In our Railway and Medical Room, you will find a slightly smaller version of what our county looked like before all the towns and communities were incorporated, or had their names changed. Press our special button and watch the train travel around the county!

Your hosts: The Mountain View Model Railroad Club
The idea of forming a model railroad club was presented to local enthusiasts by Gordon Sylvester, who owned a hobby store in Olds at the time. Through Gord's efforts, a permanent location was secured upstairs of the Didsbury Museum, and the members began to organize their efforts to develop the space.

Working closely with the dedicated preservationists of the Mountain View Model Railroad Club, the Didsbury Museum will help tell the story of the settling of our area communities, led by the Canadian Pacific Railway and Sir John A. Macdonald.

It started with a basic track plan, incorporating a portion of the town facing the railway's right-of-way. The fledgling railroad was showcased during the 2011 Mountain View Arts Festival, and that was the start of what has become one of the most popular exhibits at the Museum.

As the years went by, the exhibit grew to tell the story of the founding of Didsbury, a response to the need for a railway to help populate the west. Railway building had already been active even before the Calgary and Edmonton Railway was built in 1890. Eventually, the C&E Railway line was completed, running between Calgary and Edmonton, helping create many railway towns along the line, including Didsbury. That main artery moved the settlers into the region, but it was also the lifeline to markets for grain.

Thanks to the railway, the early years of Didsbury saw a great increase in the number of settlers, and consequently, businesses sprang up. Members with the Mountain View Model Railroad Club are enthusiastic about keeping the story of the railroad and the settling of the west alive for everyone who visits the Didsbury Museum.

Outdoor Garden Train
The new Outdoor Garden Train was launched during Alberta Culture Days in 2020. Located on the east side of the Museum, the Garden Railroad operates year-round (stormy weather notwithstanding). There's a bench perfectly situated, and you can just watch the trains go around and 'round.

The folks with the Railroad Club are happy to show visitors the Outdoor Garden Train in operation. Talk to club members about the building of the original railroad and share in the way of life that still celebrates our country's heritage and history.

NEW IN 2023! We are excited to show you the new addition to the train room upstairs! You'll have to look up - look way up! The Garden Train has expanded! The Mountain View Model Railroad Club has put a G-Scale track around the UPPER section of the Train Room. Now you can experience the larger train year-round!

If you are interested in model railroading, stop by the Museum or visit them online at www.mvmrc.ca.

McBeth was a settlement located west of Didsbury, and west of the rail crossing at Hwy 766. On our layout, we have created the fictional town of MacBeth at one end to add some detail as the train loops back to Didsbury.

Didsbury is known for its great Show & Shine on the Mother's Day weekend in May. Each year, the Mountain View Model Railroad Club sets up a Miniature Show & Shine upstairs in the Museum. Always a crowd favourite!

The Town of Didsbury donated a J.R. Bunnell Telegraph Key to the Museum, one that was used in the CPR Train Station here. We also have a Telegraph Sender Vibroplex Key. If it weren't for the telegraph bringing news of Western Canada's rich, fertile valleys to newspapers in the East, there's a good chance that the migration westward would have been much slower. The telegraph was essential to the rails as it provided necessary communications. Without this, railroad officials would have had trouble controlling their trains and maximizing efficiency on their lines.

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