Our Friends at the Shows - a Photo Gallery

First of all, for those who visit my site "from away", this is primarily for my visitors who are familiar with the southern Ontario model railway scene.

When I came to Toronto, Canada in 1957, there was no such thing as a model railway show. There was the long-established Gauge 0 Model Railroad Club of Toronto, and they had an annual open house. (See the write-up on its history in the February 2013 Issue of the Railroad Model Craftsman.) There was also the Delaware & Rutland Model Railway Club (H0), but in the days when Eglinton Ave was perceived as the northern boundary of Toronto, that was a very long way out of town.
The first major model railway show in the Toronto area (preceded by shows at the Scarborough Public Library) open to the public was sponsored by the Toronto & York Division of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association. It was first held in 1976 at the Harbour Front's former "Ice House". It then moved over to 235, then to 222, Queen's Quay West, then to the Queen Elizabeth Exhibition Hall at the CNE, then to the International Centre, and then in 1997 to the Toronto Congress Centre.

With that impetus, the model railway scene 'took off', with the construction of the Aberfoyle Jct. Railway in Aberfoyle, Ontario, with the Platelayers' Society (formed in 1976) beginning with displays at the Toronto Delta Hotel (in those days the Delta Chelsea Inn), and then in 1992 establishing its signature biennial "Great British Train Show" in Brampton, Ontario; and with the Barrie-Allandale (formerly the South Simcoe) Model Railroaders and the Lindsay & District Model Railroaders (formerly Engineers) now each with forty-plus consecutive annual shows under their belts.

By 1976, I was experimenting with N Scale, and my friend Peter Dobell and I were privileged to exhibit at the "T&Y" shows from their first at the Ice House in 1976 through to the fourth in 1979. (Admission 25 and then 50 cents.) Before that, he and I were doing slide-show and 'how-to' "soft-shoe-shuffle" demos at the Scarborough Public Library exhibits (free admission).

In those days, the focus was on exhibiting and watching other layouts, and any photography reflected those priorities. With a life-time of reflection, the memory goes back to the comradeship, and the recollection of, and affection for, those we knew so long ago. The realization dawns that what stays in the memory is not so much the layouts, as all those we have had the privilege of sharing this great hobby with - OK - with whom we have had the privilege of sharing this great hobby. I just wish that I had pointed my camera at some more faces ...

So I would like to say here that if you are in this gallery, it is by total happenstance, and if you are not, it's only because I didn't happen to take your picture. With very few exceptions, the photos are all mine - some scanned from fading slides (taken not only at shows but also at some home layouts). Some of you may be there twice or more, perhaps with the passage of time, or in a group, or in conversation with a fellow friend. The shots are for the most part "candid camera", so if I have embarrassed you, let me know. Likewise, if I have you as "unknown", and you are happy to own up, also please let me know. Occasionally, a picture may appear not to have loaded - click on the space anyway, or "refresh".

1970s - the pioneering years
There were a number of modellers and their layouts from that era I remember most vividly. (There were others too, and there must have been many others beavering away in their basements.)
Pat Enright
Pat was a remarkable modeller in that he supported both British and North American prototype, and following North American prototype, had an 0 Gauge diorama in his living room, an S fine scale layout, featuring a fictitious Coboconk, in one room, and a respectable freelance H0 layout in another.
Hubert Brooks
Hubert was an artist as well as a modeller, and the backdrop of his H0 Lake Placid layout was absolutely spectacular.
Hugh Rodden
Hugh had an ambitious British-prototype 00 layout, before he was transferred to somewhere out west.
Harold Midwood
Harold had an 0n3 Scale layout, meticulously modelled after the Colorado narrow gauge lines. It was well in advance of local modelling concepts and standards of that time. I don't know whether it was written up in one of the modelling magazines, but if it wasn't, it should have been.
(Note: His son Art continued to work on his late father's second D&RGW layout until his own recent passing - click here for a short video.) Their vision is being carried by the "Maple Leaf Mafia". (See "Dolores 6957" under Prototype Modelling Ontario "Hall of Fame".)
George Philpott
A travelling "suitcase" with a nifty 00e (009) narrow-gauge "Hunslet Valley Railway" layout. George also modelled in fine 0 scale.

