Rail Expo 2026 hosts first of five weekends of interactive model train displays

by Essex Free Press staff

Five weekends of Rail Expo 2026 officially kicked-off on Saturday morning at the Canadian Transportation Museum & Heritage Village (CHMHV), promising to provide area residents of all ages something to do to fight off the winter blues.

  Four clubs are collaborating to host the multi-weekend event, including the Windsor Model Railroad Club, the London N’Gineers Model Railroad Club, Brampton N Scale Road Show, and the Sudbury Model Railroad Club.

  This is the first time they are hosting this type of exhibition, and are hoping plenty of steam and momentum will build behind it, ensuring it continues annually.

  Rod Case, President of the Windsor-based railroad club, was pleased to kick-off the exhibition. The opportunity is giving model railroaders a chance to bring their own trains to try out on the tracks, and allowing members of the public to experience what many enjoy as a fun hobby for a variety of reasons.

  Case explained individuals get into model trains for a variety of reasons. For him, he enjoys setting up the scenery and structures. Others get into it for their interest in technology, working with electronics or cables, building the structures and displays, while some just like the train aspect.

  Enthusiasts typically have an interest or expertise in one of those areas, so events like this – or being part of a railroad club – allows everyone a chance to collaborate and collectively create unique, working displays. That’s a big part of why they all come together to work on a project, he added.

  The point is to let anyone set up and run some trains, Case commented on the event. He was thrilled that around a dozen youths came to the event on Saturday morning to check everything out with their families. He noted they were given the opportunity to run the trains using an app on a phone. 

  Case has experience as a professional railroader, having worked for CP for 20-years. He remembers his fascination with trains began when he was around three, and enjoyed watching them pass from his grandparents’ home. He spoke of how one of the displays depicts the area he used to watch them from, and how other enthusiasts recreated childhood memories in their displays, as well.

  For the first weekend, the railroad clubs set-up an n scale display, which will continue this weekend. That is a smaller-sized set-up. On the third weekend, they will take down half and start to build the larger, more popular H0 (Half Zero) display, and then convert the other half to the larger-scale display. The last two weekends will continue as the H0 displays.

  The highlight event is set to take place February 7, 9am-3pm.    

  The CTMHV has been wonderful in allowing the four railroad clubs to use its hall to test out the Railroad Expo.

  More information can be found at www.railexpo.ca

  Membership in the Windsor Model Railroad Club is strong, with 48 members,and seven youth members. Case urges anyone interested to reach out via its website or social media to learn more. He called it a “club of clubs,” as the members are all interested in model trains for one of the reasons he mentioned.

  He noted the Windsor Club is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.