Chris Dunlop wasn’t really given a chance to be a railroader. 

Years ago, when Dunlop applied to CN, the recruiters of the day took one look at his thick glasses and dismissed his application.

“They never called me back,” he recalled.

But Dunlop’s dream didn’t die. This past month, the retired Jasperite got to live out his fantasy of driving trains—albeit in miniature form. As he’s done in years past, Dunlop has assembled an elaborate toy train display in the basement of the Jasper Museum. After two days of set up, with the exception of a derailment or two, the exhibit has been a runaway success.

“Some of these trains are from the 1930s,” Dunlop said while manning the controls Saturday, January 27. Pressing a button on one of the four transformers used to power the layout, a mini locomotive gave a celebratory “choo.”

This week, Dunlop and the museum staff will welcome school groups to visit the train set. On Wednesday, Jasper Museum Coffee Hour regulars will get a look. But for all those other trainspotters and wanna-be railroaders, time’s running out to get a worm’s eye view of the famed 6060 steam engine going through a mountain tunnel, or of the passenger trolley making brief pickups as it rolls into station.

Because this train leaves the station on Sunday, February 4.

Hop aboard this week! Outside of the Coffee Hour, public viewing times are Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com