If you’re a railway enthusiast of any variety living in southern Ontario, it would be surprising if have not heard of the Waterloo Railway Exposition by now. No matter if you have a passing interest in model trains to being a hardcore prototype modeller, or whether you’re furtive rail enthusiast to being a full-on raving foamer; all the advertising, flyers, social media posts, and word-of-mouth over the past year have likely made the event known to you. Regardless of your level of interest, you’re all invited over August 29-30 2026 for what will be a memorable weekend with plenty for everyone to see and do.
The Waterloo Rail Expo will feature a fantastic range of activities and attractions, including:
Vendors – offering locomotive and rolling stock models and accessories, model kits, scenery items, electronics, rail historical societies and more – full list here
Clinics and demonstrations – covering Canadian rail history, layout modelling techniques and operations, 3D printing, steam preservation from inside a boiler, what it’s like working for the railway, and much more
Speeder car rides, where else in Ontario do you get a chance to drive a restored Fairmont speeder car?
A fascinating railway shop tour – take a ride on a Waterloo Central shuttle train and get a behind-the-scenes look at their restored railway equipment and the work behind it all – scroll down for times
A memorable steam train excursion, giving visitors the chance to experience the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of a working steam locomotive
Shop tour at the Waterloo Central Railway’s restoration centre in St Jacobs ON
As part of your visit, on Day-2 of the Expo – Sunday August 30th – be sure to stop by the WRMRC – CP Sudbury Division club and explore our layout. Club members will be on hand to answer questions, share stories, and explain how the layout was designed, built, and is operated. It’s a great opportunity to discover the creativity and craftsmanship behind the hobby.
If you’re a repeat visitor from the Doubleheaders Tour this past spring, we already have new things for you to see this time around. Aside from the continuing new benchwork and track-laying we’ve been doing to the Levack and Verner scenes on the second floor level, we’ve begun working on the last link in our Cartier Sub mainline – the benchwork for the Markstay passing siding. If you’re looking for new scenic additions on the operating portion of our layout, we’ve installed the Spanish River bridge on the Webbwood Sub, and that forced us to start working on the backdrop for McKerrow, Ontario as well.
Our newly installed 1:87 scale bridge over the Spanish River near McKerrow ONThe real Spanish River bridge – photo courtesy of Peter Baumgarten
Even if you’re only interested in the RPM Meet on Day 1 (Sat. August 29th) – our WRMRC layout tour the following day is covered in the price of admission. So drop in anytime between 10AM to 4PM and catch up on the latest developments.
Again – there’s something for everyone at the Waterloo Rail Expo, from beginners looking for inspiration to experienced modellers hoping to meet fellow enthusiasts and pick up new ideas. Bring the family, browse the displays, chat with exhibitors, and enjoy a full day – or an entire weekend – surrounded by railroading.
We’d love to welcome you to the club and show you what we’re working on. Come along, bring your questions, and enjoy the excitement of the Waterloo Rail Expo!
