All Aboard!

‘All Aboard!' the Surrey Museum's New Exhibit

Dear Customers: we were surprised by a phone call a few weeks ago from the City of Surrey, B.C..

They had decided to host a new exhibit on "the Collecting of Model Trains".  Who knew! Of all things, we least expected a major Canadian Museum to dedicate a major display on collecting model trains.

So for all of you in the Lower Mainland of BC or our friends close by in Washington State, if you happen to be in the Surrey area over the next three months, check it out.

Here are the details from the Museum:

Local model train collectors showcase their passion, from A to Z scale. Train towns, scenery and motorized engines travel throughout the gallery demonstrating the craftsmanship, talent and joy of train collecting, from the amateur hobbyist to the lifelong enthusiast.

On display September 15-December 19, 2009

At Surrey Museum17710-56A Avenue

Hours:  Tuesday to Thursday: 10am-6pm, Friday and Saturday: 10am-5pm

Closed Sundays, Mondays and Statutory Holidays

Admission: Adults: $5, Seniors & Students: $3.75, Child & Youth: $2.50, 5 and Under: Free

Groups of 10 or more people must book in advance

Call 604-592-6956 for more information

Visit the Surrey Museum's latest exhibit, All Aboard!, to discover the world of toy and model trains. The exhibit displays trains and models from local collectors and modelers, spanning gauges from the standard HO to miniature trains built to carry people.

The new exhibit showcases the breadth of the hobby, from simple children's toys to the serious trains painstakingly recreated by dedicated modelers. Visitors can learn what makes a toy train different from a model train, how the hobbyist builds the layout with scratch-made track and landscape, what technology is behind the new breed of model trains, and where Lego train modeling fits. All ages will enjoy watching trains moving along an amazing large-scale layout created especially for this exhibit by members of the Greater Vancouver Garden Railway Club, museum volunteers and staff.

Toy trains appeared soon after trains themselves appeared in the early 1800s. The advent of model trains brought greater realism and accuracy, giving the hobby a more serious side as passionate train fans sought to buy or create life-like trains in miniature. The hobby has something for everyone: it combines electronics, painting, sculpting, and visualizing with animation. "Model railroading is a great art form," says modeler Warren Jones whose step-by-step train layout is on display in the exhibit. "It's like theatre, and the trains are the actors."

Visiting train buffs can see early examples of toy trains from the Surrey Museum collection, as well as trains from local hobbyists who collect and build their own. Budding train enthusiasts will learn how to get started on the hobby as they view a recreated kitchen table workshop. Children can colour pictures of trains to take home and use their imagination in an interactive wooden train play area. All Aboard! is on display from September 15 to December 19, 2009.

Call 604-592-6956 for more information