Model Engineers Welcome Back Train Show This Long Weekend

It’s full steam ahead for The Great Little Train Show this Labour weekend.

Hosted annually by the Southland Society of Model Engineers since 1985, the club is looking forward to a full weekend of activities, after Covid-19 disruptions in recent years.

President Greg Fordyce said the 2021 event had to be cancelled and in 2020 it was run just as a smaller outdoor event, with train rides.

“There was a long queue for the train rides so it was fantastic to have that support.”

This Saturday and Sunday the club will be hosting the same large format as previous years, starting in the two badminton halls at Surrey Park, and then flowing out onto the grounds for the ride-ons, boats on the pond and off-road displays on a grass track.

The club’s major fundraiser for the year, there will be 10 badminton courts full of layouts, displays and retailers, along with a huge Lego display inside the front door of the big hall.

Southland Society of Model Engineers has used the Surrey Park facility since 1955 and are the last remaining recreation users of that space.

“Like anything that has a base, it’s not cheap,” with the club hoping to raise $6000 for general maintenance costs, as well as their annual rates and power bills.

Greg said club users love to share their hobbies with the Southland community, with thousands of people expected to come through at the weekend.

The club is also busy every Friday leading up to Christmas, hosting kindergartens and early childhood centres, “as our way of giving back to the community.”

This has been a successful initiative for the past 10 to 12 years, and Greg said it was a great way of encouraging young people’s interest in modelling.

whatsoninvers.nz have supported the Little Train Show over the last 7 years.

Where: SSME Club Grounds & Badminton Halls, Surrey Park, Invercargill
When: 10am – 4pm Saturday & Sunday
Cost: Children $2.00 (up to 14yrs) Adults $8.00 (15yrs and older)
2 Adults or a Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) $15.00
EFTPOS AVAILABLE FOR ENTRY TO SHOW