Where it all began

Wallarah Creek began way back in 1998 in a spare back room. This was my first attempt to build a modular layout and as such had no formal planing except for the one in my mind. The layout is based on Wyee which is on the "short north" between Sydney and Newcastle. Why Wyee? Well I had always been interested in the operations of loading fly ash from the near-by Power Stations, which took place there until the early 00's. Also my father work briefly there in the mid 70's. The period that I decided to model was from the introduction of electrification in 1984 till when the bridge over Mannering Creek was replaced in 2004. It was also around the same time that the loading facilities were decommissioned. Wyee has been done as an exhibition layout before (WYE NOT) so I used a near by creek as it's new name.

 In 2005 I was told by the missus to vacate the room, so plans were hastily drawn to build a 6 x7 metre shed in the back yard. The only regret that I have with it is I didn't line the inside and include air conditioning and a loo. Anyway work slowly progressed and the base boards were completed. In 2006 all that halted as our first child arrived. Having to work in Sydney and being a father severely limited time in the "Shed" as the wife would say. I must be a glutton for punishment as child #2 arrived in 2008. Even so some work has progressed and a change in job location (40 Min's away) has helped the cause.