About
At ABR Model Works we design and manufacture model buildings and accessories for model railway enthusiasts.
Our buildings are available in kit form, to build a specific structure, or in component form, so you can design a structure to your exact needs.
Our accessories are 3D printed parts ranging from workbenches, crates, pallets and a whole range of other things you'll want to include in your layout - they are easily painted and weathered to look the way you want.
Currently, we're focussing on HO scale, but soon we'll be adding both N and O scales to the range.
For more details, go to our home page and check out the product groups.
We also take on custom projects of virtually any type of model, our workshop is well set up to cater for small miniatures, large displays, detailed and quick concept prototypes to museum-quality models.
Whether it’s a kit you want to be assembled or a model empire, we have the skills to do it.
Our manufacturing processes include laser cutting and engraving, 3D printing, handcrafted and scratch built models, airbrushing and hand painting.
Materials we work with include, but are not limited to
- Thin plywood – 6mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm
- Thin wood - .25mm, .5mm
- 3D resin, perspex, plaster, latex rubber, casting resins, fibreglass resin, cardboard, boxboard, mat board, Basswood, sugar pine, spruce, MDF and standard plywoods.
The back story.
Hi, I'm Chris, The Modeller at ABR Model Works.
Like a lot of professional modellers, my interest in modelling started as a kid.
For me, it was a train set when I was 9 and later model aircraft, gliders and Airfix + Revell plastic kits etc.
In primary school, I competed in the 1967/68 Australian National model aircraft competition where I come 2nd in the junior chuck glider event.
When I was 14, I joined the Castledare 7¼ miniature railway. A live steam railway in Perth WA. I spent my weekends working on the railway doing track and other maintenance jobs, being a guard on the passenger trains and helping with some of the steam locos which allowed me to drive them.
This mechanical interest led me to an apprenticeship at WAGR (WA Government Railways) or ‘WestRail’ as it was known back then. I worked there for 4 years, one of the highlights was working on the restoration of two steam engines for a tourist railway.
In 1979 I was involved in running a hobby shop in Albany WA. We built several train layouts in N and HO scales, flew RC power planes and gliders, sold trains, planes, cars, boats, plastic kits etc.
In 1986 my wife and I made 12 x 12m model yachts for Rolly Tasker’s America’s Cup Museum at his Sail loft in Fremantle WA.
A few years later an N Gauge Layout was started but not completed because busy life etc didn’t permit the time needed, but the passion and the need to build a model railway never left me.
I have always been both a steam and narrow-gauge fan.
So, on a trip to the USA back in 2010, I visited a hobby shop to look at the Blackstone HOn3 gear and I came away with some. HOn3 seemed the ideal gauge for me as you can build a quite realistic looking layout in a small space.
So my freelance HOn3 began. Benchwork was configured so it could be moved more easily as I hope to take it to train shows etc, the track was laid and I have a mainline loop running. At this stage, progress is still slow however I intend to show it as part of our On The Bench tip and help series of videos so work will restart soon and will continue.
Covid 19
March of 2020 saw all of WA, Australia and the world facing new challenges.
I also needed a new project.
So, with my long-time interest in hobbies, in particular model railways, I started looking into what I could do.
With the advent of laser cutting, 3D printing and lower costs of CNC manufacturing, making railway kits and accessories for sale became affordable, I decided to start ABR Model Works.
4th of July 2021 sees us launch this website with 25 building/structure kits that will be released over the next few months, plus our range of 3D printed detail parts (currently 163 items and growing every week).
I hope this gives you some insight into who we are and what we're doing.
Why not join our ABR Newsletter (there's a link at the bottom of the page) and be amongst the first to see our new Products, Tips and Help videos. Please help us by giving feedback on what we're doing so can better help you on your railway journey.
Thanks very much.
Chris, The Modeller
ABR Model Works