Some layouts of the pioneering 1970s

1973 George Philpott 0 fine scale

1974 Hubert Brooks' H0 Lake Placid layout

1974 Hugh Rodden's 00 British-prototype layout

1974 Pat Enright's fine 0 scale layout

1974 Pat Enright's S scale layout

1974 Pat Enright's S scale "Coboconk" station

1974 Pat Enright's H0 layout

1974 George Philpott's 009 suitcase "Hunslet Valley Railway"

1975 Hubert Brooks H0 Adirondack layout

1975 Harold Midwood 0n3 fine Colorado NG lines

1977 Peter Dobell N scale two trestle dioramas at the Toronto show

1978 Toronto N Gaugers Bruno's store layout

1974 the Taylors of Willowdale N scale

1974 Ted Lowe-Laurie N scale

In the 1970s, N Gauge was becoming a serious modelling option, and three memories stand out:
The Toronto N Gaugers' layout in the large basement of Bruno's hobby store on Eglinton Avenue East just east of Markham Road on the north side - ambitious, and breathtaking in its dimensions, and its scenic backdrop effects.
The Taylors of Willowdale
As I recall, this was a father-and-son project (North American prototype), and it filled a whole basement with several levels winding their way right to the ceiling and back down again. Very demonstrative of the space potential of this smaller scale, but a huge scenery challenge - bales of chickencoop wire! It was also the first use I remember of fibre-optics for the colour-light signalling, and featured prototypical dispatching.
Ted Lowe-Laurie
In contrast, a delightful compact British-prototype portable model of a busy mainline station.

These three N Gauge layouts are iconic because they demonstrated the vast potential of N Scale for both very large and very small spaces.

There were many other layouts in all scales that were leading the way in transforming the hobby into a serious medium in the 1970s, but those recited here are to the forefront of my memory, along with that of the modellers and the shows that were part of that transition.

1970s

1973 Unknown Delaware & Rutland

1975 unknown Aberfoyle control panel

1975 budding model railroaders, first Lindsay, Ont. show

1975 Frank Dubery, courtesy Aberfoyle Jct. Railway

1975 Harold Midwood (L) in conversation with Pat Enright

1975 can't remember his name, visitor at Harold Midwood's 0n3 Scale Colorado NG layout

1977 unknown Scarborough Model Railroaders

1977 unknown trolley layout H0

1977, "Madge" Madgwick in conversation with Allan Grey at the Platelayers' Delta Inn display.

1979 Charles Cooper at the 4th Toronto show, yes N scale.

1980s

1982 Dave Spaulding

1982 Len Appleyard

1982 Lloyd Baxter

1982 Don Pearson, Toronto N Gauger

1982 Niall MacKay (L) Ernie Wessely (R) Toronto N Gaugers

1984 Mike Hollows

1986 Mike Walton (L) and John Cant (R)

1986 Peter Dobell

1986 Alan Featonby

1986 Ray Pollard

1986 "Madge" Madgwick (L) Ian Kirkland (R)

1986 Bob Hattam

1986 Alan Lukachko (L) Mike Watts (R)

1986 Rick Humphreys

1986 Dave Tozer (Hamilton, Ont.)

1986 Ken Globe

1986 Rod Clarke

1986 Mike Hollows

1986 George Olieux (George's Trains)

1986 John Cant (L) Alan Featonby (R)

1986 Mike Watts (L) Ken Delamare (R)

1987 unknown (Platelayer)

1987 unknown

1987 Ken Baines

1990s

1991 Brian Fayle

1994 L to R: Gord Tait, Henry Kunz, Vic Ballik, Bruce Stinson, Dan Klochkoff, Herman Formsma, Bob Mitchell (Kinmount Model Railroaders)

