By day, they're businessmen, family men, or retired men. In their spare time, they tweak, fiddle and play with their model engines.
Building trains, traction engines, and machinery is what Tauranga Model Marine and Engineering Club members do for fun.
'Some of the guys have been involved in model engineering since the 1950s,” says model engineering enthusiast Murray de Lues, who has been a member for five years running.
'Quite a number of the guys are ex-railway men, but we've got lawyers, teachers and accountants too. There's a wide range of people who've all got an interest in model engineering.”
Murray is on the committee for Tauranga Model Marine and Engineering Club's 2016 convention at Memorial Park on January 7-11.
Model engineering enthusiasts from throughout New Zealand are bringing 18 model locomotives, from steam engines to electric, diesel and petrol-powered, to the biennial convention for the public to ride on. Also all aboard the convention are model engineers from Australia and United Kingdom.
'One of the guys has a traction engine one-third scale to what's called a showman's traction engine,” says Murray. 'These things weigh about a tonne and are all steam powered, they look really cool.
'We've got seven of them turning up and we're going to do a road run from Memorial Park to Masonic Park in town and drive them back again.”
An exhibition of model engineering projects and small scale railways will be on display at the Memorial Hall, including a showcase of old farm engines from stationary engineer collectors.
The Tauranga Model Marine and Engineering Club began operating a model railway in Memorial Park in 1978, with a temporary track that was put away at the end of the day. A permanent track was built in 1984.
During the last two years, club members have helped to build an extension on the track which includes a 350m rail circuit and two wooden trestle bridges – the longest stretching 105m in length and reaching a height of 2.5m above the ground – and inclines.
'It's an opportunity for the public to come down and see what's been done, and to come down for rides,” says Murray.
The Tauranga Model Marine and Engineering Club's 2016 convention is at Memorial Park from 9.30am-6pm on January 7-11. Train rides and exhibition entry cost $2.