Our fair hobby in New Zealand

[brynna79]

Hi,

 

I am currently mulling a move to New Zealand, after being approached and made an offer for a job there.  I just wondered if there are many HO/O Gauge modelers on here who are based in New Zealand and can tell me what it is like for the hobby down there. 

 

My interests are US/CAN HO Gauge and UK O Gauge.  I have tried to research both of these and indeed if there is a New Zealand equivalent for modelling there railways out there, but I am struggling a little bit with the usual Google searches not being as efficient for my main areas of interest in the UK/US. 

 

It would be nice to be able to continue with the hobby when out there, even if there is a uplift for the remoteness.  I am not sure if shows etc... are a thing and if shops are available to buy stock. 

 

Cheers

Bryn

[Ian Morgan]

This seems like a good place to start from:

 

https://www.nzmrg.org.nz/webpage-269/model-railway-groups-.html

 

I visited New Zealand 20 years ago and railway modelling was alive and well. I found a model shop in Johnsonville, near Wellington to pick up some souvenir kits of NZ prototypes. New Zealand, in general, is influenced by America and Japan almost as much as it is influenced by the UK, and there seem to be plenty of people modelling US railroads as well as British and New Zealand railways. Modelling NZ railway prototypes requires more effort as it uses 3' 6" gauge. This can be acheived using S scale on HO gauge track, or 1:120 scale on N gauge track. A Brazilian company, Frateschi, also make HO models of NZ prototypes that run incorrectly on HO track.

 

 

[grow45]

Not sure where you might be based in NZ but Ironhorse Hobbies in Christchurch had a reasonable selection of British 4mm (mostly Hornby) and 7mm (mostly Peco) items when I was there about three years ago.  I also seem to recall some American stuff but as it was not really one of my interests, I did not particularly pay much attention.

 

 

[Matt.S.]

Plenty of US style modellers. You've just missed the convention where everything from Z to G was on show. 

[brynna79]

On 10/10/2022 at 16:40, Ian Morgan said:

This seems like a good place to start from:

 

https://www.nzmrg.org.nz/webpage-269/model-railway-groups-.html

 

I visited New Zealand 20 years ago and railway modelling was alive and well. I found a model shop in Johnsonville, near Wellington to pick up some souvenir kits of NZ prototypes. New Zealand, in general, is influenced by America and Japan almost as much as it is influenced by the UK, and there seem to be plenty of people modelling US railroads as well as British and New Zealand railways. Modelling NZ railway prototypes requires more effort as it uses 3' 6" gauge. This can be acheived using S scale on HO gauge track, or 1:120 scale on N gauge track. A Brazilian company, Frateschi, also make HO models of NZ prototypes that run incorrectly on HO track.

 

 

Hi Ian, 

 

Thanks for the reply.  I had found the NZMRG website after another search earlier this week.  It's interesting to hear your experience of what you had found while there. IT sounds like a minefield to run NZ prototypes and I am not sure that I will change to that from my desire to either continue with US HO, or expand a dabble with British O.  I think I will fill my boots and the container with enough to keep me busy while still in the UK and before we were to leave at some point next year - assuming we go ahead with this).  At least it appears there is a base for the hobby while out there to keep me ticking over. 

Cheers

[brynna79]

On 12/10/2022 at 22:22, grow45 said:

Not sure where you might be based in NZ but Ironhorse Hobbies in Christchurch had a reasonable selection of British 4mm (mostly Hornby) and 7mm (mostly Peco) items when I was there about three years ago.  I also seem to recall some American stuff but as it was not really one of my interests, I did not particularly pay much attention.

 

 

HI, 

 

We haven't properly committed yet but are likely too.  It would be north Island where we would move to, so that would be a fair way away from the shop you have suggested for a visit. But I would hope that Auckland has something similar as a big city as well.  I have stumbled across their website and noticed that they have a good base of UK stuff, although the prices were a mixed bag for what I did see. 

 

We're more likely to visit the States on the Western side, than come back home to the UK, so maybe sticking with US HO would be the better option than UK O. 

Cheers

[Graham Heather]

If your interested in US prototype, there is a group called 

AMRA, American Model Railroad Association, based around the southern part

of the North Island. 

They conduct monthly meetings on a round robin basis at different members homes

and are very active modellers.

A bi annual convention is also held in June, which is well worth attending.

I managed to see some fantastic home layouts from the group.

Graham.

[brynna79]

Hi Graham,

Thanks for that, I will take a look at that and see what they get up to. I like the idea of differing venues each month! 

