Willans Hill Miniature Railway, Rideable miniature railway in Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, Australia.
Willans Hill Miniature Railway is a rideable miniature railway in the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, Turvey Park, run by the Wagga Wagga Society of Model Engineers. Its 3 km of track combines 7+1⁄4-inch (180 mm) and 5-inch (130 mm) gauges and passes through two stations, two tunnels, three bridges and four buildings. Three routes are in use: the main line, the museum line under Lord Baden Powell Drive, and the spiral line.
Raymond Catts established this miniature railway in 1978 as a gathering place for model railway enthusiasts in New South Wales. What began as one person's vision grew to become a popular meeting spot for the growing community of rail fans in the region.
The railway draws model train enthusiasts who gather here to share their passion for miniature rail systems. The annual Invitational Run in November brings visitors from across Australia to experience rides and spend time together around the trains.
The railway runs through the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens in Turvey Park, with the main line staying inside the gardens and the museum line crossing under Lord Baden Powell Drive to a loop by the Museum of the Riverina car park. A spiral line circles a spiral before returning by either route. The public running day of the annual Invitational Run is the Sunday of the first weekend of November.
The spiral line loops around a spiral before returning via the museum or main line, a principle borrowed from the Bethungra Spiral on the Main Southern line between Wagga Wagga and Cootamundra. The club's newest locomotive, T387, was bought from Adelaide for $28,000 and first ran here in October 2018.
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