catering costs and many other smaller items. The offset is primarily income from commercial vendors paying for their stands, plus the takings from the door.
The 2019 exhibition held at Sydney Olympic Park, unfortunately, was a loss making activity for AMRA NSW. After many years at the Whitlam Centre in Liverpool, the venue had frankly become no longer fit for purpose - facilities were becoming dilapidated, the 2018 exhibition saw a number of toilets out of use, exhibitors spread across several small rooms, plus a number of other issues that were experienced with the venue management, most notably around venue access and security. A number of exhibitors and commercial vendors had expressed the opinion that they would not return to Liverpool had the exhibition continued to be held there.
The move to Olympic Park was broadly successful, with the primary source of negative feedback being around the parking situation (from both vendors/exhibitors and the public), which was a factor completely beyond the control of AMRA NSW as hosts. The other negative sentiment regarding using the Olympic Park site for an exhibition was the exhibition coinciding with the NRL Grand Final, concerns which ultimately were completely unfounded - our trading day concluded well before the start of the bulk of the Grand Final bump-in, and in fact we had a number of people visit the exhibition who had come in early for the Grand Final, leading to an unexpected small boost in visitor numbers for that day. There were other teething problems as you'd expect with a new venue, and all feedback was taken on board.
Ultimately, however, the exhibition did lead to a small, but not insignificant, financial loss for AMRA NSW. This was expected, and budgeted for, but even so it still stings a little.
Ultimately, however, what was not budgeted for was the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the effect it would have on AMRA NSW. Lockdowns meant that the entire primary source of income for the branch, namely our facility fees for persons using the clubrooms (our branch receives no money for membership), was taken away, while some of the general expenses of the clubrooms (such as council rates and utility bills) never went away. Combined with some other unexpected expenses, AMRA NSW suffered significant financial losses between 2019 and 2021. Since that time, our level of income from facility fees has never returned to its pre-pandemic level, with our current income being less than half what it was before the pandemic.
So what does this mean for both AMRA NSW and the Sydney Model Railway Exhibition? For AMRA NSW, the situation is simple. The branch remains financially solvent and able to continue its general activities. Unfortunately for the exhibition, the branch does not currently have the financial liquidity to hold an exhibition without risking bankrupting the organisation, particularly if there is any chance of the exhibition making a loss.
The AMRA NSW Committee has considered many options leading to this point. There has been serious consideration about moving the date of the exhibition (particularly as a number of our members are also involved with the Transport Heritage Expo which is now permanently moving to the October long weekend), reducing to a two-day exhibition, and moving to another venue with reduced overhead costs. Even with all those considerations, it still does not remain viable to hold an exhibition.
There have also been some people who have suggested that we should join forces with another organisation to mount an exhibition. While this may all seem well and good on the surface, there are a number of potential issues at play when working with another organisation - there is still significant financial outlay required from one or both organisations, there are the issues of insurance coverage, and ultimately, the biggest challenge - having people working in the background who can make the exhibition happen.
AMRA NSW has found over the last several exhibitions that the number of people willing to volunteer their time to help manage and run the exhibition has been dwindling, and the first thing needed after the substantial funds required to hold the exhibition, are the people to run it, particularly over a three day exhibition on a long weekend.
To sum up all of the above, AMRA NSW is not currently in the position to host the Sydney Model Railway Exhibition, not in 2023, not in 2024, and not for the foreseeable future. Should the financial position of the branch change in the future, the exhibition may be able to return to the agenda.
Until then, thank you for your interest in the exhibition, and for your past patronage, and we hope to see you again at some point in the future.
David Kimpton
AMRA NSW Secretary
Damien George
AMRA NSW Exhibition Manager

____________________________________________________________

We hope that in the near future AMRA NSW can muster the resources to one day host and run another Sydney Model Railway Exhibition, where ever that may be.

DATES for SWAP MEETS
Plus MEGA SWAPMEET on Saturday 9 December 2023

Have you got models, kits, trains, cars, planes, ships, figurines, cards, truck, tanks, swap cards, old wares, antiques and collectibles cluttering up the house or excess to requirements, Do you want to make more space or make some extra money. Then books a spot at the MEGA SWAP MEET in December 2023 at Sandown where other people are coming to seek their missing models, kits and collectibles to complete their collections and displays.

Then in March 2024 come to the Train and Hobby Show to exhibit and show your layouts, display and collections. With Train layouts and displays, Arts & Crafts displays and sales, Home Automation, Footy Cards, Swap Cards, Models, Drone and Remote Control.

Applications and Spot are available at BOTH EVENTS.
Contact us .

No need to pre-order, we saw them at exhibitions in Sydney and Brisbane on the shelf in stores ready to buy right now. Casula Hobbies, Model Railroad Craftsman, Train World and others have them in store and ready to sell to you right now. Even DCC Sound is available off the shelf. No need to wait and no need to pre-order. Grab a J-Class today.

Shop pre-order forms for the re-run of the VR HO scale J Class, and the LF sheep and MF cattle wagons were emailed out to Ixion Stockists in Australia this evening. If you have a favourite shop, make sure you let them know what you want so they can include you in their preorder.
When they’re available we’ll also have examples of all these models for sale on our website for people who are distant from model shops or just like to buy direct, but they won’t be listed there until they’re in stock; Ixion doesn’t offer pre-orders.

Cash is King

Applications for 2024 open now
Bigger and better in 2024.
New date and times

With the works and renovations happening at Caulfield Racecourse causing its temporary closure for 2023 and the movement of Caulfield Racecourse operations to Sandown Racecourse creating some changes at the Sandown Racecouse. The Train and Hobby Show team have and to make some changes causing a temporary delay in finalising the exhibtion and organisation.

As such the door is still open for any last minute applications.

Send questions and requests regarding attendance and applications for the TaHS at Sandown in March 2023 to:

[email protected]

Setting up for tonight.
Opens at 7pm

Heated.
Nice and warm
Swapmeet at Oakleigh RSL.
Drummond Street Oakleigh.
Today Thursday 9 June 2022
Opens 7pm. Entry $2.
Cozy and warm.