MOOSE JAW — Model train hobbyists are returning to the Western Development Museum to showcase the amazing dioramas they have created, which highlight their love of trains and commitment to their craft.
The Thunder Creek Model Train Show takes place at the WDM on Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show — happening for more than 20 years — features many displays by hobbyists from across the Prairies, so anyone interested in model railroading or admiring beautiful craftsmanship should consider attending.
Regular admission applies to enter, while WDM members enter for free. There will be an on-site concession stand available, but it is cash-only.
“I think it’s really exciting that the WDM (is) able to host the model train show with the Thunder Creek Model Railroad Club,” said Alexis Jones, programs and volunteer co-ordinator. “It’s really exciting to have them here again this year and being able to see the displays they’ll have.”
Jones thought it was fascinating to see the many displays that club members have created since each diorama is slightly different. Moreover, she credited the members for building intricately detailed dioramas; she enjoys trains but hasn’t built any displays herself.
“I enjoy how excited the exhibitors are to show off the trains and to give you more detail and information about them,” she continued. “They have a … vast deal of knowledge.”
WDM staff usually receive positive feedback from visitors about the many models on display during the two days, while people usually call weeks in advance asking when the show will occur, Jones said.
Visitors who need their fix of model train dioramas can also visit the WDM throughout the year to see a display in a gazebo-type shelter that features a model train circling a track, she continued.
“You can press a button and get to see the trains move, which is really cool,” Jones added. “And the Moose Jaw Thunder Creek Model Railroad Club are the ones that upkeep that.”
The WDM is the largest human history museum in Saskatchewan and features a collection of over 75,000 artifacts across four locations. The Moose Jaw branch specializes in the history of transportation.
The museum is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the winter months, the museum is closed on Mondays from January to March and on statutory holidays from October to April.
For more information, visit the museum’s website at WDM.ca/Moose-Jaw. Alexis Jones can be reached at 306-693-5989 or [email protected].
The Western Development Museum is located at 50 Diefenbaker Drive.
