The Cairns Model Railway Club (CMRC) held its first meeting on 12th April 2018 and proceeded to an Inaugural Meeting on the 15th July 2018.  Since then monthly meetings have been held on the third Sunday of every month.  A constitution was adopted and the club incorporated on 4th January 2019.  At this time the club operated from a member’s industrial storage shed, an arrangement that satisfied club needs until the acquisition of the Les Hiddins layout in 2021.  

The club membership was slowly growing and it was decided that a display at the Carnival on Collins festival (2019) would be a good promotion opportunity for the club.  An application was accepted with the proviso that a suitable public liability insurance policy obtained.  It was at this time that the members agreed that the club should take advantage of the insurance facilities offered by the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) and thus the requirement that all CMRC members also be members of NMRA.

The club had constructed two small shunting layouts specifically for the carnival which were a great success with the kids of all ages.  From this display came an enquiry re the club’s possible interest in acquiring a layout, subsequently called Satanic Mills, that had been kept in storage while the owners looked a suitable organization to look after it.

The club has acquired a number of layouts that might otherwise have been discarded.  This in itself has presented problems; how and where to display these assets in the long term.

The club moved to premises in Mulgrave Road, at the time for an unknown period, where it was able to assemble the layouts and start to develop a club layout to which members were able to contribute their time and skills.

Alas this time came to an end and the management of Raintrees Shopping Centre came to the rescue and offered a vacant shop premises as an interim club location.  This too had a time limit and it is at this point that the club is extending a plea for assistance to find a more permanent home

The club assets are described in more detail in the following pages.