Finishing touches for Morris Russell’s model replica of Narrogin set to find a home in town’s railway precinct

Narrogin’s Morrie Russell is putting the finishing touches on a miniature replica of his hometown as it was in the 1960s as the redevelopment of the town’s life-sized railway precinct nears completion. Mr Russell has been hard at work building, painting and sourcing parts for his small scale replica of the heart of Narrogin in the 1960s. The model features buildings such as the old Railway Hotel and Shell petrol station with meticulous details and era-appropriate cars lining the streets. The highlight of the model will be the railway precinct, which will feature moving trains and working lights. Mr Russell said he hoped the replica would show people how the railway precinct helped put Narrogin on the map. “I hope people will reminisce on the old Narrogin and be able to see what used to be here,” he said. “I think the objective with the shire is to show people how much the railway precinct impacted the town. “They relied on each other; the town was here because of the railway and the railway was here because of the town.” Art has always been a part of Mr Russell’s life. His first job was as a commercial artist designing advertisements for newspapers. “I’ve always been interested in art and then I had three kids and they were interested in trains so then I started doing that,” he said. “I’m quite interested in trains too but I’m more interested in making models now. “When I started making models, I thought to myself, ‘I enjoy this way more than running trains around’, so I got stuck into making models.” When asked how many hours he had poured into making the model, Mr Russell said there were too many to count. He has cross-referenced historic photographs and accounts from other residents to make sure his replica is as accurate as possible. “I paint it all by hand, all the little windows and shop signs, and there are a lot of houses and buildings on here,” he said. “I’ve got heaps of little people out on the street but we haven’t got enough cars yet. “You can’t really get them because of the era, you can’t just put modern cars in there.” The model will find a new home in the redeveloped Narrogin Railway Precinct.