Railway diorama hopes to bring in financial backers

THE completion of a new promotional tool has marked the next step in the journey for Geelong’s newest miniature railway station.

A ‘to-scale’ diorama of the proposed Geelong Miniature Railway has been built after six weeks of delicate construction by Geelong Miniature Railway Inc.’s president and founder Brian Gray.

The diorama, currently on display to the public at Gateways in North Geelong, will be used as a promotional tool for presentations to potential financial backers, as substantial funding needs to be acquired to move forward with the railway’s development and planning.

“As a club, we decided that if my dream was built into a working diorama then we can take it around and showcase it to the local community as well as the council,” Mr Gray said.

“This is essentially my vision.

“It is what is in my head coming to fruition with a working layout.

“Hopefully it will also attract local business and sponsorship, which is what we really need, and someone who could possibly donate 10 to 15 acres of land to us.”

Mr Gray said a corporate patron willing to put in between $100,000 to $250,000 per year is necessary for the proposed railway to take its next step forward.

Conversations are currently taking place with companies such as VIVA Energy and Gateways, but talks are ongoing.

Corio Norlane Lions’ Club president Richard Walter has been a major supporter of the Geelong Miniature Railway since day one and he believes that should the railway successfully request land from council, it needs to secure financial backing first and the diorama was the best way to move forward.

“We looked at different avenues of approaching local businesses and organisations and we agreed this was the best way to it,” Mr Walter said.

“It provides a first-hand visualisation of what we are planning to construct and what it may look like in the end.

“Of course, depending on what we can secure, the railway may look a little bit different, but in essence it will look similar to the diorama.”

Features on the diorama’s current display include a lake, tunnel, carriages, walkways, parkland, a workshop and storage shed, and of course model trains.

Head to Geelong Miniature Railway Inc.’s Facebook page for more information or head to Gateways Support Services located at 12-14 Thompson Road, North Geelong to view the club’s diorama in-person.