NEW
ZEALANDS LARGEST MOBILE MODEL RAILWAY AT SUNDAY FUNDAY
PAEKAKARIKI,
Wellington - January 20, 2009 — The Kapiti Coast Electric Tramway
announced today that New Zealand’s largest mobile model railway
layout will be on display at the tramway this Sunday, the 25th January.
“The model display, owned by Dave Baugh from Katikati in the Bay
of Plenty, is 12 metres long and 3.2 metres wide and folds up on a tandem
axle trailer to enable it to be towed behind Dave’s house truck.
Its ‘G’ gauge track is 4.5 cms between rails and the models
and scenery are at 1/32 scale. This is a large model gauge and this
layout, with its scenery and bridges, is very big and impressive”,
says Graeme Moffatt, secretary of the Wellington Tramway Museum.
Mr Moffatt went on to say that the tramway museum was very pleased to
have Dave in the district and able to put his layout on display for
its first Sunday Funday of the year. The museum has also arranged for
the Printing Museum to demonstrate one of its very early foot treadle
operated printing presses. This press was built in the United States
around the beginning of the last century and has recently been donated
to the museum by Apex Print Ltd of Petone.
‘Harriette the Clown’ and her magic show will start at midday
and along with childrens face painting, there’s heaps more fun
to be had for young children on a bouncy castle. This is all in addition
to the regular selection of hot food stalls and of course, horse and
tram rides.
“The museum is raising funds to finance its building and development
programme which includes revamping its museum display and the construction
of a new visitor centre including a small cafe. The tramway is now waiting
for its building consent application to be approved and it is hoped
to be able to commence building later this month”, Mr Moffatt
said.
“With the solid growth in the number of visitors over the past
couple of years, we are planning for full time operation early this
year. The running of the regular ‘Sunday Funday’ monthly
events as well as the ‘Anything Vintage Festival’ just before
Christmas, will go a long way towards helping as the museum receives
no regular funding apart from its own weekend operations, The museum
is totally voluntary and has been operating every weekend and public
holiday for just over forty years and the move to a seven day operation
is a bold move,” commented Mr Moffatt.
Local schools and community groups are welcome to free stall sites and
there is still room for local enterprises and crafts people to book
a stall site for $15.00.
Entry to the ‘SUNDAY FUNDAY’ event is free and it runs from
10am to 3pm at the Tramway Museum at MacKay’s Crossing, Queen
Elizabeth Park just north of Paekakariki.
Enquiries can be made to Graeme Moffatt at <secretary@wellingtontrams.org.nz>
or Warwick Halcrow of Kapiti Wide Markets on (027) 242-1222 or <whalcrow@paradise.net.nz>.
Coming
Events:
Anything
Vintage Festival
