Visit to a Hamilton (New Zealand that is) exhibition

Mayner · 2026-11-01T10:05:24Z

The Hamilton Model Railroaders scheduled their Spring exhibition for 31st Oct/1st Nov rather than the Labour Weekend a week earlier. The club (city/urban pop app 191K) usually schedules an annual spring exhibition at the Hamilton Gardens.

The exhibition was dominated by large tail chasing (continuous run) layouts in O (British outline (2 rail & tinplate), S scale Hamilton Club NZR (Sn3.5 (oo gauge). TT (1:120) NZR (contemporary) 1:120 on 9mm track, N scale American outline (Auckland Independent Modellers), together with a large number of smaller/suitcase sized layouts in a variety of the smaller scales gauges and outlines (basically N to Z)

I found the 1:120 contemporary layout the most interesting being a good demonstration of what could be achieved with limited trade support (basically a small number of cottage industry suppliers.

One area/corner of the layout with a classical NZR Island station building and signal cabin accessed by a footbridge.

Close up view of the loco depot all loco bodies kits or 3D printed on rtr chassis. Tracklayout and signalling typical of NZ practice. Double cabbed locos Chinese imports introduced about 15 years ago.

Classic scene with rail served industries. building with steeply pitched roof is a fertiliser depot. Unlike Ireland fertiliser was distributed in bulk form to regional depots and even direct to farms.

A bit of Irish interest, launched in 1997 Bulk Milk trains transport milk from regional collection points in Hawkes Bay and the Manawatū approx 190km to a the large Hāwera processing plant in the Taranaki.

Milk Trains were usually hauled by pairs of the powerful GE DX locos and restricted in length/weight due to the steeply graded sharply curved route into the Taranaki.

The original tank containers were manufactured in Clones by CPV (Container and Pressure Vessels) at the former GNR(I) station site incl. the former roundhouse!

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