The Semi-Retired Foamer has been a railfan since he was around 5 years old, oh yes a very young age, an age when one really should avoid being involved with the gunzel community to any great extent. A few rather unsavoury people bringing that fact home.
After a few decades of train chasing, one decided to break with protocol and get married, thus leading to a severe cut in railfan activity.
Subsequent dealings with hate breeders, lunatics, mental defectives and self-appointed preservation overlords lead to an even greater decrease in my hobby participation.
However things have changed thanks to our small group of trusted mates, interest has returned, and now I have become a bit more involved yet again.
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Over the years I have tried my best to further both the hobby, as well as the friendships that it brings. I have done this by setting up proactive groups both here in Australia, as well as the Philippines. It is with huge honour that I am often considered the founding father of the railfan hobby in the Philippines (my second home).
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I don't take the hobby too seriously and I am a friend to anyone who is good and genuine. But never forgive those who have used their hate to destroy my hobby or hurt the friends within it.

Let's Make The Hobby Great Again!
I aim to share the era that I considered mine, the 80s and 90s. I also like to help promote, and even raise funds for, the various heritage societies that keep the era alive
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**** LOCOMOTIVE/ PUBLICATIONS ****
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We occasionally publish information on the locomotives, and rollingstock, from railways in Australia and the Philippines.
All are available for
FREE at our ALR WEBSITE.




Please email me should you wish to use anything from this site !



Thursday, December 18, 2025

ROSEHILL MODEL TRAIN EXHIBITION 25/10/2025 PART 2




Number Twos

Well ladies and gentlemen, dust off your patience — here we are at the much-anticipated second instalment of our Rosehill Model Railway Exhibition coverage, delayed only slightly since October by such trivial matters as life and a complete lack of urgency.

As always, this isn’t just about the model train guff. Rosehill remains the premier annual social event where you get to catch up with old mates, vague acquaintances, and those special individuals you successfully avoid for twelve months straight, only to accidentally corner yourself into a 20-minute conversation beside a folding table.

This report also proudly marks the launch of our brand-new model railway exhibition competition, where layout exhibitors and commercial stands alike battle fiercely for the highest possible honour available: a fleeting mention here, no prizes, no trophies — just the quiet satisfaction of knowing someone noticed.

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Semi-Retired Foamer!
Follow our page to be kept updated on every ghastly
thing we inflict upon the internet.

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Panoramic view of the whole exhibition.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and two below.
Glasson, a fictional branchline location in Western NSW.
Photo: Brad Peadon



Above and below.
Otham Road is apparently based on a fictional outer suburban location in NSW.
Photos: Brad Peadon


Photo: Brad Peadon

Photo: Brad Peadon

Railway Coins has an extensive selection of highly collectable coins.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and two below.
The world famous Phil Badger and his Gopher Models & Ixion Model Railways stand.
Photos: Brad Peadon



 Cowan, based on the station of the same name at the far north of Sydney.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and two below
Wychie is loosely based on the Victorian town of Wycheproof.
Photos: Brad Peadon



Above and seven below.
Wallaville is a sugarcane layout based on the location near Bundaberg that started out as a Queensland Rail operation, but was later converted for 2ft gauge sugar use.
Sadly changes in operations mean the line here is believed to no longer be in use. 
Note: The last three photos show the prototype.
Photos: Brad Peadon








Narellan is based on the station that once existed on the former Camden branchline in Sydney.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Mr Zane Maber.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Boulder Mountain is a wonderful logging railway based layout.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below
Inner West .
Photo: Brad Peadon


Rodney 'Fat Controller' Smith and Sean Foyel.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Gwarek PKP based on a small city in Poland.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below.
Omega based on the beautiful section south of Kiama in New South Wales.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Bubble & Squeak.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Mr Ed Leong.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Photo: Brad Peadon

Goulburn layout.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Old school mate David Kirkland..
Photo: Brad Peadon

Photo: Brad Peadon

Rumour has it that the light emitting from the Auscision Models stand is visible on the Klingon home world Qo'noS.
Photo: Brad Peadon

The ever happy Rodney Smith, and the extremely tolerant asawa.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and two below.
Blue Mountains. Based. not surprisingly, on the Blue Mountains line west of Sydney.
Photos: Brad Peadon



Mr Mark Hardacre manning the 'Australian Railway Historical Society' stand where I finally got the first volume of Brian Andrew's incredible SMR books.
Photo: Brad Peadon

The Victorian legend that is Mr Raymond Rowe.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Barry's Boxes who I assume sells boxes for model trains.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below.
Kerroby Models, with Bob Rawlins just visible in the above image.
Photo: Brad Peadon


My Kumpare Mr Chapple.
Photo: Brad Peadon

The ever popular second hand stall.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Bob Gioia (Sydney Bus Museum).
Photo: Brad Peadon

Trains For Kids With Cancer.
Photo: Brad Peadon

The awesome Mr Taki.
Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below.
Random views around the exhibition.
Photos: Brad Peadon


Above and below.
G Scale Hobbies.
Photos: Brad Peadon


Mr Badger (Gopher Models) and Bradly Coulter (Railway Coins & Semi-Retired Foamer).
Photo: Brad Peadon


Alright, I suppose I’ve kept everyone perched dramatically on the edge of their seats long enough, nervously wondering whether they’ll take out first place in the least coveted awards on the annual exhibition circuit.

Choosing a winner is no simple task. It requires countless minutes trawling through photos and show guides, endless seconds of deep discussion with very few people whatsoever, and — let’s be honest — a healthy, probably decisive, amount of personal bias on my part.

So without further ado.


Simply because it is one of my favourite spotting locations on earth and really captures the look of this Southern Highlands location brilliantly.
Photo: Brad Peadon



Hunter coalfields, private railways, non-air coal hoppers, Richmond Vale.
Really the only excuses I needed.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Hardly a mind blowing surprise for anyone that knows me.
The Wallaville layout is a HOn2.5 scale Queensland layout owned by Lincoln Driver.
It is based on the real Queensland town of Wallaville.
A stack more Wallaville photos can be found here.
Photo: Brad Peadon


At last we come to the end, as we go through the winners of the commercial stand awards.
After one sleepless half an hour, and a really unnecessary amount of quality beverages, your judges decided solve the impasse we had arrived at by awarding first prize to a few frien.....ahhmmm, commercial stands.

First Prize goes to:

Australian Railway Historical Society, Casula Models, Gopher Models, IDR Models, Keiran Ryan Models (I guess), Kerroby Models, On Track Models, Pallas Hobbies, Railway Coins, SDS Models, and the Sydney Bus Museum.


Riverina luminary Rodney Smith.
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Note: Coming up on our SRF YouTube channel is a visit to the the 2025 model railway exhibition at Rosehill Racecourse. A good look around, with footage of the utmost lowest quality you have come to demand.
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Epping Model Railway Club.
Ones Patient Asawa.
All my many friends who I had a ball catching up with.
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