Chugging along

Ron and Carol Fuchek had a very unique first date.

Ron had just inherited the model Port Arthur Duluth Western Railway from Cliff Brown. Wanting to impress Carol, he took her to see it.

“How do you charm a woman? Take her on the railway,” Ron said laughing Sunday afternoon at the Thunder on Rails Model Railway Show at West Thunder Community Centre.

And it must have worked because now, 12 years later, Carol is the engineer and Ron is the conductor of a meticulous working model of the railroad that serviced the area until 1938. Ron is the history buff while Carol is the artist, painting scenery and figures throughout the model.

“(I love the) whimsy of it all,” Carol said. “I can keep the creative juices flowing.

While the couple have a space in their yard for the model and have even converted their garage into a train station for it, it was part of a dazzling display of models from enthusiasts from Thunder Bay to Minneapolis over the weekend. Carol said it’s great to be able to show off all of their hard work.

“When the kids see something and their faces just light up it’s just really neat to see,” she said.

Ron wants to keep the history of the area and the model alive.

“I’ll keep it alive as long as I’m alive,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun.

Proceeds from the show went to support the Thunder Bay Metro Lions Club.