Model railroad program inspiring next generation

Model railroading is a popular hobby. It can be as simple as a train on a small oval track or a complex rail system with detailed scenery.

"He shows me this really cool train layout. I'm like, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen. I've always wanted one," said Isher Matharu model railroading through a friend of the family.

He was cutting lawn when he spotted part of a train layout in the garage.

The friend explained how the bridge he was working on was part of a rail layout he had in the basement. After being shown the full circuit the 14-year-old was hooked.

"He gave me a tour of it and eventually I started working on it with him," said Matharu who was then introduced to the Windsor Model Railroad Club which was about to re-introduce a youth program.

"He says they haven't done really long time. They just want to do like a test run of it, see if it works and everything. So I'm like, yeah, sure, definitely want to do it."

The Grade 9 Assumption High School student brought along a friend.

"I used to do model cars and like, I really appreciate, like the attention to detail," said Gruia Nedelciuc.

Club president Peter Bechard says the focus of the youth program is to give them skills and teach them the basics of a complex setup like this one.

"Have them build out a small little mini, diorama scene that can link together with the other ones and, and give them something to practice on and give them a purpose here at the club," said Bechard, who explained the complexities of their model train set up and the intricate electronic system used to propel it.

The youth program sees students learning how to build circuits and how rail systems work.

"It's not just running around in the loop all the time," Bechard said. "We want to simulate some operating sessions where they'll go and drop trains off at an industry, pick up some empty cars and bring them back to where they started.

The club is hosting an open house Saturday at the old Market Square on Walker road at Ottawa Street. The public is welcomed to drop in between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and that's where students can sign up for the youth program.

"That opened my eyes to this entire different field of engineering, which now I'm very interested in," Matharu said. "I want that to be my future career. So yes, this did change my future."