Model engines of all kinds will be featured at the latest installment of Kelly Tytlandsvik's annual outing, known as the Model Engineering Show.
Since starting the show 24 years ago, Tytlandsvik has grown the event from its modest beginnings with 12 exhibitors, made friends from all over Canada, the United States and the world and even been connected with relatives in Norway.
That's all thanks to this hobby of his that he said is not very popular, adding that "model builders are few and far between."
The 24th annual Model Engineering Show is slated to fill the Wylie-Mitchell Hall Oct. 15 and 16. Because there are several exhibitors from the United States, Tytlandsvik's website makes it very clear that those who wish to attend remember the event is the weekend after "Canadian" Thanksgiving.
Tytlandsvik started model building when he was a teenager. He first saw some engines running on a table at the Minot fair on a trip when his family was passing through. He was around 10 at the time. At 14 he began building his first model engine, which wasn't finished until he was 20 years old.
That isn't the only time he's worked on a project over several years.
"It's become a running joke in my house, and at the show, that the show's been going for 24 years, and I've been working on this locomotive for 24 years."
And again the public will have to wait to see the finished product because the locomotive will not be ready for this year's show either.
While Tytlandsvik won't be presenting any new projects at the show next Saturday, he said "everybody always brings something new," so there should be lots of different exhibits to check out.
"The guys will have something new. There's always a wide range of things that come to the show."
When the show started, there were 12 exhibitors set up in the mall. Now there are anywhere from 40 to 60 people with model engines, coming from as far away as Germany, though he noted he doesn't really know what will be showing up until people actually do appear on Saturday morning.
The show started 24 years ago, largely because the one that was held annually in Minot shut down. Tytlandsvik then decided to start one up in Estevan, and he said he is a little surprised that the show has grown and continued for so long.
"I am surprised it got big, but it's not too big. It's still a very personal show. I know everyone and can call names out from around the room."
He has gone to a similar show in Detroit that is much less modest than his in Estevan. There is lots to see in Detroit, but he said, "It's more personal here."
That's important to Tytlandsvik, as he's made many friends in the model-engineering community since starting the show and wants to keep the personal experience that the Estevan event gives its exhibitors.
The show has given him plenty of exposure. He was featured in a model-engineering magazine a few years ago, and a man from Norway read the article.
He wrote Tytlandsvik telling him he had been to Tytlandsvik in Norway and knew some of his relatives. He knew that he had relatives in Norway but didn't know who they were, and after a few correspondences back and forth with the Norwegian man, he got into contact with his relatives. They eventually came to Saskatchewan and visited all their relatives in the province.
Tytlandsvik said they are happy to have experienced modellers and new people who are just getting started, because both kinds of people can learn from one another.
"Anybody who's built something, they should be proud of it," he added.
The engines he saw in Minot when he was 10 years old had a very profound impact on Tytlandsvik. He remembers what they looked like, and when he was in his 20s went about seeing if he could track them down. The model-engineering world is close enough that that wasn't really a problem. He described the engines to some modellers from Minot and they knew exactly who the engines belonged to.
"They said let's go for a drive, and they were the same ones I saw when I was 10 years old. It was kind of neat to see it 12 years later."
Doors open for the exhibits at 9 a.m. next Saturday and open Sunday morning at 11 o'clock.
