Popular Osoyoos model railroad closing doors after 18 years

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OSOYOOS (NEWS 1130) — All aboard! After 18 years, the popular Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad is closing its doors after the Labour Day long weekend.

Owner Poul Pederson is 80. He doesn’t know what’s next but says now seemed like the right time to power down the 45 computer-controlled trains, and pack up the thousands of intricate pieces of the miniature landscape.

“I’m getting too old, you know?” says Pedersen.

“We will just take it easy. And then we’ll see how that goes on because I’ll have nothing to do.”

Pederson began building model trains in the 1970s in Denmark, according to the website. Soon after, his wife Ulle began making the model buildings and landscapes. She has now put together more than 2,000 model buildings, and painted more than 26,000 tiny people. Every time the couple moved, the train set came with them and any home they moved into had to have a room big enough to accommodate the collection — until they found a home for it as a tourist attraction in Osoyoos.It’s topped lists of places to visit in the area, and the “miniature fantasy world” has become a must-visit destination for a lot of families.

“Some people have been here every year since we started. It’s been a pleasure. I really appreciate all the visits that we have had,” Pedersen says.

“We’ve had lots of fun and met people from all over the world.”

The last day to visit is Sept. 7

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