1995 Ray Corley (balding) (L) Jim Brown (red shirt, R)

1995 Alan Featonby (L) conversing with ??

1995 unknown Tony Ross (M) Charles Mather (R)

1996 Rod Clarke

1996 Bob (L) and Brian (R) Hattam

1996 Jim Walther

1996 Richard McQuade

1998 Charles Cooper

2000 - 2004

2001 Ed Powell

2001 L unknown Orangeville Shortlines in conversation with hobby digital vendor

2002 David Freeman (Limpley Wharf N)

2002 Gill Freeman (Limpley Wharf N)

2002 Duncan ("Dunc") Dufresne

2002 Markham Railway Modellers (control panel)

2002 unknown Orangeville Shortlines RR

2002 unknown Toronto Model Railroad Club

2003 Mike Watts (L) and Tony Ross (R)

2003 Doug Page (L) Earl Roberts (R)

2004 Paul Bown (L) Les Goodwin (M) Dave Stremes (R)

2004 Larry Murphy

2004 Ron Bareham

2005 - 2008

2005 Larry Murphy (L) Peter Hammond (R)

2005 Leif Hosten (L) Ed Hutchinson (R)

2005 Keith Sirman

2005 Peter Hammond (L) Charles Cooper (R)

2005 Chris Eagles

2005 Dave Foster (L) Peter Dobell (R)

2005 Doug Smith (LDMR)

2005 Tony Ross

2005 John Johnston

2005 Peter Hammond

2005 Russ Moore (L) Al Armstrong (R)

2006 Lex Parker

2006 Don Thompson (L) Larry Murphy (R)

2006 Pete Moffett (L) Jim Martin (R)

2006 David Tulett

2006 Bent Striegler

2006 Brian Fayle

2006 Carl Riff (L) Richard McQuade (R)

2006 L to R Larry Murphy Bent Striegler Harold Lance Doug Smith Wayne Lamb photo Antonio Talotta

2006 unknown Peterborough Modellers

2006 unknown Durham Region British Modellers

2007 L to R unknown, Doug, Mike Hind, Grant, John Ottawa N trak gang

2007 Matt Kingsmill (at the boat pond)

2007 Rod Clarke

2007 Larry Murphy (L) Charles Cooper (M) Russ Moore (R)

2007 Russ Nicholls

2008 Keith Jones (L) Charles Clark (M) Alex McQuilkin (R)

2008 Peter Scrimshaw

2008 Ralph Beaumont

2008 Tony Griffiths

2008 Walt Gray (L) Mike Watts (R)

2008 Charles Clarke

2008 Andrew Webster

2008 unknown Newmarket British Modellers

2009 - 2010

2009 John Vincent

2009 Clive and Scott Boyd

2009 Doug Smith (PRR)

2009 Mike Hind

2009 Ron Bersford

2009 unknown

2009 Glenn Owers (PRR)

2009 Dave Dell (PRR)

2009 L Ron Bersford R unknown

2009 Brian Macdonald

2009 Don Parkes (PRR)

2009 Cliff Veary

2010 Ted Rafuse

2010 Bill Waite

2010 Ian Wilson

2010 Jim Brown and Greg Stubbins

2010 unknown CARM

2010 Pete Moffett

2010 Don Hudson

2010 Dave Foster

2010 Eric Potter (L) Wayne Lamb (R)

2010 John Mellow (L) Rich Chrysler (R)

2010 Brian Fayle

2010 Tony Ross

2010 Mike Watts

2010 Rod Clarke

2010 Rich Chrysler

2010 Don McClellan

2010 Railview Modellers L to R Mike, Richard, Bill, Dan Drake, Andrew, George Adams, Tom. Photo Daniel Drake

2010 Brian Douglas

2010 Jim Swanson (L) Al Wignall (R)