HE’S best known as the veteran leader of the City of Orange Brass Band, but when the music dies down and the trumpet’s packed away, Bob Petrie and his model train sets come out to play.
It seems Bob’s a part of a secret underground gang of miniature train enthusiasts, likely to be found tinkering in garages and poolrooms throughout the city.
Bob’s spectacular creation, which fills his entire double garage, has been a work in progress and labour of love for over 20 years.
“I’ve always loved trains and even now if there’s a train on the tracks somewhere, I can’t go anywhere until I’ve taken the time to see it,” he said.
“Truth be told my interest probably goes back to when I was a kid in the 50s and desperately wanted an electric train set and never got it so this is probably some sort of compensation for that! I remember in my first ever year of teaching I got German measles so I sat out on my front porch in Sydney and made my first carriage and it just sort of snowballed since then.”
To build the dozens of different tracks, engines, carriages and buildings (all named after family members), Bob sneaks out to the garage whenever he’s free to indulge in his hobby.
So large has the vast network become, Bob and his wife had to build a carport to shelter the family cars from the elements after the train set eventually consumed the existing garage.
“I’m not intending to expand it any more, I don’t really have the room but I’m still kept busy because you have to spend a lot of time keeping it up and running,” he said.
Orange Toy Kingdom owner John Young said Bob is just one of many Orange based miniature railroad fanatics.
“Generally never a day goes past where you are not selling bits and pieces for a model railroad,” Mr Young said.
“You can spend as little or as much as your passion dictates to you. It’s one of those hobbies where that passion gets to you and you just can’t stop and that’s a pretty great thing I think.”