 

Cheers

[thohurst]

Auckland (where I'm located) has a number of model shops that have a decent range of products, though prices here tend to be high enough that I buy the bigger bits mostly from England. There are a number of clubs in the area as well - I'm a part of the Auckland Central Model Railway Club myself, which has quite a sizeable HO American layout, another large OO British layout & a number of N gauge layouts, though no O gauge of any variety. 

[brynna79]

On 19/10/2022 at 21:08, thohurst said:

Auckland (where I'm located) has a number of model shops that have a decent range of products, though prices here tend to be high enough that I buy the bigger bits mostly from England. There are a number of clubs in the area as well - I'm a part of the Auckland Central Model Railway Club myself, which has quite a sizeable HO American layout, another large OO British layout & a number of N gauge layouts, though no O gauge of any variety. 

Thanks for that. Most useful.  It is good that there are few in short distance (hour or so) from where we may base ourselves.  I think maybe sticking with what's left of my North American stock may be the better idea than to try with O Gauge which may be very expensive to import.  The intention when there is to very rarely return to the UK, so postage would probably be significant on a 4kg parcel.  Besides, west coast US is only half the duration than the UK, so we may do more holidays there amongst those in the southern hemisphere. 

 

Assume you are UK? 

CHeers

[thohurst]

4 hours ago, brynna79 said:

Thanks for that. Most useful.  It is good that there are few in short distance (hour or so) from where we may base ourselves.  I think maybe sticking with what's left of my North American stock may be the better idea than to try with O Gauge which may be very expensive to import.  The intention when there is to very rarely return to the UK, so postage would probably be significant on a 4kg parcel.  Besides, west coast US is only half the duration than the UK, so we may do more holidays there amongst those in the southern hemisphere. 

 

Assume you are UK? 

CHeers

 

Indeed, I would Imagine the cost to import such large models may be high. So far as I'm aware there isn't much of an O gauge scene here anyways, most club layouts are OO/HO.

Born in & lived in NZ all my life, I've just got a fascination for British Railways! 

 

[brynna79]

I guess the number of purchases gets significantly reduced in that regard.  For me, it would be the ease of availability for spares and small bits and pieces and HO is close enough to OO to make it probably easier to deal with, while down there!

 

Have you been to the UK to see it in action.  There is not as much 'rails' action in New Zealand, do you get out and railfan that much?  The areas we're looking at are either Tauranga or Hamilton, so both are not too far from Auckland to get the fix. 

Cheers

[Rhys]

While theres not as much rail action in NZ compared to the UK, Its still a decent railway. Freight trains are commonly 1500-3000 tons with 6-8000 HP up front. The Auckland -Hamilton-Taranga triangle is one of the busiest in the country.  As for historical railfanning, I'm currently on holiday in the south island and have a heritage train passing through tomorrow, while I'm missing a weekend of heritage railcar trips round my hometown in the North Island.

There are plenty of modelers in the country, with US Ho being quite common. British O is "uncommon". Local NZ modeling is supported (I wouldn't say well) but the local wheel's (North Yard) are among the best in the world, and very cheap compared to anything in the UK.

Modeling supplies are reasonably easy to source from local modeling shops.

Its not quite the ends of the earth........

[brynna79]

On 29/10/2022 at 02:36, Rhys said:

While theres not as much rail action in NZ compared to the UK, Its still a decent railway. Freight trains are commonly 1500-3000 tons with 6-8000 HP up front. The Auckland -Hamilton-Taranga triangle is one of the busiest in the country.  As for historical railfanning, I'm currently on holiday in the south island and have a heritage train passing through tomorrow, while I'm missing a weekend of heritage railcar trips round my hometown in the North Island.

There are plenty of modelers in the country, with US Ho being quite common. British O is "uncommon". Local NZ modeling is supported (I wouldn't say well) but the local wheel's (North Yard) are among the best in the world, and very cheap compared to anything in the UK.

Modeling supplies are reasonably easy to source from local modeling shops.

Its not quite the ends of the earth........

HI Rhys, 

Thanks for the info.  We have been watching a number of YouTube videos and can see that there are lines through the main cities/ones that we are looking to move to.  So, there would be some interest for me, for sure.   What lines are you enjoying on the South Island at the moment and where is the hometown line as well, would be good to take a look. 

 

I guess O gauge is quite niche, even in the UK, so its take up elsewhere may been rare indeed.  The annoying thing is, prior to the offer coming for work, I had decided to start to sell and switch to O from US HO.  It looks like, typically, that may have been premature, but the offer was quick and out of the blue! 

 

Ends of the earth is worth it for what NZ has to offer and the change in lifestyle it will offer for us, plus it will provide new challenges with work as well. 

Cheers