An avid model train enthusiast in Edmonton, Canada, is taking the craft to the next level by 3D printing miniature models of local landmarks, including the Canadian Northern Railway Station, which was built in 1905 and demolished in the 1950s. Many of these 3D printed buildings are currently on display as part of the winter holiday exhibition at the Bonnie Doon Shopping Center in Edmonton.
The manufacturer in question is Dylan Bohaychuk, a member of the Edmonton Train Collectors Association. He has made it his mission to create miniature models based on existing (or former) Alberta city landmarks to support the elaborate model train display at the local shopping center. The process of making these models is quite involved: Bohaychuk designs the miniature buildings himself digitally based on blueprints, images and historical records – a process he says can take up to two months. He then 3D prints the models and paints them by hand, which he says takes the longest time.
Many of Bohaychuk's works are included in the Edmonton Train Collectors Association exhibit at the Bonnie Doon Shopping Center, which can be viewed Thursday through Sunday year-round. Notable 3D printed model buildings include the aforementioned Canadian Northern Railway Station, Firehall Number 10, and the Princess Theater, a cinema that opened in 1915 and has been closed since 2020. He also brought back to life the miniature Edmonton Carnegie Library, which was demolished in 1968. Global News reports that the exhibition currently contains five 3D printed building models, but there are plans to add more.
Bohaychuk and the Edmonton Train Collectors Association hope the 3D printed models will help teach people about the history of Edmonton and its buildings. Currently, the mall's model train display is decorated for the holidays, with a special holiday train loaded with gifts and decorated holiday lights.