Done and dusted. Another Easter weekend of narrow gauge convention activities completed, and thoroughly enjoyed. I made the long drive up to Bowral (about and hour or so South of Sydney) this last Easter long weekend, for the 12th edition of the Australian Narrow Gauge Convention. Always an event I'm keen to get to and make the most of, catching up with other narrow gauge modellers and talking about this enjoyable and sometimes quirky hobby.
I got to see many faces that I haven't seen for about two years (since the previous ANGC in Melbourne in 2013), so always good to see how peoples projects have progressed. There were a good range of clinic topics on offer, from casting techniques, weathering, diorama design, DCC tips, layout sound, working with brass etc, plus various presentations on prototype settings. I was up there also to present my clinic on how I model my gum trees.
The modelling contest was well represented as well (as usual). Perhaps a lower number of entries than I though would have been submitted, but quality was all there. Each effort looked to be the modellers best efforts, and the standard was much appreciated by the viewers. It was a tiring weekend, but also very rewarding. I always find a NGC good for the spark to get the modelling enthusiasm going. I've been busy on 1:1 work projects around home, so modelling time has been quite limited lately, and spending the intense time at the NGC gets the ideas well and truly going again. I'm certainly keen to get back into some more creative adventures again. Time to let the pictures tell the rest of the story...
At the conclusion of this most recent event, I was also able to finally announce that the hosting town for the 13th Australian Narrow Gauge Convention, to be held at Easter 2017, will be my home town, Geelong. Planning is already well under way for this next ANGC, with a venue locked in, and discussions already had with The Bellarine Railway, to incorporate some preserved steam into this future event. Websites and details will be released in the near future, but some interesting displays and topics are already being discussed, so something to lock in and start planning your holidays around!
Cheers,
Dan
