For the past 36 years the Southern Alberta Railway Operators have held a bi-annual open house, showcasing tiny town features and model trains.

The Operators headquarters, located in Gyro Park, has two different layouts. An N scale, which is portable and about five feet in length, is the layout taken to model train shows all over southern Alberta. The HO scale, which is much larger, takes up an entire room and the original structure was created 40 years ago.

There are six different types of layouts used with model trains: Z, N, O, H, HO and OO. All members also have layouts at their homes that they are constantly improving or modifying.
“We’re pretty railroad nuts,” says Gary Brown, director for the club.

The building was constructed by the original 12 members 40 years ago. They raised all their own money through community service and members donated their time and expertise.
The operators, who meet every Tuesday, come from all over the southern Alberta region. With members attending from Fort Macleod, Raymond and Coaldale, membership is open to anyone 14 and up.

“The open house gives us a chance to share our passion with the people,” says Brown.
The club also travels to various model train expos across Canada, and even into Montana.
“We’ve travelled to Saskatchewan, Edmonton, even into Montana for shows,” says Brown. “We used to go to Calgary but we haven’t been there in a few years now.”

Tony Lee, one of the original charter members, is still active in the club today. Lee says in years past the open house has seen as many as 800 people in a weekend, which is “almost too many.”

“We get people in who are relatively new to the hobby, and people who have been involved for many years,” says Lee.

The open house, which took place Saturday and Sunday from 1-4:30 p.m., was visited by several hundred people on Saturday and Sunday. The next open house takes place the third weekend in October of this year.