This page features numerous links to suppliers, forums, and various groups. It is updated regularly, and the information is provided to benefit members and visitors.
Take care when visiting sites and doing your homework.
Do you have a collection or models to sell?
The GCMRC does not purchase trains or collections. We are not valuers, and we can't always respond personally to emails or calls regarding the sale of trains.
We gratefully accept donations, which can be dropped off on Wednesdays or Saturdays.
Selling Tips
1. List items individually, as collections are worth less. Be honest with your descriptions and take good landscape pictures, and you will increase the chances of selling more and for more money.
2. If it has been tested, say so. If you have not tried the item, be clear that you are unsure.
3. Use PayPal where you can to provide you and the seller protection.
4. Look for similar listings before listing your item to help you set a price.
5. Large layouts are hard to sell as they are difficult to transport.
6. The condition of a piece controls its value.
Pages and groups where you can sell your trains are listed below.
The top place for model Train sales is eBay, with Gumtree also worth a look. They do have a fee structure, so do your research to work out your costs.
Search "model trains".
Facebook Marketplace is popular for train sales and has few, if any, charges. Check out the seller first before buying, though as there are always dodgy buyers and sellers, unfortunately.
Popular Facebook sites: Click to see)
Australian Suppliers
Aurora Trains - (QLD) Locos and rolling stock, DCC chips and parts, scenery, track and points. Brisbane's largest train store.
Casula Hobbies - (NSW) Australian supplier of models. Locos, rolling stock, spare parts, second-hand Brass HO.
Hobbyrama - (QLD) Trains and rolling stock in Brisbane.
HobbyTech Toys - (WA) Suitable for Digitrax supplies in Australia. Fast mail-order services.
Auscision Models - (NSW) Supplier and retailer of Australian outline models.
Hobbyone - (QLD) Model store selling a range of trains and parts.
Scale Model Co. (NSW) Hobby shop with a new selection of model trains and accessories.
Woodpecker Model Railways. (NSW) Good range of model Railways.
Hearns Hobbies (VIC) Great range of model railways. Contact Will for details.
Train World (VIC) offers a vast range of trains.
Hobbyco (NSW) has a good range of model trains.
All Gauge Model Railway Club - Regular Buy/Sell Days
Take care when visiting sites and doing your homework.
Do you have a collection or models to sell?
The GCMRC does not purchase trains or collections. We are not valuers, and we can't always respond personally to emails or calls regarding the sale of trains.
We gratefully accept donations, which can be dropped off on Wednesdays or Saturdays.
Selling Tips
1. List items individually, as collections are worth less. Be honest with your descriptions and take good landscape pictures, and you will increase the chances of selling more and for more money.
2. If it has been tested, say so. If you have not tried the item, be clear that you are unsure.
3. Use PayPal where you can to provide you and the seller protection.
4. Look for similar listings before listing your item to help you set a price.
5. Large layouts are hard to sell as they are difficult to transport.
6. The condition of a piece controls its value.
Pages and groups where you can sell your trains are listed below.
The top place for model Train sales is eBay, with Gumtree also worth a look. They do have a fee structure, so do your research to work out your costs.
Search "model trains".
Facebook Marketplace is popular for train sales and has few, if any, charges. Check out the seller first before buying, though as there are always dodgy buyers and sellers, unfortunately.
Popular Facebook sites: Click to see)
- Will James Railway News
- HO buy and Sell
- Auscision, SDS, Trainorama , Buy Sell & Swap
- Australian HO Trains & Estate Sales:
- Australian model Trains, buy Swap, Sell
- HO model railway buy, sell or trade
- All Things Australian, Buy Swap Sell
Australian Suppliers
Aurora Trains - (QLD) Locos and rolling stock, DCC chips and parts, scenery, track and points. Brisbane's largest train store.
Casula Hobbies - (NSW) Australian supplier of models. Locos, rolling stock, spare parts, second-hand Brass HO.
Hobbyrama - (QLD) Trains and rolling stock in Brisbane.
HobbyTech Toys - (WA) Suitable for Digitrax supplies in Australia. Fast mail-order services.
