Trains have been Phillip Felstead’s passion for the past 89 years.
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But now, aged 92, his hobby has had to be placed on the sideline.
When he received the news of his eyesight deterioration six years ago, Mr Felstead moved to Canberra.
He was intending to be closer to his second daughter, who would also become his carer.
Not one to abandon his primary focus, he joined their model railway club.
“I’ve been seriously interested in trains since I was 15, I wanted to be a train driver,” said Mr Falstead.
“But even since I was a little fella, about three, I could identify everything on tracks.”
The club unveiled their model railway town at the 19th annual model railway and hobby exhibition on November 3.
The village measures eight by two metres, and was transported in six sections.
It took about two years to build, but unfortunately Mr Falstead was not able to collaborate in that process.
“It’s been hard, I miss when I used to be actively involved with the club,” he said.
“I was never one to stand around and watch while the rest of the work gets done.”
This was the fifth time the team from Canberra had made the journey to Wagga with model in tow.
“We had to get a purposely built trailer to make sure it’d easily make the trip,” said club exhibition coordinator Peter McEvoy.
The model features a number of trains from all over the world, including the Garratt Class 60, NSW’s largest steam train.
Although the DC-controlled trains were bought fully-functioning, the scenery and bridges has all been handmade.
Most of the houses were kit builds and free painted with special attention to even the kinds of graffiti travellers might see on their journey through suburbia.
“We have about 50 members in the club, and they’ve all got something unique that they do,” said Mr McEvoy.
“Some of them are really into the mechanics, others are really into landscaping or making the trees look right.”
There was even a nod to current affairs, with a model of protests against coal seam gas, and a mocked-out car accident.
“Those finer details are really want sets it apart, I think. You have to look closely, but it’s good when you find them,” said Mr McEvoy.
