By Thomas Smith

Ron Claridge has been coming to Kinmount for 30 years. With his wife originally from Kinmount, the couple retired to Kinmount in 2022.

“When I retired in Kinmount, [the Kinmount Model Railway] was closed,” said Claridge. “So I got on the board with the Kinmount Community Volunteer Management committee. We were discussing the station and they said it was not opening that year.”

Claridge was flabbergasted at the thought of the Kinmount Model Railway not opening. Not knowing anything about trains or model railroading, Claridge took it upon himself to get the model railway up and running in order to open the attraction to the public.

Prior to Claridge’s leadership, Leonard Green ran the model railroading club. Unfortunately, Green passed away in 2021.

“I didn’t spread the word too much, because I didn’t know any people back then,” said Claridge. “People just came and they were happy that it was running.”

The first person to join Claridge’s efforts was John Tierney. Tierney, a seasonal resident, visited the railway and pointed out different techniques and upgrades to the railway Claridge may be interested in. He was soon convinced to join Claridge’s mission of upgrading the model railway. Shortly afterwards, Kevin Jackson, a resident of Tory Hill was fated to chat with Claridge during a visit and was also recruited under Claridge. Since their unification, the trio has been an unstoppable force in upgrading, redecorating, and re-envisioning the model railway and museum to showcase Kinmount and the surrounding areas’ histories.

“When you are presenting something to the public, you have to make sure it is working. You have to run it while they are standing there watching it,” said Claridge.

The Kinmount Model Railway was reopened with only three locomotives that were left over. The model railway is in HO scale, which is the most popular scale in the world, says Claridge.

The newest engine model was from 2007, Jackson says that when he examined it, it was on its last legs and not in presentable condition.

“When we came in, the track was running on 1990s technology,” said Claridge.

“The track was black, it was unusable,” said Jackson. Having sat unused and unmaintained during the pandemic, the track became oxidized. Claridge says it took around two weeks to clean the track up to a working condition.

The Kinmount Model Railway and surrounding museum is open during the summer. During the winter however, the trio utilizes the downtime to make renovations and upgrade the model. One of their first projects after the group formed was incorporating Just Plug Lighting with the layout. Just Plug advertises itself as a quick and easy lighting solution for model railroad tracks. Lights were added inside houses, the Donald Standard Chemical Plant, and in signs throughout the layout, bringing the layout to life.

The trio strives for historical accuracy throughout the layout, with some fictional aspects and magic tying everything together. The layout transports visitors along an imagined Victoria Railway, (with some parts of the Irondale, Bancroft, and Ottawa railway) from the period of 1895 to 1945. On one end of the track, when you first walk into the room, you begin your visit at the Haliburton Railway Station. Walking from Haliburton, guests adventure across the Victoria Railway to Donald which showcases the Donald Standard Chemical Building. You then travel across the Crego Creek trestle bridge and end your adventure in Kinmount.

Throughout the layout, historical photos are hung on the wall to show visitors the real-world counterparts of the buildings. The group uses an artistic license with the layout, cheating the angles of buildings for guests to clearly see them.

Some of the other upgrades the group has completed on the railway include sliding barriers to protect the layout, repainting backgrounds, and 3-D printing new buildings and miniatures. The group has also converted the layout from DC to DCC-EX with Java Model Railroad Interface using an Arduino and Raspberry Pi computer with the capability to be run off a cellphone.

The trio also built a smaller, portable layout to bring to the annual Kinmount Fair.

This winter, the group’s main goals are to finish their Haliburton turntable, smooth the track near Kinmount, and find an artist to paint a mural in the layout room.

“The three of us get along fantastically,” says Claridge.

In part, the trio’s relationship works so well as they each bring a unique skillset to the Kinmount Model Railway. Jackson has experience in electrical engineering and is an expert in the electrical system and all computer aspects of the layout, Tierney is a master of scenery and designing the layout, and Claridge has a wonderful eye for painting and the smaller details.

To support the layout, the group attends model railway shows throughout the year and has souvenir mugs available, with donations appreciated.

In total, the Kinmount Model Railway encompasses 77 feet of track, attracting visitors from throughout the world. At the time of my visit, the guestbook included names from New Zealand,

South Korea, North Carolina, and Ecuador.

“Just to come here and look at the trains is fun,” said Claridge. “But to learn how they operate and how to maintain them, these trains need maintenance just like a real train would. You have to put oil in them and grease them. They don’t just run off love.”

Claridge says in his retirement, he has been able to latch onto the hobby and invest his time in something that brings wonderment and joy to its visitors.

“My favourite thing is watching the trains run,” said Jackson. “I really enjoy fixing them, believe it or not.”

Claridge’s favourite part of the layout is Kinmount, due to its detail, including shops that feature images of the original stores. His second is Donald.

“The Chemical Plant turned out amazing, absolutely amazing,” said Claridge.

“I’m learning more from these two fellas every day,” said Claridge. “It is unbelievable. I am always in awe of what they know.”

Flynn Lawrence has been recruited by the trio to assist with operating the railway during the summer. An up-and-coming railroading prodigy, the trio are excited to utilize Lawrence’s operating skills while the three can chat with the public.

Recently, the Kinmount Lions Club have pledged their support to the Kinmount Model Railway. In 2024, the Kinmount Lions Club awarded Claridge with the title of Citizen of the Year. Claridge is thrilled to have been recognized as Citizen of the Year, but knows that he could not have made the Kinmount Model Railway the success it is without the help of Jackson and Tierney.

For those that are interested in updates on the layout, the Kinmount Model Railway has a Facebook page titled Kinmount Station and Model Railway. They also have an email address kinmountmountrailway@gmail.com. The Kinmount Model Railway is entirely volunteer run and relies on donations from the public to keep it going. They will happily accept a donation in the form of money or items to help with the layout.