Assiniboine Valley Railway (AVR) was a private 1:8th (1.6" to the foot) scale ridable miniature railway located in the community of Charleswood near Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The track gauge is . Construction started in 1995 and operation began in the fall of 1996. A train station was eventually built along the track, and opened on time for a convention in May, 2000. The railway is owned and operated by the 23-member Assiniboine Valley Railway Club, Inc., with some of the equipment privately owned by members. The railway club president and owner of the land was Bill Taylor until his death in 2013. Presidency then transferred to vice president and co-founder Len La Rue. The network of tracks and "Charleswood Station" was located on Taylor's private family property. AVR was open to the public for riding during the second weekend of the month between June and October. the railway had nine operating locomotives, including three steam locomotives and 53 cars, with eight more cars under construction. In the span of 26 years, the club laid more than of track. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the club had to close to the public as a result of provincial public health orders. In April 2021, the family of AVR's late founder requested that the railway club vacate the property within six months. History In the early years of the railway, Christmas lights runs were operated every night from 6:30 pm till 9:00 pm. from the second weekend of December to the first weekend of January. Christmas lights were used along the line, their numbers growing from 98,000 in 2009 to more than 100,000, reaching 101,213 by December 9, 2012. See also List of heritage railways in Canada Model train scales Model train References External links Assiniboine Valley Railway Rapido Trains Review of Model Trains in Canadian Prairies Kid-Friendly Manitoba Reviews "Christmas at the Taylors" run by AVR Heritage railways in Manitoba 7½ in gauge railways in Canada Transport in Winnipeg