Trains wound around miniature mountains and neighbourhoods at the Manitoba Hobby Expo on Saturday, where a local model railway club showed off its work for a good cause. The two-day show and sale is being held at Exhibition Place at Red River Exhibition Park and runs until Sunday. The interactive event celebrates hobbies of all kinds, with hands-on displays and a wide range of collectibles for sale, from model trains, planes and boats to RC cars, LEGO and Hot Wheels. One of the largest displays belonged to the WinNTrak Model Railway Group. Trains ran across its sprawling set, where detailed scenery, including a Prairie landscape and the Winnipeg skyline, drew in visitors. Show chairman Fred Stiller said one of the club’s goals, besides bringing smiles to those who see the sets, is to support young patients. “We do displays and we sell raffle tickets, and the money we raised goes to the Children’s Hospital here in Winnipeg,” Stiller said. “We’re all family guys, and this is to help the community back out, and hopefully help kids get better.” The layout is built from multiple modules, many owned by club members, Stiller said. It takes a crew about three to four hours to set up at each show. The nonprofit club, established 40 years ago, has brought its sets to other venues over the past year, including Grant Park Shopping Centre, Kildonan Place and Garden City Mall. Stiller said he built his own scale layout in his basement decades ago, then left the hobby for some time. About a year ago, he saw the club on display, got talking with members and decided to return. “My favourite part is all the scenery — mountains, trees, rivers — that kind of deal. I absolutely love doing the groundwork and that kind of stuff. I love that more than I do running my own trains,” he said. “I just enjoy the hobby and the good group of guys with the club… Everybody’s willing to help one another, and if you have a problem, somebody’s there to show you or teach you.” Stiller said he also enjoys chatting with visitors, who range widely in age. “We get from little toddlers all the way up to the super seniors, and it makes me feel good,” he said. He encouraged anyone interested in the hobby to reach out to the club, noting that people can spend as little or as much time and money on it as they like.
