Celebrate 60 years of the Assiniboine Park zoo train on July 29

Do you still feel the need for steam after the CPKC 2816 left town, and you’ve sunk to the lowest depths of despair because the Prairie Dog Central’s venerable engine number three is still in the shop? Then stop by for a ride on Manitoba’s one and only live steam train that’s still operating at Assiniboine Park!

The Assiniboine Park steam train will be celebrating its 60th anniversary on Monday, July 29 between 11:00AM and 6:00PM. Stop by and join the celebration, and have a piece of cake too! What could be better than a ride behind a live steamer and cake?

 The price for a ride is just four bucks cash per person, but if you flash owner / operator Tim Buzunis a debit card it’ll cost you a quarter extra.

 

Manitoba T-Trak is the newest modular railway club in town

 The crew of Manitoba T-Track are seen displaying at the Frog and Diamond's open house on July 6.

There’s a new N gauge modular railway group in town, and they’re looking good! Manitoba T-Trak was formed last year by Johannie Matusalem, Eric Dawson and Sean Morris.

This is not a group that has huge, hulking modules that have to be transported by truck and trailer and take several people hours to set up. T-Trak modules are very small. A standard module is only 12” wide, and the length can vary from 8 1/2” to 14 3/8”. A single module an easily fit into a briefcase. A typical modular display can easily be set up and run on a banquet table.

The group has already displayed at he WMRC’s annual spring open house and at the Frog And Diamond Hobbyworks open house this summer. They’re also going to be setting up at the Manitoba Mega Train Show in September. So drop by and take a look at this truly unique modular group when you go to Mega Train!

 

 

This corner module is just 14 3/8" square. The module next to it measures 12" x 14 3/8".

 

 

 

T-Track member Johannie Matusalem is justifiably proud of this farm module that she created. She has plans to make it an alien encounter theme!

 

 

The entire modular layout fits easily on a banquet table.
 

 

 

 

Frog and Diamond Hobby Works opens the Rail City Joiners Club in their basement

There was another great event for model railroaders on Saturday, July 6 besides the viewing of the CPKC 2816 Empress steam engine, and that was at the Frog and Diamond Hobby Works! Owner Tony Prud’homme fixed up his basement, which will house four layouts.

Tony has organized an in-house club, and those who join will be able to operate any one of the layouts. He held a contest to name the club. The winning name was the Peg City Rail Joiners Club.

To celebrate the opening (which was also on his birthday) Tony pulled out all the stops and served up hot dogs, chips, drinks and other snacks. He also had a 1950’s Winnipeg Transit bus courtesy of the Manitoba Transit Heritage Association decked out in classic orange and yellow colours parked outside for public viewing.

Customers received a 10% discount on all purchases. They could also take their chance by spinning the “Turntable of Temptations” (an N scale turntable with a engine attached to it) to get a greater, or possibly a smaller discount. Judging by Tony’s groans every time someone spun the turntable, a lot of folks got a bigger discount! 

 

One of  the layouts currently set up in the basement of the Frog and Diamond.

Other layouts are still under construction. There's plenty of space for four layouts!