Ready your tickets as the Galston500 is fast approaching, opening its cabin doors at the Galston Valley Railway on Saturday, 29 August 2026.
The annual fundraiser sees teams of 5-inch scale model locomotives complete 500 laps of the railway’s 1km track, with proceeds supporting Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research at The Westmead Institute for Medical Research. Adult entry is $10, children under 18 are free, while ride tickets are available on the day.
Looking back, Founder Allie Thackray was diagnosed with MS in 2013. When she and her husband Evan were married at the Galston Valley Railway in 2017, they were keen to combine a hobby they love with a cause close to their hearts.
“A few months later, while watching the Bathurst1000, a crazy idea came into the conversation that we should create an endurance miniature railway event, and after more discussion, we realised it would be the perfect MS fundraiser,” Allie told the Hills to Hawkesbury Community News.
“This idea was then proposed to the Board at Hornsby Model Engineers Co Op Ltd, who operate the Galston Valley Railway, and they excitedly accepted. The first Galston500 ran in May 2018.”
BEHIND THE DISPATCH BOARD
Now in its eighth year, Allie said the event has grown into something much bigger than the couple first imagined.
“I still doubt myself every year. I worry I’ve stumbled through the day or that things only worked by chance. But then I see the volunteers, the teams, the families, and the HME members working together, often without needing me at all.
“Last year I noticed my name was called far less, simply because everyone already knew what to do. That was a quiet moment of pride.”
Behind the scenes, planning for the Galston500 stretches over several months and is carefully worked around Allie’s health.
“The Galston500 has become part of the rhythm of my year, with spreadsheets, contact lists, routines and deadlines,” she said.
“I fit the planning around my MS symptoms. On good days I get a lot done, and on harder days I rest and pick things up again later. Living with MS means dealing with symptoms every day. They don’t pause just because the Galston500 is coming up.
“What keeps me going are the quiet moments. The thank yous from volunteers. The excitement in families’ voices. And especially those few minutes during the event where I can stop, look around, and see everything working exactly the way I imagined it.”
As of this writing, the fundraiser has raised more than $77,000.
“The Galston500 was never about my MS. It was about helping future generations avoid the long, confusing road I went through to get diagnosed.”
The lead-up is also a team effort, with Evan taking on a different role once the event begins.
“Evan is my emotional anchor during all of this,” Allie said. “On the day itself, he becomes the face of the event, the MC, the person greeting politicians, answering questions and helping maintain the flow of the day, while I’m behind the scenes solving problems and keeping everything moving.”
HME members also spend weeks preparing the railway before welcoming visitors.
“They enjoy the atmosphere, the music, the visiting teams and the excitement, and for many of them, the event feels like a special version of an open day. I might coordinate the pieces, but the volunteers, the HME and NWME members, the teams, the entertainers, and the community are what make the day actually happen.”
ONTO THE NEXT STATION
Once the festivities conclude, Allie hopes visitors leave with a greater understanding of MS and the impact community support can have.
“What I hope people take away is that the Galston500 isn’t just a fun day out, it’s a reminder that MS is real, ongoing, and something thousands of Australians live with every day. I hope they leave knowing their attendance genuinely helps push research forward. And I hope they see the power of community: that a small volunteer-run railway, local families, and everyday people can come together and make a real difference.”
Visitors can expect continuous train action, miniature train rides, food vendors, entertainment, merchandise and market stalls throughout the day.
Major sponsors of the Galston500 include Hare & Forbes and Bendigo Bank. Tickets are available pre-purchase online at www. galston500.com/tickets. Galston Valley Railway is located at 29 Mid Dural Road, Galston.