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Visited a steam train model club day: A rail enthusiast's delight!

18th September 2024, 15:36 by Ananth Iyer

Lots of engine driving around all day on different tracks, different gauges. They would give rides to the kids and (grand) parents too!

BHPian Jeroen recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Little kids tend to be fascinated by BIG Machinery.

Our grandson Ben is fascinated by trains. All trains, big and small! He wants to be a train driver when he grows up!

Apparently, according to my late mum, when I was Ben's age (almost 3) I wanted to become a garbage truck driver. In the early 60s, huge garbage trucks came around our house twice a week. It's very impressive for a little boy. I used to follow it around the neighbourhood on my little tricycle.

But Ben as so many other little boys, is very much into trains.

This weekend one of the steam model clubs nearby had an open day. So we all went, our eldest son Luc, daughter-in-law Maloeken and Ben.

You might not have realized this, but steam engine model building is quite a thing in various countries. This steam train club has a huge plot of land with lots of tracks in different gauges. The longest track is well over 350 meters of length!

This is a serious hobby as you will see. It is also nerd-ville or nerd-heaven depending on your point of view.

Some of these engines are quite large as you will see and heavy! Members and visitors bring their engines in the back of the cars. They have this special place where the engines can be offloaded from the car with a special hydraulic ramp.

The engines are then shunted to individual tracks around the turntable where they will be prepped, boilers fired up, water and coal topped up, and ready to go!

This might be just a hobby, but it is pretty serious stuff. All of these engines are hand built. Some of these took ten years or more to build. The boilers are all fully tested and registered in accordance with the relevant steam boilers regulations.

Yes, these are real steam engines. Requiring lots of water and coal!!

This might look like a little engine model, but make no mistake. It is also a properly functioning steam locomotive. The boiler on these little models are heated with propane/petrol. The control is utilizing a Radio Controller!

Lots of engine driving around all day on different tracks, different gauges. They would give rides to the kids and (grand) parents too!

This is a lovely model of a Dutch diesel shunter. I remember these from when I was young. This one is electrically powered.

Ben enjoying one of his many rides!!

Luc was allowed to take over for the driver and took Ben for a ride. They took two full turns on the track before stopping and handing over the train to another dad and little boy.

Obviously, Maloeke had to have a go as well.

Some of the members of this club also build stationary steam engines. There was this very nice display with various working models.

The level of detailing is just incredible. And it all works!!

The owner had this bicycle pump installed. Kids could pump air and the steam models would start to run on air!! Ben was fascinated! So was Maloeke.

I am just going to show some more details of these engines.

This was one of the nicest locomotives I thought:

Some close-ups:

These guys (and a few gals) might be a bit nerdy, but they do have a good sense of humour. Look who is riding on one of the passenger carriages!

Some more gorgeous engines/locomotives

Dear serious this guy! Lovely!

Some more details on some of the foot plates as they call it. Every valve works!! Some of these handles are only a few millimeters in size!

You might have spotted some of these in earlier images. In order to get the boiler fired up properly they put a little electric fan on the chimney. That creates enough draft to get the coal fire going. These models don't get enough natural ventilation during the initial firing up, so need a bit of help.