The Western Development Museum (WDM) and Thunder Creek Model Railroad Club are excited to announce the return of their annual model train show, after the 4-year hiatus from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“If you’ve never been to this event before, visitors will be treated to model railway displays throughout our museum galleries,” explains WDM Programs and Volunteer Coordinator, Karla Rasmussen. “All of our walkway spaces will be taken up by these exhibitors who have brought their displays from all over Western Canada.” 

The show takes place on Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19, from 9 am to 5 pm, at the WDM. 

“If you’re walking through the galleries, take your time and look closely. There’s a lot of details that go into these [displays].” 

Rasmussen encourages people to come and see, even if they’ve already been to the show in previous years. 

“A lot of these folks have had some downtime with their hobbies over the course of the pandemic... Even if the exhibitors have been here before, there’s a good chance they’ve done something to modify their display over the last few years... You can probably look at the same exhibit 2 or 3 times and never even notice all the little different details.” 

The Thunder Creek Model Train Show is open to people of all ages. Many folks revisit the show year after year for their own nostalgia, as well as to appreciate the hard work and dedication of the exhibitors. 

The Friendly City Optimist Club will also be running a concession throughout the weekend. 

“The concession is just cash only, however for the main admission ticket, you can pay by cash, debit, or credit,” Rasmussen adds. 

WDM members get into the event for free, otherwise, standard museum admission is required.