GQEBERHA – More than two years in the making, the PE Model Railroad Club’s intricate new model railway layout is nearing completion — a miniature world of trains, tunnels and towns shaped by patience, teamwork and a shared passion for the hobby.
The club, which moved into its current premises at the Eastern Province Youth and Child Care Centre in August 2023, has spent countless hours designing, building and refining the layout.
The miniature railway now stretches roughly five to six metres and carries between 50 and 60 metres of carefully laid track.
For longtime member and former chairperson, Michael Smout, the project represents a continuation of a tradition that stretches back decades.
“There have been people meeting in this town for model railways for at least 50 years,” he shared with the PE Express. “In more recent times, we had a big clubhouse in Newton Park, but that was broken up, and we were without a home for several years.”
According to Smout, securing a new space allowed enthusiasts to once again build something together.
“In August, two and a half years ago, we got this space, and it was something we could afford,” he shared. “We have rebuilt and remodelled, and what we have now is quite an extensive model railway layout.”
The club layout serves as a shared space for hobbyists — especially those who may not have the resources at home to pursue the craft.
“The reason we have this is to give enthusiasts a place to meet,” Smout explained. “They often visit each other’s homes to see each other’s model railway, but one of the real benefits of this, apart from the social side, is swapping ideas and learning from one another.”
Model railway building involves far more than simply laying a track. Smout said the hobby blends several different skills.
“You need to be a carpenter, an electrician and an artist,” he shared. “For example, the rock face was built using kitchen paper towels and gradually shaped with materials.”
Patience, he added, is essential.
“This hobby is a job for the patient. You cannot be in a hurry. Even small sections of track have to be laid with great care, or it will not work.”
Parts of the layout also carry history. The original structure was built for a national model railway exhibition in South Africa, although the person who started the project has since passed away.
“At that stage, it was just raw wood and track,” Smout said. “The scenic work has taken time to develop.”
For many members, the hobby began in childhood. Smout recalled receiving his first train set at a young age.
“As a little boy, about seven or eight, I got a Christmas present — a train set,” he shared. “But of course, one grows out of that and becomes interested in other things.” He said many enthusiasts eventually return to the hobby later in life.
Club chairperson, Mike van Zyl, shared that the new model railway layout has evolved through group ideas and collaboration.
“What we see here is what we came up with as a group — it is not one-sided,” he said. “These hills originally only had a dome and bushes. We decided it looked too dull, so we cut into it and are converting the top section into a small village.”
Members have also created a town area complete with buildings and shops.
“Youngsters want immediate satisfaction, but this hobby is not like that,” van Zyl said. “It takes days, weeks and months to reach this stage. We bought these kits in the middle of last year and slowly assembled them and that is how the hobby grows.”
Similar to Smout, van Zyl’s interest in model railways began in childhood.
“I was given a train set when I was five,” he shared. “Mine stayed in the cupboard for many years before I came back to it.”
The club currently has around 20 members and hopes to attract new enthusiasts to keep the hobby alive for the next generation.
For member Graham Chapman, the hobby is also deeply nostalgic.
“As a child growing up in the UK, I travelled a lot on trains and have very happy memories of steam trains,” he shared. “That is something many younger people are not familiar with — the sound and the experience of it.”
Chapman added that modern railway modelling has evolved dramatically over the years.
“In the old days, most kits were plastic, and you could see they were not real,” he said. “Today, modelling has become far more advanced, and the aim is to make everything look as realistic as possible.”
With the layout nearing completion, the club plans to open its doors to interested enthusiasts to see the miniature railway in action and perhaps consider joining.
Open days are planned for the third Saturday of each month, including 14 March and 18 April.
Annual membership costs R300, and those interested can contact van Zyl on 073 374 32 80 on weekdays between 17:00 and 19:00. Space is limited.
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