Welcome to the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club!

A brief history

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club was founded in 1955 by a group of about 50 charter members. The original clubroom was located at the CPR station on Higgins Avenue in the company's old Rules Room. From there, the club moved to the Manitoba Clinic for a few years until around 1968 when it moved to the Veterans Room at the CNR station on Main Street. The WMRC met there until 1995 when VIA Rail Canada took over the CN station and the Veterans Room became unavailable. The Club shifted to several different locations until 2004 when it moved to its present location at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard.

Purpose

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club is a non-profit incorporated club with a purpose to promote the interest, knowledge, operation and enjoyment of all scale railway modelling and related photography. It is a voluntary organization governed by an elected executive with members in good-standing holding voting privileges. Elections occur during the April meeting. The club welcomes guests interested in model railroading and associated interests to its meetings with the aim of helping them enjoy themselves so much that they'll want to come back. Regardless of your skill level or area of interest, there is something for everybody. The club emphasizes education and entertainment, so you'll learn a great deal, meet new friends and have fun!

Club Newsletter

The Club publishes an informative monthly digital newsletter called The Lantern. A limited number of printed copies are available at our monthly meetings.

Club Meetings

Club meetings are held on the second Friday evening of each month beginning at 7:30PM from September to May. Meetings begin with a short business session followed by one or two programs as set out by the Program Director. Programs can range from a presentation about prototype railways, to clinics given by members to show how different aspects of the hobby can be accomplished through certain techniques and skills.

Monthly model and photo display

The club offers a model display at each meeting where members can bring in a model they are working on and display it for others to see. This is a display, and not a competition. Members can also submit digitally a railway related photo, model or prototype for our monthly photo display.  A $20 prize is awarded at random for both the model and the photo display.

50-50 prize draw

The Club offers a 50-50 prize draw during each meeting where members and guests can purchase tickets to win half of the collection.

Canteen

A club canteen is available at each meeting where coffee, soft drinks and donuts are available for purchase.

The Harvey Walker Memorial Library

The Club has an extensive video library where members in good-standing can borrow train DVDs from the many hundreds on file.

Clinic Carnival and annual Christmas hot dog banquet

At our December meeting the club conducts a series of modelling clinics where those attending the meeting can roam from table-to-table and see other fellow modellers performing different aspects of the hobby. Each clinic is meant as a teaching tool to show others how to perform many of the skills used in the hobby. At this meeting we also hold our annual hot dog banquet where everyone can buy hotdogs, chips, donuts, cookies and pop.

Home layout hops

Arrangements are made for WMRC members to visit some of the many home basement layouts of other members.

NMRA Canada 

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club is 100% NMRA. When you become a member of the WMRC you automatically join NMRA Canada, part the largest model railroad association in the world. Benefits of an NMRA member include access to NMRA Magazine, their monthly digital publication, available insurance for your model railroad equipment and access to all regional and national conventions throughout the world. Winnipeg is in the Thousand Lakes Region (TLR) of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) and operates within the No.1 Northern Division of the TLR. Winnipeg has hosted the TLR's annual regionalconvention several times, including 1998, 2000 and 2010. Winnipeg has also hosted the NMRA's national convention in 1983.

For more information about the NMRA, go to: http://www.nmra.org/

For more information about NMRA Canada, go to: http://nmracanada.ca/

For more information about the TLR, go to: http://www.thousandlakesregion.org/

For more information about the No. 1 Northern Division, go to: http://pullrich.wix.com/numberonenorthern

Annual open house

In April, the Club hosts its Annual WMRC Open House which features a model and photo contest that is open to members who wish to enter their models and photos. Several model and photo categories are available to enter and trophies and model certificates are awarded to each class.

Annual banquet and AGM

In May, the Club hosts its Annual Banquet and Annual General Meeting where model and photo contest winners are honoured for their achievements in the contests. This is also the meeting where next years' club officers and directors are installed for the following years' activities. There are always several raffles and door prizes to be given out.

Operating Groups

Over the years, several operating groups sprung up from the WMRC including the Gateway Western Railroad (about 1957) and  the Winnipeg Modular Railway (circa 1986). The modular railway was active in many shopping malls around the city, finally ending up near the entrance to Eaton Centre in downtown Winnipeg. In 2002 the club was disbanded for lack of a new home when  Eaton's was closed and demolished to make room for the Canada Life Centre.

The  Gateway Western Railroad began operations around 1957 when construction began in the CNR Union Station on Main Street. It was located just off the north rotunda area behind a large glass window where thousands of rail travellers passed by and viewed it on their way to catch the train. In 1996, the Gateway was evicted to make room for a public washroom area to be built in the space.

From there, construction began on a modular Gateway Western that became operational in 1998 for the Spring WMRC Open House, held at the Winnipeg Children's Museum at The Forks. The Gateway modules were owned by individual members who built it to a high degree of finish and displayed it at train shows and exhibitions.

In 2000, the group disbanded and sold the layout to a WMRC member who stored it in his basement. In 2004, Gooch's Bicycles and Hobbies offered the WMRC space in their store to set up a model railroad. The club bought back The Gateway and erected it in the basement of Gooch's where it attracted many new members to the WMRC. In 2010 Gooch's moved their store and The Gateway Western Railroad was put into storage. In partnership with the Winnipeg Railway Museum, The Gateway Western was resurrected in the museum in its own heated structure in 2013. You must be a member of both the WMRC and the Midwest Rail Association (the proprietors of the Winnipeg Railway Museum) to gain access to the layout. 

Presently there has been limited access to The Gateway since Via Rail began extensive renovations to the platform where the museum is located. Until renovations are complete, members must set up an appointment with one of the board members of the WMRC or the Midwest Rail Association to gain access to the layout.