The Model Train Experience at Granary Road is set up in the main building close to the food court and is billed as a living, evolving display designed to spark curiosity, creativity and connection across generations. Leanne Wright, the park’s train project co-ordinator, says the exhibit is not just something to look at but be part of. “Granary Road is about creating experiences for families,” she said. “Trains actually give that ability for families to be able to interact with their kids, put the phone away and just do something that’s hands-on, tangible and is a learning experience.” Wright says the park started discussing the possibility of a model train exhibit at the start of the year. After much research, Wright reached out to the experts at Trains and Such for guidance. Don Chehowy says he and the team have been contracted to supply the trains, tracks, buildings and scenery for the project. They started construction in May 2026. “The owners wanted to make this operation kid-centric, using model railways and railways in general as a focal point,” he said. “We thought, ‘Oh, that’s a great idea,’ and we wanted to be part of it.” Chehowy says he chose the O-scale-sized train for the project because it’s big and robust and people can see it easily with all its detail. He’s also responsible for constructing all the scenery in the exhibit, including the mountain landscape and small village. Chehowy says interest in the hobby is building in the province. “Alberta is a hotbed for model trains,” he said. “There’s quite a few clubs and an umbrella organization that actually administers all the clubs and prepares for ‘Super Trains’ and some flea markets and what have you, so out of all the provinces, Alberta is great for model trains.” Albert Kielek is helping Chehowy design the tracks for two trains on the five-by-five-metre-square exhibit. He says the indoor environment is challenging because two massive garage doors are open when the weather is nice, and that introduces a lot of dust to the setup. That can cause problems getting the power to the model train. “We kind of came down to a simplified thing that would be easy to maintain and also be exciting for the kids and big kids to enjoy watching,” he said. “It’s fun for the kids, it’s hands-on and it’s as complicated as you want to make it, so we kind of have a bit of a mixture here between the complex and the simple with the trains and the scenery here.” Kielek says the project was built to expand because bigger is always better when it comes to model trains. “It will look really good as it gets bigger; this is a palette that we can kind of go at that we can’t do at home,” he said. “Who has a room this size, right? I mean, it’s huge.” Wright says the plan is to start a train club for people to join and be part of the project that would be open to all ages and abilities as a builder, mentor, teacher or volunteer. “We really want to be able to grow,” she said. “Part of the train club is that the kids can work or the parents or the hobbyists can work on the model train and build that layout, so over time, it’s part of them in our layout, so they’re going to be able to come and say, “That part is what I got to build with my family.’”
