Corio Model Railway Exhibition steams in for 50th year

MODEL railway enthusiasts will have the opportunity to feast their eyes on plenty of layouts at the 50th annual Corio Model Railway Exhibition next weekend.

Running on January 25 and January 26, about 14 layouts will fill the Norlane ARC, along with several commercial operations.

Model railway club president Bruce Mellett said the exhibition was a chance for his club to showcase what model railway was all about, and hoped people will gain an understanding of how diverse the hobby is.

“It’s just a demonstration of what we can do as one of the longest running model railway clubs in the state, we’re pretty proud of that,” he said.

Exhibitors are coming for the annual exhibition from across Victoria along with South Australia and New South Wales.

Trains will run on different style layouts, with model displays also set up and visitors provided with the opportunity to discuss everything about the hobby with club members.

 

The 2025 event will be the first year it has been held in the Norlane ARC and will provide the club with more floor space, allowing for bigger layouts.

The club was formed in the 1970s and now has about 35 members ranging from 18 years of age up to almost 90.

“Nowadays, it’s a lot more technical and there’s a lot more dimension to it, rather than just simply running a train around a track,” Mr Mellett said.

“A lot of it now is very much electronic and computer controlled; a lot of the young kids get into it because they can almost design their own bits and pieces and there’s a bit of 3D printing involved now.”

The exhibition will run from 10am until 5pm on both days, with entry $10 for adults and $5 for children under 16.

For more information, head to coriomrc.org