Model Railroad Open House — Guelph Model Railroad Society

The Guelph Model Railroad Society is an incorporated not-for-profit club, founded more than 50 years ago, that maintains a large point-to-point HO-scale layout called Pacific Western Rail, with over 800 metres of track and hundreds of items of rolling stock. The layout is set in the 1960s and 70s, is fully equipped with DCC, and has three main yards, mainline and branchline operations, and passenger trains as well as freight.

The club operates the railroad on most Wednesday evenings with a card system. On its open house days it welcomes the public to explore the small towns and industries and to watch trains run through tunnels and over trestle bridges. The club says there is plenty for children to spot: hidden dinosaurs, airplanes, a truck crashed into a river and, sometimes, an HO-scale Thomas the Tank Engine on a flatcar. It offers a scavenger-hunt list of items to find and step stools for a better view, and asks children and parents to look but not touch.

The club is in the basement of a twine factory on Crimea Street, in the heart of the Guelph Junction where CN and CP can interchange, so real trains can be watched from its back yard.

A visit of the HO-scale layout with its towns, tunnels and trestle bridges, and a scavenger hunt for children. The layout is down one flight of stairs and the club says it is not mobility accessible. Visitors are asked to look but not touch.

The club is on the lower level of 50 Crimea Street, Guelph, Ontario, between Edinburgh Road and Alma Street. During open houses someone greets visitors in the front lobby. The club has no debit machine, so payment is by cash. Contact: info@guelphmodelrailroad.ca.