Model trains enthusiasts gather at swap meet

Matthew Hornby peered over the edge of a model train layout, watching his grandfather, Duncan, operate a locomotive as it passed cars parked on the side of the road and disappeared into a tunnel.

At the Eastern Model Railway Interest Group (EMRIG) market swap meet at Northmead Mall on March 1 the layout, designed by members of EMRIG to resemble a city landscape complete with a suburb, skyscrapers and shopping centres, captivated Matthew.

He works at the East Rand Protective Workshop for intellectually disabled adults. Duncan said the swap meet was about sharing appreciation for the hobby and building a community rather than just selling parts.

“We host this to expose the hobby to the public and show them what can be done on a model. It is like an artist. If you are looking at an industrial site, you can build it. If you want a city, farmyard or rural area, you can build it,” he said.

The venue was packed with miniature railroads and model train enthusiasts. South African, American, and European models and accessories featured on more than 30 tables at the three-hour event.

Many enthusiasts, like Neil Plumbly and Marcus Kruger, who brought their collection to sell, say their love for the hobby began when they were young.

Plumbly has been involved with model trains for 62 years. He inherited this passion from his late father, who had a thing for local and American model trains.

“I always went into the room where my father had his lay-out. I stood on a chair to watch the trains run. I could only watch. I got my first train set at seven, which was battery-operated and displayed on a small board in my bedroom. Since then, it grew from one thing to the next,” he said.

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Kruger, a collector since 1977, worked on the old SA Railways to make extra cash as a learner. After school, he worked on steam engines and caught the bug for trains.

The North Transvaal Model Train Club member came to the event to sell his 1 600-piece rolling stock, including more than 600 locomotives he bought from a collector who passed away in 2023 after collecting for 80 years.

“I grew up in a South African Railway home. My father worked on the old SA railways. I worked on the railways while still at school and then on steam engines. Once you work on steam engines, the love for steam and trains does not just go away. I have been collecting since I got my first pay as a teacher in 1977,” said Kruger.

EMRIG will host an open meeting at Belvedere School in April and another in Kempton Park to show the learners and public different techniques of building a layout. Their next swap meetings are on May 31, August 30 and December 6 at Northmead Mall.

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