New Zealand Model Railway Journal

19/01/2024

On this weekend.

15/01/2024

It's less than three months until the 2024 national convention of the New Zealand Association of Model Railway Clubs (NZAMRC). This convention is open to modellers of all prototypes and will be held April 26 - 28 at the picturesque Corban Estate Art Centre in West Auckland. The convention activities include clinics, layout tours, layouts at the venue, trade tables, AGMs, and meetings of special interest groups. There will also be the NZAMRC's model competition and the Flatcar Load Challenge, the latter sponsored by the Australasian Region of the National Model Railroaders Association. Although the convention activities will start at 3pm on April 26, the venue will be open from 9am on the 26th to enable people to set up and submit models for the two competitions. Online registration for the convention is available at . The registration fee is $120 per person. This is reduced to $100 if paid before or on March 31, 2024. We hope to see many of you at the convention

https://www.nzamrc.org.nz/conventions/?fbclid=IwAR3_H52PS8ujlbUldE2WFFFr8iz6JugQRCoAOSgZSIxGScxa8QruTgu3yp0

The NZAMRC is the umbrella organisation for model railway clubs and affiliates throughout New Zealand

08/01/2024

Nearly time…. See you all there.

04/01/2024

The full video of New Zealand Model Railway Tours:

New Zealand Model Railway Tours

12/12/2023

The December 2023 edition of the Journal is now at the printers! Details all here: https://nzmrg.org.nz/webpage-396/the-journal-december-2023.html

12/12/2023

New Zealand Railway Observer Issue 382 out now.

30/11/2023

Are you a train dad?

https://www.trains.com/ctt/news-reviews/news/meet-the-train-dads/?fbclid=IwAR1m2JEtCQeCzd5CqaKiSRaWKqwZ8U8xkAz38aRaX9-C78Aqp_lN01ZQI34

A group of five young men, who had been on Facebook O gauge groups and other online groups, decided to form their own group called the “Train Dads.” As you can guess from the name, the group is made up of hobbyists of a younger generation, and who are proud fathers to amazing kids. This group in...

06/11/2023

2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - NOTICE

The Annual General Meeting of the NZ Model Railway Guild covering the financial year 2022 will be held via Zoom on Thursday 23rd November 2023 commencing at 7:30pm.

The current members of the Executive are:

Clive Anderson
Terry Bradley
Alan Curtis
Alan Mathewson
Andrew Stevens

Co-opted members are:

Celyn Bennet - Design Editor
Lewis Holden - Social Media Editor

Accounts etc are on the Guild's website:

https://nzmrg.org.nz/index.php?option=com_webpage&id=394

Zoom details will be posted online shortly. To vote and/or speak at the AGM, you must be a financial member of the guild.

The home page of the New Zealand Model Railway Guild and publisher of the NZ Model Railway Journal for those interested in modelling the railways of New Zealand.

04/11/2023

Day Two of Pokaka 2023...

03/11/2023

Hard at work into the night...

03/11/2023

Great start at Pokaka modellers get together - looks like it's DJ country this year

04/10/2023

NZ Railway Observer Issue 381 out now!

04/10/2023

Great video by Grant Morrell's models:

26/09/2023

Not long to go now:

22/09/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvQarEQsqfI

Another great video from Luke Towan:

Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or just starting your journey into the world of model trains, this video will take you through essential techniques and ...

15/09/2023

A mighty tree has fallen in the railway modelling world. Les Downey passed quietly away on 15th September in Brisbane where he has lived for a number of years.

Les was a life member of the Guild and a valued and very capable modeller. Despite living in Australia, Les retained his passion for modelling the New Zealand railway scene and many articles have appeared in the Journal over the years.

Many of you will remember Les personally and the Guild would be pleased to receive your anecdotes for inclusion in an obituary for the December Journal. Email them to us at [email protected].

15/09/2023

The lastest issue of The Journal brings you more great articles from modellers around New Zealand and also from our friends across the Tasman. See Karl Shield's great article on the G Class locomotive - a model he has completed just as the NZ Railway & Locomotive Society publish their book on this interesting development from the Garratts. We also have a review of the book from Lewis Holden and as a bonus an article about the rebuild of a model Garratt which has had a hard working life.

See also Garth Cook's Beaumont goods shed, Aaron Wall's workmens hut construction - along with Warren Bird on getting the colours right. Another instalment from Grant Fletcher on his Napier trams - he has now modelled the entire fleet. And Tony Simons on his sculptamold process. The next instalment of The Stoker Story appears this month. In Trade news we are delighted to include the announcement of the launch of The 9Mill Store and their very first ready-to-run 9Mill model - an amazing advance from all those years of whitemetal kits.
Of special note is a thanks to Grant Morrell for his cover photo - he is the first winner of our Prezzie Card.

Enjoy!!

