Stephen Beck’s model railways are a creation of his imagination.
“The designs come straight out of my head,” he says.
‘Catherine Street’ is his latest creation - an imaginary Yorkshire village that can be viewed up close and personal this weekend at the Nelson Model Railway Exhibition.
This year’s exhibition includes 17 different layouts, displays and demos, traders, and also refreshments hosted by the City of Nelson Pipe Band.
Model railways will depict everything from local scenes, the Kaikōura coastline, to a futuristic steampunk display.
Rescheduled due to an earlier postponement in March 2022, this will be the first exhibition in two years and the Nelson Model Railways Exhibition Club members are looking forward to opening to the public again.
The group varies in size between 20 - 25 and members take turns and meet up at someone’s house once a month.
A member of the group since 1977, Stephen has been building model railways since the 1960s.
“I love the nostalgia and the atmosphere of the 1960s. It’s slightly less complicated,” he says.
As the train chugs around the track in his Richmond home, he adjusts the position of the three-wheeler vehicle.
His model is a mixture of materials. Trees are made out of modellers’ lichen and sycamore branches from the park next door.
He still buys a lot of his supplies from the United Kingdom.
“Catherine Street is named after a stray cat which used to climb up onto my bedroom window three or four years ago”.
Look out for Stephen proudly standing behind his model from 10am to 4.30pm at Warnes Stadium, 206 Songer Street in Stoke. Entry is $5 for adults, $2 for children and a family pass is $10.
For those true enthusiasts, you can jump on a train ride at the Tāhunanui Modellers Pond on Sundays and Founders Park on the weekends.
