Learn all about the Prairie Dog Central's No. 3 locomotive and Manitoba T-Track at the WMRC's March meeting

We have two great presentations on tap for our March meeting. Luca Maytas will give us a brief history of the Vintage Locomotive Society’s Prairie Dog Central number 3 locomotive. He’ll give a brief explanation on how it works so everyone can have a basic understanding of steam locomotive components. Then he’ll show how they removed and replaced the boiler tubes after it was taken out of service in 2023, which took almost two years to complete. He’ll also show all the work they’ve done over the last few months to return it to its early 1900's appearance.

Then Eric Dawson will make a presentation about Manitoba T-Track, the province’s newest and most innovative modular group. T-Track N scale modules are small enough to fit in a briefcase and are often assembled together on banquet tables. They’ve displayed at the Manitoba Train and Hobby Expo, the Portage Model Railroad Club’s spring and Christmas open houses and the WMRC’s spring open house. 

The fun starts on Friday, March 13 at 7:30 in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Robin Boulevard.  The canteen will be open, and we’ll have our usual model and photo display, plus our 50-50 draw. Guests are always warmly welcomed. 

 

 

Murray Brown's "Auto With You" auto transport car showcased at WMRC's February 2026 meeting

Murray Brown brought in this unique model of a CN “Auto With You” car to the WMRC’s monthly model display at February’s meeting. The prototype was introduced by CN in the 70’s, along with Daynighter coaches and Red, White and Blue fares as an attempt by government owned CN Rail to grow passenger traffic and recoup some of the cost of the service by generating additional revenue.

The service allowed a passenger's car to travel with them on the Super Continental, trains between Toronto and Edmonton.  Reservations were required for passengers and their cars. Passengers delivered their cars four hours prior to departure, with the cars made available soon after arrival in Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, or Vancouver.  

There were six autos per car. Enclosed auto transporters were painted in CN's passenger colours and were positioned on the rear of the Super Continental.  Ramp facilities in Winnipeg were in the east yard at the southwest corner of the Provencher Bridge. The cars were too high to pass through Union Station. 

The first year’s services in 1972 were peak summer only, three times per week. In 1973, the service was boosted to daily service.  In 1974 it became a year-round service. The cars were fitted with BARCO steam lines. The service ended in 1976 due to lack of patronage.

Murray fitted his model with Walthers Proto trucks, Kadee scale head couplers, Utah Pacific marker lights, Custom Finishing Models BARCO steam heat hoses, Cal Scale UC passenger air brake fitting, Hi-Tech Details air and signal line hoses, He hand fabricated the uncoupling rods, self designed and 3D printed the coupler fit bar brackets and ink jet printed end of car decals. 

Trucks were weathered with Tamiya X-21 Flat Base, Vallejo IDF Sand Grey. Vallejo Special FX Rust and Orange Rust were applied to the coupler knuckles and  the wheelsets. Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color was used to heighten certain details.  AK Terrains concrete acrylic was used to simulate tracks 1 through 6 at Winnipeg’s Union Station.

 

Winnipeg Model Railroad Clubmourns passing of former member Fred Shannon

This image of Fred Shannon is from the Rails MRSK page on Facebook.

Former WMRC member Fred Shannon passed away this week. Fred was an active member of the club until he moved to rural Manitoba, but he remained a very enthusiastic model railroader and rail fan all of his life.  Fred was a life long employee of the CPR. He had recently bought his retirement home near Emerson, Manitoba, and regularly posted his rail fanning pictures from that location on RailsMBSK onFacebook . Fred will be remembered for opening his impressive HO layout to hundreds of NMRA members for viewing during Railway Jamboree, the 1983 NMRA national convention held in Winnipeg.