All posts by : Wagga Rail Heritage

NEWSLETTER No.104 March 2018 

Lachlan Valley Rail are running train shuttles from Junee – Wagga Wagga and return

on the following days. The station museum and gang sheds will be open. The trains

will be at Wagga Wagga, at the following times:

Friday 9^th March

Wagga Wagga

5:00pm – 5:30pm –   Museum open

10:30pm – 11:00pm

Saturday 10^th March

Wagga Wagga   10:47am – 11:07am – Museum open

3:32pm – 6:00pm – Museum open

10:32pm – 11:00pm

Sunday 11^th March

Wagga Wagga   10:47am – 11:07am – Museum open

3:32pm – 4:30pm – Museum open

Saturday 17^th March: Invitation to Temora Railway Activities

Saturday 17^th March: National & World Championships at shooting Wagga Wagga – Over 800 visitors

Thursday 22^nd March: Bunnings Easter Family night. We will have two railway layouts on display for both children and adults to participate.

Friday 30^th March: Stone the Crows event Wagga Wagga. Over 1000 visitors

President: Phil Horwell

Vice President: Robert Gannon

Secretary: Peter Maxwell

Treasurer: Robert Maher

Publicity: Peter Simpfendorfer

• • Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage Association is our registered name. Please refer to our facilities as:
  • Wagga Wagga Railway Station MuseumWagga Wagga Railway Model Trains 
  •  
  • Wagga Wagga Railway Gang Sheds
  • email [email protected]
  • web: waggarailmuseum.com

NEWSLETTER No.103 January 2018

• Extensive changes to the Railway Station Museum display with nine of the eleven interpretation panels replaced. The display cabinets have also had a change. If you haven’t been recently please make an effort to come in and view the new presentation. Mondays to Saturdays from 11:00am to 2:pm – $2 entry
• We have had an offer from one of our members to photograph our railway collection of artefacts to be put on a database and consolidate evidence of the many valued items that we have on display. Donna Nicholl who has professional camera equipment and who is herself trained will commence this work in the near future. Thank you so much for your help and assistance
• We have a model train group within our organisation. They are members of the Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage Association. It is not a separate body or committee. The modellers have access to the Rest House every Wednesday from 6:00 pm and pay a $2 fee each which covers the annual cost of electricity. On our behalf, they open to the public on the first Saturday of each month
• The group also has regular BBQ’s amongst themselves to raise funds and also recycling cans/bottles etc.
• If you are interested in model trains, call in and have a chat with our members from 6:00 pm Wednesday nights
• The railway trikes from THNSW which will be on loan for five years will arrive on Thursday 8^th February.
• Our executive and support team is:
  • President: Phil Horwell
  • Secretary: Peter Maxwell
  • Publicity: Peter Simpfendorfer
  • Treasurer: Robert Maher
  • Vice President: Robert Gannon

• Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage Association is our registered name.
  • Please refer to our facilities as:
    • Wagga Wagga Railway Station Museum
    • Wagga Wagga Railway Model Trains
    • Wagga Wagga Railway Gang Sheds
  • email: [email protected]
  • web: waggarailmuseum.com
  • facebook.com/waggarailheritage

• Members of Transport HeritageNSW (THNSW) visited Wagga Wagga in November 2017 and introduced the new Sector Development Officer Margot Stuart. This position is our link for our association to the organising body representing many heritage groups in NSW. The Southern Region includes Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage, Finley, Junee, Ladysmith, Crookwell, Goulburn and Cooma
• Remember the 2018 membership fees are now due (still a few weeks). Joining fee $15 (one off only) and Yearly Membership Fee $15 per family
• Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage Association is our registered name. Please refer to our facilities as:
  • Wagga Wagga Railway Station Museum
  • Wagga Wagga Railway Gang Sheds
  • Wagga Wagga Railway Model Trains
• Our email address is will be [email protected]
• Any emails to our current [email protected] address will be forwarded to the new email. So we won’t lose any emails
• Our facebook link is com/waggarailheritage
• The Wagga Wagga Railway Model Trains group meet every Wednesday from 6:00 pm at 61 Railway Street Wagga Wagga. Currently in process is the building of a large DC/DCC layout. It will be great to see this project move along in 2018. The electrics have been connected but the time and effort will be the scenery and buildings etc
• Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage Association have applied for several railway trikes from Transport HeritageNSW which will be on loan for five years. More information in early 2018
• More photograph interpretation panels (over one-metre square) are continuing to be produced for display, particularly in the Station Museum but also the Railway Station waiting room. Our secretary Peter Maxwell is the prime motivator of this project
• The visitor numbers to our museum have increased and this has provided a much-needed boost to our financial bank balance. If you are interested in any railway history and want to look and talk, please call in at the Wagga Wagga Railway Station Museum Monday to Saturday 11:00 – 2:00 pm
• Our fundraising for 2018 includes the visitor donations, Bunnings BBQ’s, Expo No.2 in November, possible steam train visits, sales of souvenirs
• We are continuing to expand our workshop facilities and have recently set up a bench press and equipment for electrolysis (rust removal) for old railway items.
• Remember Wednesday 13^th December is our Christmas function at the Rest House

