THUNDER BAY -- Brian Thom has been playing with model trains since he was about three years old.
Now well into his retirement years, there’s nothing he loves more than showing them off to other enthusiasts who share his passion for a hobby that has captured the imagination of tens of thousands of people around the world.
This weekend Thom will be front-and-centre at Thunder on Rails Model Railroad Show, a charity event supporting the Metro Lions Club being staged Saturday and Sunday at the West Thunder Community Centre.
“It’s the romance of railroads,” said Thom, explaining his love of all things trains and why model railroad shows are so popular with people of all ages.
“Although today’s railroading is a little less romantic than it was 40 or 50 years ago. But I think that’s what captures people’s imaginations, the trains of the past.”
The weekend show, a biennial event, will feature displays of all shapes and sizes, all meticulously designed and built.
For Thom and his wife Emily, who will join him at the weekend show, it’s a labour of love.
“My collection probably goes to the extreme,” he said.
“We have one of the smallest layouts, my wife and I, and we’ve got one of the larger layouts. And I’ve got stuff in between. That’s not everybody’s thing. A lot of people pick a scale and they stick to it. We’re kind of all over the map.”
Admission to the weekend show is $2 per person or $5 per family. The doors open Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.
Children younger than 12 accompanied by an adult are admitted free.
