Tom Badenoch was reintroduced to his childhood hobby 25 years ago when his dad gave him a box of his old toy trains. Since then, he has expanded his collection of train cars to over 150 unique models and converted most of his basement to a fully operational scale railway system based on 1960s Canadian railway towns.
During his monthly operating sessions, Tom gets together with six of his fellow enthusiasts and runs a simulation of a day in the life of a Canadian railway, with each operator being responsible for their own train with their own unique cargo and destinations. When Tom isn’t operating his own setup, he is helping operate similar setups created by his friends, some of which require up to 20 people to function.
The 25th Hour sat down with Tom to explore the details of his unique hobby and what it means to him.
Producer: Bianca Chan
Editor: Justin Samanski-Langille, Bianca Chan, Daniel Vazzoler
Camera: Daniel Vazzoler, Justin Samanski-Langille