• Congratulations on our 100th Newsletter
• Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 25th October
• I will outline the year’s activities/achievements at the AGM.
• We have taken incredible strides over the last 12 months and it looks as though it will continue
• Current executive are applying for the new committee for 2017/2018. However it is important to note that any member may nominate for the positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary & Treasurer

• The executive will discuss appropriate names of each of our venues. We will always be known as Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage Association. However with the emergence of other parts of our organisation the following is proposed for our other business names to be included in our incorporation
  • Wagga Wagga Railway Station Museum
  • Wagga Wagga Railway Gang Sheds
  • Wagga Wagga Railway Model Trains
• Our new email address in the future will be [email protected]
• Any emails to our current [email protected] address will be forwarded to the new email. So we won’t lose any emails
• Our official opening of the gang sheds will be next Wednesday 30th August. This will be opened by the Mayor and is by invitation only. We have approximately 45 guests. Arrangements are in place to promote all of our venues to our ‘Expo’ open day on Saturday 2nd September. We will promote the open day on 2AAAFM next Monday morning 28th at 10:45am.
• Saturday 2nd September is our ‘Expo’. All members can assist on the day by wearing your official green shirt. Those who are only new and without shirts, talk to us on the day so we can allocate you appropriate tasks.
• On the Saturday the cost will be $5.00 for a family, $2.00 per adult. Tickets can be purchased at the three venues – station museum, gang sheds & the model trains at the rest house. If you collect $2 for an adult – issue one ticket and write the date on the back 02//09/2017. If you issue a family ticket and collect $5 – give a ticket to all the family members including the kids. They can then show the tickets at our other venues. Put the date on the back.
• Keith Cavill will be selling souvenirs at the railway museum. The model trains will be in full running order at the rest house.
• In May this year we applied to become an associate member of Transport Heritage NSW. Unfortunately, our application was missing in action. Fortunately, I had the original email, together with our original application and the matter will be finalised immediately
• A big thank you to Robert Gannon and his team – Ken Eckert, Phil Chorusch, Rod MacIntosh and others who have worked tirelessly to have the gang
  sheds to the opening stage. An incredible effort. I would advise all members to visit the sheds on the open day to see the final result

• A wonderful result from the Bunnings BBQ. Net profit $1460. We have been spending a lot
  recently with the rest house windows $930, industrial vacuum cleaner for the buildings
  $300, sandblasting many items for display in the gang sheds $600, materials eg. paint,
  materials, discs, screws, bolts and the list goes on. But the result is great. Well done to
  Robert Gannon and his crew Ken, Rod McIntosh & Phil Chorusch. Also to others who can
  assist from time to time
• Remember we will be having an open day for the community, at four venues on the first
  Saturday of September 2nd. This will follow the official opening of the gang sheds by the
  Mayor, by invitation on Wednesday 30th August. We will be hoping that the media interest
  on the Wednesday will then give us a great deal of coverage for the open day, three days
  later!
• Jay Antoney has been a member of our group for a short time. He has involved himself
  with the wiring and electronics of the model layout being built by the group. Jay has
  commenced a facebook page for us! He will also look after our website. Thanks Jay, for
  your expertise and we certainly are the beneficiary of that.
• A big shout out to our members who have made it possible to open the station museum,
  six days a week. Also the gang sheds from Tuesday to Fridays.
• The model railway group who meet each Wednesday evening at the rest house also have
  an open day on the first Saturday of each month.
• Peter Simpfendorfer was on 2AAAFM recently and again sending the message out about
  our organisations extra days opening to the community
• Just on the official opening of the gang sheds. We have received a great response from
  other museums to attend the day, from local groups and also from surrounding towns
  (Temora, Coolamon). We will have a strong representation from the visitors’ information
  centre and Wagga Wagga City Council
• At present all members are financial. When we have our AGM later in the year. We will
  determine the annual membership fee and we would like to have the majority of members
  pay by direct debit into our account. It streamlines the process and gives us an accurate
  record of your payment.
• We will finalise our morning tea arrangements for the opening of the gang sheds at our
  next meeting on 23rd August 2017
• The Wednesday model train group is going really well. The construction of the new layout
  will be presentable (but not finished) by the time the Mayor and the invited guests have
  their morning tea. Keep at it guys!
• Any member who can drop in on any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at the gang shed,
  it would be great if you could assist with preparing the trikes etc. for the opening on 30th
  August. It would be dusting, cleaning and making the place look great!