Thomas the Tank Engine pulls into Prentcombe Station. Photo / Judith Lacy
Thomas the Tank Engine pulls into Prentcombe Station. Photo / Judith Lacy
The longer and harder you look at Manawatū Model Railway Club's English scene, the more you see.
The fisherman in the river, the people waiting for the bus, the farm labourers at work.
Thomas the Tank Engine is waiting to pull out of the station. Midland Bank is open forbusiness.
The detailed layout will be on display at the two-day model train show on July 17-18.
Rail X is organised by three clubs - Manawatū Model Railway Club, Manawatū European Model Railway Club and Scale Rails. It is held biennially, but last year the train didn't pull out of the station with Covid-19 blocking the line.
This year there will be layouts from lower North Island clubs and from Tauranga, plus individual displays and trade stands.
Manawatū Model Railway's layout is called Prentcombe and Rail X will be the first Palmerston North outing for it.
Some of the houses in the village and people out and about. Photo / Judith Lacy
Prentcombe is an English railway scene inspired by the 1950/60s and features a small town, station, farmland and farmhouse. A lot is covered in a small area.
"Once you put the track down you've done about 10 per cent of the work, the rest is doing all the scenery," Michael Hardman says.
He is a member of the Rail X organising committee and of the Manawatū Model Railway Club.
Some of the shops and houses in the village. Photo / Judith Lacy
Hardman says in New Zealand model train shows are open to the public, but he has been to some in England for modellers only.
Some of the farmhouse outbuildings and labourers at work. Photo / Judith Lacy
On display at Rail X will be British, New Zealand, American and European model trains and scenery, a garden railway at child height, and a layout built from Meccano. One layout has scenes from Manawatū and Tararua and layouts can range from suitcase size to "humongous".
The Details What: Rail X When: July 17-18, 10am-4pm Where: Barber Hall, Waldegrave St Tickets: at door, adults $10, 4-14 years $2, under 4s free, family $20, two-day pass $15
A Great Western Railway railcar, nicknamed the Flying Banana. Photo / Judith Lacy
