The annual Model Train Show is returning to the Western Development Museum on Mar. 28 and 29, and the Moose Jaw Thunder Creek Model Railroad Club is excited to put on the impressive display again this year.
The Model Train show will take place from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on both days and is open to anyone with regular admission to the WDM — and it’s perfect for all ages, from the old to the young.
"Trains are kind of what we do here, they're definitely one of the popular parts of our museum," said WDM programs co-ordinator Karla Rasmussen. "So (hosting the Model Train show) is cool because you can see the life-sized trains (in our gallery) and also marvel at how detailed these models are."
This year will feature 17 active operating displays, some of which have been put together by groups from all over Saskatchewan, Alberta, and even B.C., as well as information booths ready to answer questions about the model train craft and vendors selling model trains and accessories.
Each display is very intricate, some of them stretching 50 or 60 feet long, said show chairman Bill Ash from the club. This year’s collection will feature models arranged in all four of the usual scales used by model train builders.
This will be the 25th year that the local model train club has put on a public show to display its hobby and Ash is looking forward to once again sharing their setups with Moose Jaw.
He promises that each year, the show has something different on display, and this year will be no exception.
Putting together a show like this one is an exciting way for model train enthusiasts like Ash to show off his hobby and share it with the public. He finds that bringing together model train clubs for something like this really has value for the entire hobby.
“We're trying to promote the hobby for people,” said Ash. “A lot of the people who participate in this hobby come from a wide variety of backgrounds, (and) there’s a lot a person can learn from being involved in this stuff too, like a little bit about electricity and electronics and soldering.”
Last year, the show saw a record number of attendees over the weekend and Ash hopes to beat that record again this year.
“It's a great opportunity for people to be able to see not just model trains,” said Ash. “(There’s also) the scenery that's built around these, the landscaping, the buildings and structures, the vehicles and everything that’s put in around the trains.”
He’s also hoping to encourage some interest in the hobby because it certainly involves more than just trains on a track, and the club welcomes anyone who wants to learn more.
“If people have never been to see a model train show, they should really just take it in once to be able to get an understanding of the full scope of everything that can be done in miniature,” said Ash.
The WDM is happy to again partner with the club to host the Model Train Show again this year, and is jumping on board with the locomotive theme by also focusing their upcoming Coffee Club on Mar. 25 on the famous Short Line 101 at the museum.
"We will be doing a short program about our Vulcan locomotive, which is Saskatchewan's only operating steam train right now," said Rasmussen. "So the Coffee Club will talk a little bit about the Vulcan's history, where it was manufactured, where it was used, and how it found its way to the WDM."
The Short Line train is expected to begin running for the season in May.
