The trains won’t be stopping at this station any more.

After 12 years the Tauranga Model Railway Club is having to give up its railway station, its dilapidated blue-ish headquarters, on the corner of Merrilees and Cross Roads at Sulphur Point.

“It’s a pressing problem,” says club member Wade Hunkin. ”We need a new home.”

The Tauranga Model Railway Club knew its arrangement with the current buildings owners, Port of Tauranga, wasn’t forever, but it hasn’t had much luck in its search for an alternative.

“We’ve been told the building will be demolished fairly soon, so our quest becomes urgent,” says Wade.

“I’m sure something in The Weekend Sun would help.”

So let’s see what can be done.

The club is very flexible. But in an ideal world, the new headquarters would have about 150 square meters of floor space. Layouts tend to gobble up the room.

Right now the club has got one layout which is six-and-a-half square meters, and a bunch of smaller ones – 2.4 by 1.2 square meters and multiples of that.     

The building would need to be secure because some of the club’s assets, the rolling stock, the trains, carriages and wagons, are valuable. The facility would have to be available for members during the day as well as evenings.

Unlike the port facility, the new headquarters would preferably be on a ground floor with one double width door to allow layouts to be moved in and out.

It would also need washrooms and be dry and relatively dust free.

The club would prefer to be close to Tauranga but would also consider from Omokoroa to Te Puke and south to Oropi and Omanawa.

The club would tell you model railways are where the imagination comes alive.

“We may be perceived as frivolous old men with a frivolous hobby, but working on layouts is a great place, a great way to learn how to do things,” says Wade.

There’s the modelling skills and the woodworking skills.

“Skills I learned building model railways has helped renovate a few houses over the years. You also learn about electricity and electronics.”

 And of course there’s the basic passion for trains and railways. Wade’s fascination is for New Zealand railways including the Raurimu spiral, an engineering masterpiece which allows the track to overlap itself to overcome a steep descent in the central North Island. “You can guarantee when members go on holiday, they will always take in a heritage railways… and a few photos, wherever you go, England, Australia. Wherever.”

The Tauranga Model railway Club has 35 paid up members – there’s room for more. “It’s easy for someone to get over involved in a hobby on your own. That’s why the club’s a good thing. It’s nice getting together with like-minded people to share the ideas and the skills, the technical and creative aspects of modelling.”

Have you always liked trains, are you interested in being a railway modeler, do you know of a suitable premises for the club to relocate? Contact Wade Hunkin on: 027 481 9905 or email the secretary of the Tauranga Model Railway Club Trevor at: tmrcsecretary@gmail.com