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| Train yard |
| For ambulance officer Leon Sawyer, there's no better place to get back on track after a stressful day on the road, than Leonville Junction. |
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Despite the town's American West appearance, Leonville Junction is just a stones throw from Sydney. In fact, it's in Leon Sawyer's own backyard.
Leon Saywer is a train enthusiast and has constructed a miniature train track in his backyard. The train services Leonville Junction, a fanciful village with bridges, ponds, houses, shops, and even a church with a chiming bell.
Leon seriously started tinkering with trains when he was 28 years old. He began by collecting N-gauge trains and built a small track indoors. His passion for trains was so strong, he took a train set with him to Antarctica, where he worked as a caterer and a surgical assistant. Leon was involved in two Antarctic expeditions during the 1970's and was stationed at the Casey base. It was his work there, combined with 10 years involvement with St John's Ambulance, that inspired him to join the New South Wales ambulance Service.
In 1992, Leon and his wife Terri, bought a house in Unanderra. There was a bare area under a tree in the yard and Leon knew it would be perfect for a model train. So, he decided to upscale to G-gauge trains and started building Leonville Junction. The miniature village has an American West theme, inspired by Leon's love of American trains and his travels through the United States.
In 2000, Leon and Terri moved house and started to rebuild Leonville Junction. The reconstruction of the model village has been a lengthy process, taking almost a year to complete. Leon makes all the buildings himself, rather than buying kit homes.
Leon subscribes to American magazine Garden Railways, where he buys most of his trains and figurines. The hobby is expensive, with some locomotives costing in excess of $3,000. In total, Leon estimates to have spent more than $15,000 constructing the village.
Leonville Junction is a fully operational town. The G-scale trains blow smoke and digitally recorded sound gives them life. They chug past the village shops, stopping at red lights and switching tracks on demand. The villagers watch from the bridge, footpaths and their verandahs. On the outskirts of town is a small tribe of Indians, who live in colourful teepees.
Leon occasionally has open days for his former patients from Wollongong Hospital's children's ward. He also has a section of track with trains from Thomas the Tank Engine. Leon recently hosted the Australian G-Scale Club meet. |
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