I’m often asked why I model the Canada Atlantic while living in BC, thousands of kilometres away. The truth is, I grew up in Ottawa, the centre of the system, albeit some 70 years after the flag fell. My mum, sister and brother are still in town, and I spent the last two weeks visiting them, and sleeping in my childhood bedroom.
As well as visiting OVAR, I had an opportunity to call up one of the other two modellers of the Canada Atlantic that I’m aware of. We often joke that we could have a convention in a broom closet, and having now met Richard Guitar, and found him to be a genial companion, I think that wouldn’t be such a terrible idea — provided we had a sufficient supply of Guinness.
Richard is modelling the Canada Atlantic in O gauge. His layout leverages available commercial models in the scale, custom painted for our road. It compresses the Western Division into a basement room with Madawaska, Rock Lake, and Depot Harbor represented. We enjoyed running several freight and passenger trains from end to end of the line all while sharing such a lively conversation that I quickly lost track of time.
I’ve been researching the Canada Atlantic since high school, and I’m delighted to find others who share my interest. There is, of course, no Canada Atlantic Railway Modelling Historical and Technical Society, but if there were, membership could be gained by simply contacting me. Who knows? Maybe one day we may even have a convention, perhaps in a larger room — like a pantry.
Pembroke:87 