Auscision Models - (NSW) Supplier and retailer of Australian outline models.
Hobbyone - (QLD) Model store selling a range of trains and parts.
Scale Model Co. (NSW) Hobby shop with a new selection of model trains and accessories.
Woodpecker Model Railways. (NSW) Good range of model Railways.
Hearns Hobbies (VIC) Great range of model railways. Contact Will for details.
Train World (VIC) offers a vast range of trains.
Hobbyco (NSW) has a good range of model trains.
All Gauge Model Railway Club - Regular Buy/Sell Days
Not sure how to get started? Follow our guides below. Start at the top, do you research and you will be on your way to enjoying the best hobby in the world!
This is the fun bit - but where do you start? Club members are always helpful and can help guide you along as a beginner. Let's start with the basics.
Gauge? What is it?
The Gauge is the distance between the tracks. Our club has layouts from N Gauge (smallest) to G Gauge, one of the largest for model trains. Have a look at the club and see what trains interest you. N Gauge takes up less room so you can always have more, but HO/OO gauge is the most popular and has the best availability for models, tracks and parts.
Here is a great video guide to help you decide
DCC or DC?
At our club you can run either one. DC is the original way all trains ran - 12 volts to the track and a controller and you could run a train, however if you wanted to run more than one loco it was hard to do as they would all be runnign in the same direction, and if you don't want a particular loco to be running, you'd have to put it into an isolated siding.
DCC was invented so you could control multiple trains on one line. A small DCC chip/decoder is fitted inside the loco, and the DCC (Digital Command System) sends signals to the chip in the loco to make it move, honk the horn, blow the whistle, turn lights on and off, etc. Each loco can be individually controlled, plus you can put two or more locos into a consist so your train can have more than one loco pulling it. Yes, DCC adds a cost to each locomotive, but more realistic running can be enjoyed! This page explains it in more detail.
Peco Points Spreadsheet
What brand of DCC should you use?
As DCC chips and accessories all comply with NMRA standards, it's wise to standardise on a brand for your command system. NCE and Digitrax both make the core system you need to start your model railway. Various manufacturers make the chips installed in locomotives, and these are compliant with either system.
Our club has settled on the Digitrax brand, meaning a Digitrax controller will be required to run your trains at the club on our various layouts.
The Digitrax YouTube Channel
Digitrax Guide to Programming
DT 402 Throttle Basics
DT 602 Quick Start Guide
Consist Locos
A guide to gauges by Hornby
Resetting Decoders
KD Coupler Guide
QSI DCC Decoder tips and tricks
Guide to soldering Metals
2. We use DCC and here are the DCC Basics - Digital Command Control
Easy programming for Digitrax - Tom's Trains and Things
Wiring your layout for DCC - Model Railroading
Convert an old loco to DCC - Model Railroading
Decoder tips and tricks - Gerry Hopkins MMR
From start to finish - Model Railroad Hobbyist Magazine
The DCC Guy has a lot of tips on DCC plus general things to do with your layout.
3. Scenery
From start to finish - Model Railroad hobbyist Magazine
Luke Towan - One of the best scenery makers in Australia
4. Using JMRI to tweak your locos
JMRI is a terrific tool (that's free!) for making changes to the CVs on your locos. It gives you a visual interface for changing the number, modifying speeds, braking, which horn/whistle the loco uses and a lot of other things to numerous to mention here. Tweaking loco settings is just one part of what you can do with it, as it can also be used for controlling points/turnouts on your layout and all sorts of other things. Several applications work with it, such as CATS, which allows you to have a dispatcher's screen of your entire layout.
A phone app that can be used at our club is Engine Driver, which allows you to control your loco from your phone.
This is the fun bit - but where do you start? Club members are always helpful and can help guide you along as a beginner. Let's start with the basics.
Gauge? What is it?
The Gauge is the distance between the tracks. Our club has layouts from N Gauge (smallest) to G Gauge, one of the largest for model trains. Have a look at the club and see what trains interest you. N Gauge takes up less room so you can always have more, but HO/OO gauge is the most popular and has the best availability for models, tracks and parts.
Here is a great video guide to help you decide
DCC or DC?
