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The Whyalla Maritime Museum model railway now has a full head of steam and is tracking towards an even bigger future with sponsorship from Genesee & Wyoming Australia Pty Ltd.
The three-year sponsorship was signed last year with the official cutting of the ribbon for the agreement being conducted yesterday (Wednesday, February 21). This presentation signifies the partnership between Genesee & Wyoming Australia (GWA), the City of Whyalla, the Maritime Museum and the Whyalla Model Railway Society which builds and maintains the impressive model railway.
The start of the sponsorship last year allowed the society to add several more metres of track (the equivalent of hundreds of kilometres) to its famous model railway at the Whyalla Maritime Museum. The new section of track represents the line out to the Iron Baron and Iron Duke mining areas.
“The tracks were installed and tested, the next step was to manufacture the unique ore wagons, no off the shelf models were available,” Jim Cochrane from the model society said.
“The ore wagons provided quite a challenge due to the odd cylindrical shape, many attempts to build replicas were tried, the final design using PVC pipe cut offset of the centre provided the most realistic shape, so building them started and is still an ongoing job.”
The substantial three-year sponsorship from GWA will allow this work, even more track and associated landscape to be built for one of the largest model railways in the southern hemisphere and one of the museum’s major attractions.
GWA is the railway company that runs the local rail network between the Eyre Peninsula iron ore mines and the Whyalla steelworks.
“The Genesee and Wyoming locomotives and wagons are an iconic part of our city and we believe the GWA sponsorship will greatly enhance the Whyalla Maritime Museum’s model railway exhibit and relevance for visitors,” Whyalla Visitor Centre Team Leader Teresa Coles said.
“Work has already begun but there is a long way to go to reach our planned goals.”
Luke Anderson, CEO of GWA, said the company was excited to be involved and support the model railway display at the Whyalla Maritime Museum, and confirms our commitment to the Whyalla community. The growing exhibition, will draw attention to the importance of rail in the community and the importance of track safety.
“This is a great example of being able to partner with a local organisation to produce such an impressive model railway display.” Luke said.
“It identifies the importance of rail for Whyalla and the surrounding region and showcases the GWA trains every day through this magnificent model display.
“We’d also like to think it is a timely reminder for people to be aware of trains in the local area and always be safe around crossings.”
The Mayor of Whyalla Lyn Breuer and Council CEO Chris Cowley were present at the official function along with representatives from GWA and the Whyalla Model Railway Society.
The Whyalla Maritime Museum and train display is open 10am to 4pm every day of the year except for Christmas Day and Good Friday. Enquiries to the museum can be made on 8645 7900 or 1800 088 589. Alternatively, email visitor.centre@whyalla.sa.gov.au or go to the website www.whyalla.com
Picture: Whyalla Mayor Lyn Breuer and Tony Worby, the Whyalla Regional Operations Manager for Genesee & Wyoming Australia, cut the ribbon to signify the GWA sponsorship.