The Journal Team

08/09/2023

The replacement for the missing journal is now in the mail! The NZR WE Locomotive by Alex Smith, an excellent booklet with everything you need to model a WE class locomotive.

06/09/2023

Greetings all

OK, so it's now September. Where are we up to we hear people asking.

Well a lot has happened since our August update. Firstly you will be pleased to know that the substitutue for the June 2022 Journal has been despatched from the printers. It is not a Journal, it is a brand new Guild publication. It is a wonderful compilation of photographs and a plan of the NZR We Class 4-6-4T locomotive. We are grateful to Alex Smith for putting this together, it has been a long time in development and has been somewhat of a passion project for Alex over several years to see it in print. We really hope you like it.

Secondly, the September issue of the Journal is in its final stages and will be with the printer very shortly. Remember, if you have not renewed your subscription this will be your farewell issue. But don't worry, once the magazine goes out you will get a personalised invitation to renew if you have not done so by then.

Thirdly, we are delighted to advise that 82 more issues, from the Model Railway Supplement of 1946 and 1947, and the Journal from its first issue in February 1948 through to 1960 are now live and searchable on the Journal Archive - your link is HERE. This completes the online archive of the Journal. There are two things to remember. (1) This is a different website to the Guild website so you need to have remembered your login details. (2) If your membership was current at 30th June 2023 then you still have access - until the end of September when those who have not renewed their subscription will have their access suspended.

Fourthly - yes there is more. The new Journal website development is at testing stage. This is a whole new social media based site. You will be able to post to the site and have discussions and share photos and drawings with your fellow modellers. It will be more than a single stream of posts, there is the opportunity to post into particular groups that can be set up, so keeping threads together. Very importantly, this feed is all about modelling New Zealand railways, it has no ads and doesn't include posts from your aunt about who she is having around to dinner. There will be posts from upcoming Journals - teasers about what is ahead, as well as reposts from the past. Access to the site will be free to all, but you will need to register (just like any other social media site).

All the very best from the Guild Executive

30/08/2023

Latest edition of Linesider out now!

29/08/2023

18/08/2023

17/08/2023

POKAKA UPDATE:

Our Pokaka weekend ends 1100 on the Sunday, further cost and food for those extra days, inquiries, bookings, payments to Paul at
Yes we need monies and confirmation you are coming, this makes my job and Paul's job easier for catering and bunk allocation. Cheers for those already paid and are set to come.
12 weeks and counting down, hope we are all busy modelling and prepping for another fantastic weekend.
You will note the date change, this year due to a double booking that couldn’t be changed, we are now the 1st weekend of November, 2024 should be back to the 2nd weekend calendar.
More comfort changes at the lodge have taken place making the room nice and cosy, some less rooms now as they cater for families so your normal bunk allocation might be different from last year. Also if wanting to room with fellow modellers let me know so can plan accordingly
Be in for the ‘early bird’ for your payment, in before the end of Sept and you could save yourself $25 by going into the early bird draw where one lucky person will get a free nights’ accommodation.
Must bring a model for the display table, own refreshments, something to make/complete/start or help on and of course tools
As was last year Paul Mahoney is offering another two more days to Tuesday. This is a Sunday/Monday/Tues AM. Bush tram outings.
Our Pokaka weekend ends 1100 on the Sunday, further cost and food for those extra days, enquiries, bookings, payments to Paul at [email protected]“. He has been working the old Bennett and Punch bush tram at Ohakune.
Cost and dates in 2 categories;
Thu to Sun= 3 nights $130 (3 x Accom & 2 x Food)
Fri to Sun= 2 nights $105 (2 x Accom & 2 Food)
Account banking details are sent out in general email, if not on that list, PM for details to pay.

15/08/2023

Great promotion of the hobby by AMI Insurance

10/08/2023

Few events on, thanks NZ Model Train Shows

03/08/2023

A challenge for NZ tram modelers... what's an iconic NZ scene that could be created?

26/07/2023

The latest NZ Railway Observer is out now:

New Zealand Railway Observer Issue 380 is out now.

The cover shows: Eo3, emerging from the Otira portal of the Otira Tunnel around 1950. The painting was the work of Maurice Poulton, chief design artist for NZR, and the painting now hangs in the Arthur’s Pass railway station. An article on the building of the tunnel appears in this issue. Photograph: Roy Sinclair, NZRLS Archives.

24/07/2023

Lawrence Boul writes "Track has always been a bit of a problem for the NZR modeller. Does one use something proprietary, with it’s virtues of speed, simplicity and robustness? Tempting as these virtues are, commercial track bears little resemblance to NZR practice."

By Lawrence BoulJuly 21, 2023Tags: 1/64, 3D print, assembly, detailing, Rewanui, track Track has always been a bit of a problem for the NZR modeller. Does one use something proprietary, with it’s virtues of speed, simplicity and robustness? Tempting as these virtues are, commercial track bears lit...