At our club you can run either one. DC is the original way all trains ran - 12 volts to the track and a controller and you could run a train, however if you wanted to run more than one loco it was hard to do as they would all be runnign in the same direction, and if you don't want a particular loco to be running, you'd have to put it into an isolated siding.
DCC was invented so you could control multiple trains on one line. A small DCC chip/decoder is fitted inside the loco, and the DCC (Digital Command System) sends signals to the chip in the loco to make it move, honk the horn, blow the whistle, turn lights on and off, etc. Each loco can be individually controlled, plus you can put two or more locos into a consist so your train can have more than one loco pulling it. Yes, DCC adds a cost to each locomotive, but more realistic running can be enjoyed! This page explains it in more detail.
Peco Points Spreadsheet
What brand of DCC should you use?
As DCC chips and accessories all comply with NMRA standards, it's wise to standardise on a brand for your command system. NCE and Digitrax both make the core system you need to start your model railway. Various manufacturers make the chips installed in locomotives, and these are compliant with either system.
Our club has settled on the Digitrax brand, meaning a Digitrax controller will be required to run your trains at the club on our various layouts.
The Digitrax YouTube Channel
Digitrax Guide to Programming
DT 402 Throttle Basics
DT 602 Quick Start Guide
Consist Locos
A guide to gauges by Hornby
Resetting Decoders
KD Coupler Guide
QSI DCC Decoder tips and tricks
Guide to soldering Metals
2. We use DCC and here are the DCC Basics - Digital Command Control
Easy programming for Digitrax - Tom's Trains and Things
Wiring your layout for DCC - Model Railroading
Convert an old loco to DCC - Model Railroading
Decoder tips and tricks - Gerry Hopkins MMR
From start to finish - Model Railroad Hobbyist Magazine
The DCC Guy has a lot of tips on DCC plus general things to do with your layout.
3. Scenery
From start to finish - Model Railroad hobbyist Magazine
Luke Towan - One of the best scenery makers in Australia
4. Using JMRI to tweak your locos
JMRI is a terrific tool (that's free!) for making changes to the CVs on your locos. It gives you a visual interface for changing the number, modifying speeds, braking, which horn/whistle the loco uses and a lot of other things to numerous to mention here. Tweaking loco settings is just one part of what you can do with it, as it can also be used for controlling points/turnouts on your layout and all sorts of other things. Several applications work with it, such as CATS, which allows you to have a dispatcher's screen of your entire layout.
A phone app that can be used at our club is Engine Driver, which allows you to control your loco from your phone.
ronstrainsnthings.blog-zines, Blogs & YouTube sites
British Bi-monthly magazine - http://www.modelling-inspirations.co.uk
N Scale Modellers Australia - http://www.nscale.org.au/nsm
Model Railroad Hobbyist - http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com
Australian Model Railway Magazine
Will James Railways
Ron's Trains N Things
If you're interested in Thomas the Tank Engine, you might want to check this site out...
Looking for some model rail related humour?
How about a timeline of when the various lines and stations around Brisbane were opened or closed?
If your child is on the autism spectrum and loves travelling on passenger trains like the ones that go through Brisbane, then this video may help to explain that a bit more.
If you're interested in railroads in the USA, this brief history of Texas railroads could be worth a look.
British Bi-monthly magazine - http://www.modelling-inspirations.co.uk
N Scale Modellers Australia - http://www.nscale.org.au/nsm
Model Railroad Hobbyist - http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com
Australian Model Railway Magazine
Will James Railways
Ron's Trains N Things
If you're interested in Thomas the Tank Engine, you might want to check this site out...
Looking for some model rail related humour?
How about a timeline of when the various lines and stations around Brisbane were opened or closed?
If your child is on the autism spectrum and loves travelling on passenger trains like the ones that go through Brisbane, then this video may help to explain that a bit more.
If you're interested in railroads in the USA, this brief history of Texas railroads could be worth a look.
Local Businesses which have sponsored our club
We give a very big thank you to Coast 2 Coast Earthmoving for their support of our club.
We give a very big thank you to Coast 2 Coast Earthmoving for their support of our club.