A Cape Breton man with multiple sclerosis has spent the past 20 years building what some rail buffs can only dream of: a massive train set that takes up virtually his entire basement.
David MacKinnon has built a giant replica of a Cape Breton town, complete with shops, houses and five separate trains capable of running at the same time. The locomotives carry traditional Cape Breton exports, such as coal, gravel, logs, but also transports real candies for his grandchildren.
The setup also features an entire lighting system so the town can glow in the dark.
"I made all the trees myself, I made all the bridges myself,” MacKinnon told CTV Atlantic. “All the signs that you see, all the landscaping, I did. Most of the houses, I built myself."
About eight years ago, MacKinnon was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, leaving him unable to work. The trains became a way of coping with the disease and passing the time.
“(There are) days where it’s not good, so I come down here and I’ll either play or I’ll paint or do some wiring,” he said.
Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that attacks the protective covering of nerves, causing fatigue, weakness, vision problems and mood changes.
Despite the size of MacKinnon’s hobby, there is still a bit of space in the basement for humans to manoeuvre, but that could change.
"Eventually, it'll overtake the whole basement,” he said. “(There are) big plans ahead.”
With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald
