Until
a permanent location is determined and created for the historic
model railway centre that will show, in miniature form, the
development of the city and region as the transportation and
distribution hub of Central Alberta, members of the society are
constructing modules and dioramas that can be exhibited to the
public until they can be incorporated into a permanent display.
Exhibits currently under construction or are in the planning stage
include the CPR downtown Red Deer steel bridge, the CPR downtown Red
Deer station and a portion of the former yards, the CPR Mintlaw
steel trestle southwest of the city and 'The Peanut', a small 0-4-0
saddle tank
locomotive leased by the Lacombe and Blindman Valley Electric
Railway with modified flat car 'tender'.
As these are completed, additional modules, dioramas and models will
be developed in a variety of scales, some able to be interconnected.
One of the largest projects expected to be developed over the next
several months is a representation of the former downtown Red Deer
Canadian Pacific railyards.
The Free-Mo Modular
System
The Free-mo modular HO (1:87) model railroad system was developed as
a set of standards that allow modellers from various locations to
get together and join up their individual modules or group of module
sections for a large continuous layout.
The system allows individual members to construct historic modules
of any size in their own homes that depict a particular location
with its landmark structures or time period.
The standards include using code 83 track, DCC (Direct Command
Control), prototype point-to-point operation, and connectible ends
and wiring.
For
a number of years, individuals from various points in Western Canada
have gathered at Big Valley in August to fill a large portion of the
Big Valley Agriplex. Free-mo modellers also have a large layout at
Supertrain, the annual Calgary model railroad show usually held in
April.
Historical Displays Under Development
The Alberta
Central Railway (operated by Canadian Pacific) Mintlaw steel trestle
(viaduct)
over the Red Deer River southwest of the city was built between 1910 and
1912. It saw the last train in 1981. At 2,112 ft. long and 110'
high, it is the second longest CP bridge of its type in Alberta and
the fifth longest overall. In 2009, Red Deer County purchased the
bridge as a historic resource and it may be used in the future as a
recreational trail between Red Deer and Sylvan Lake.
Modelled in N (1:160) scale, it is 13' long and in HO (1:87) 22' long.
The
former downtown Red Deer CPR railyards began in 1890 as part of the
Calgary and Edmonton Railway and were expanded several times as the
city evolved into a divisional point for Canadian Pacific. The yards
were removed almost exactly 100 years after the railway arrived in
the area.
Recreated exactly in N scale would
need 24' not including the lead track and the bridge across
the Red Deer River. In HO scale, the yard
needs a length of about 42'.
Although some selective compression will be necessary to model the
yard exactly,
the goal ultimately is to recreate the area as accurately as possible
for up to 5 historic periods, including
other historic buildings and structures in the downtown area.
The
CPR Red Deer station was constructed in 1910 to replace the station
built in 1891. The previous station was then used as a freight depot
until 1960. When the railyards were relocated in 1990, the station
was declared a historic resource and was renovated and restored as
an office building at its original location at the head of Ross
Street.
The footprint of the building (not including roofline) is 10" x 2.5"
in N scale and 18.3" x 4.5" in HO scale.
Until
a permanent location is determined and created for the historic
model railway centre that will show, in miniature form, the
development of the city and region as the transportation and
distribution hub of Central Alberta, members of the society are
constructing modules and dioramas that can be exhibited to the
public until they can be incorporated into a permanent display.
Exhibits currently under construction or are in the planning stage
include the CPR downtown Red Deer steel bridge, the CPR downtown Red
Deer station and a portion of the former yards, the CPR Mintlaw
steel trestle southwest of the city and 'The Peanut', a small 0-4-0
saddle tank
locomotive leased by the Lacombe and Blindman Valley Electric
Railway with modified flat car 'tender'.
For
a number of years, individuals from various points in Western Canada
have gathered at Big Valley in August to fill a large portion of the
Big Valley Agriplex. Free-mo modellers also have a large layout at
Supertrain, the annual Calgary model railroad show usually held in
April.
The Alberta
Central Railway (operated by Canadian Pacific) Mintlaw steel trestle
(viaduct)
over the Red Deer River southwest of the city was built between 1910 and
1912. It saw the last train in 1981. At 2,112 ft. long and 110'
high, it is the second longest CP bridge of its type in Alberta and
the fifth longest overall. In 2009, Red Deer County purchased the
bridge as a historic resource and it may be used in the future as a
recreational trail between Red Deer and Sylvan Lake.
The
former downtown Red Deer CPR railyards began in 1890 as part of the
Calgary and Edmonton Railway and were expanded several times as the
city evolved into a divisional point for Canadian Pacific. The yards
were removed almost exactly 100 years after the railway arrived in
the area.
The
CPR Red Deer station was constructed in 1910 to replace the station
built in 1891. The previous station was then used as a freight depot
until 1960. When the railyards were relocated in 1990, the station
was declared a historic resource and was renovated and restored as
an office building at its original location at the head of Ross
Street.