A little railway maintenance shed with plenty of character — and the potential to become something quite special!
Originally designed for our Glen Aplin exhibition layout, this HO scale trolley shed features a corrugated iron shed, a railway maintenance trolley, a crouching welder and a collection of workshop details.
It makes an interesting addition to any Australian model railway layout, either as a static building or, for those who enjoy experimenting with electronics, an interactive display complete with opening doors, flashing welding lights and sound effects.
What's included in the kit?
The kit consists of just four 3D printed resin pieces, making it straightforward to assemble:
Base and detailed interior: The maintenance trolley, crouching welder figure, shelving and all the items on the shelves are printed as one complete piece. The base also incorporates space underneath for the electronic components should you wish to animate the model.
Shed structure: The corrugated iron walls and roof are printed as one piece.
Two separate doors: These can be positioned open, closed or anywhere in between to suit your layout.
The doors are designed to fit over short lengths of wire that act as hinge pins. You'll need to supply this wire yourself.
The kit is supplied unpainted, ready for you to finish and weather to suit your railway scene.
Want to bring your trolley shed to life?
Our original model was inspired by the interactive displays at Miniatur Wunderland in Germany. We wanted to create something that exhibition visitors could operate themselves, rather than simply watch.
At the press of a button, the shed doors swing open to reveal the railway worker welding the maintenance trolley. Flashing LED lights and realistic welding sounds bring the scene to life before the doors close again.
For those who enjoy experimenting with electronics, we're also providing a free PDF guide explaining how we animated our own trolley shed.
The guide includes:
A list of the electronic components we used
Wiring and assembly instructions
Details of the servo-operated doors
Information on the LED lighting and sound effects
The Arduino programming sketch that controls the sequence
You'll need to purchase your own electronic components, including the servos, Arduino, sound module, speaker, LEDs, wiring and power supply. You'll also need to source a suitable MP3 sound file.
Please note: The electronics, sound files and electronic assembly are not included. This is an optional DIY project rather than a ready-to-run animation system. We're sharing our design and programming so that anyone interested can have a go at recreating the effect on their own layout. Some experience with basic electronics and soldering is recommended.
And if electronics aren't your thing, the trolley shed makes a great little static model, with the doors positioned however you prefer.
See it in action!
Watch our video to see the working trolley shed in action, or come along to the Bundaberg Model Railway Show in March 2027, where it will be part of our interactive Glen Aplin exhibition layout.
Product details
Scale: HO (1:87)
Material: 3D printed resin
Kit contents: 4 pieces – detailed base, shed structure and 2 doors
Finish: Supplied unpainted
Assembly: Required
Hinge wire: Not included
Electronics: Not included
Bonus: Free downloadable DIY animation guide and Arduino programming sketch