Ian Plett holds a tree modelling clinic at the WMRC open house

   Ian Plett is one busy guy! He's an active member of the WMRC and the NMRA's No. 1 Northern Division's Free-Mo modular group, and he holds down a job as a long distance trucker. While he was helping operating the No. 1 Northern's Free-Mo layout at the WMRC's last open house, he also found the time to conduct a tree modelling clinic!
 
   Tree modelling has always been one of the WMRC's most successful clinics. By using such easily obtainable and inexpensive items as twigs, hair spray and ground foam, anyone can make some very
convincing looking trees for their layout. Just look at the beauty Ian created in the foreground of this image!

Forum Art Centre will hold a flea market on Saturday, March 29

   Our good friends at the Forum Art Centre were good enough to post a terrific piece for our annual open house in their newsletter, The Palette. They're holding a flea market this Saturday, March 29, from 10AM to 3PM in their studio at 120 Eugenie Street in St. Boniface.

    There might not be any trains for sale there, but it could be an excellent opportunity for model railroaders to stock up on all sorts of art supplies (and anything else they might have on sale). We're all modellers, and some of use up a lot of art supplies as we're honing our craft.

   While you're there, you might want to inquire about some of their classes. There's a bunch of model railroads that are in dire need of a good painted backdrop, and this would be the place to learn how to do it!

Winners of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual model contest

By Morgan Turney

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual model contest was held on March 15 - 16, 2014 at the club's open house at Westworth United Church. There were 23 model entries from seven WMRC members.

I wish to thank all those who participated by entering their models in the contest.These are the contest results, including the medals earned, as determined by the scoring of the judges:

Diesel Locomotive
1st Place - Gino Kost - Silver - HO CB&Q SD30 564

Passenger Car
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Silver - HO L&N Pullman 8022

Freight Car
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - On2-1/2 H&LB Flat Car 8
2nd Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - On2-1/2 H&LB Flat Car 7
Honourable Mention - Ian Plett - HO Burlington Gondola load

Non-Revenue
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - On2-1/2 H&LB 9 MofW Car

Structures
1st Place - Suzanne Lemon - Gold - HO Don's Mower & Saw
2nd Place - Virginia Braun - Bronze - HO Hog House
3rd Place - Virginia Braun - Bronze - HO Hen House

Displays
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO House & Garage Display
2nd Place - Val Lemon - Gold - HO Old Barn & Yard Display
3rd Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO Tree to Forest Display
Honourable Mention - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO JH Murray & Son Display
Honourable Mention - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO Cast Boiler Display

Special Event
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO S. Madisonville Extension
2nd Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO L&N Coal Dock
3rd Place - Larry Leavens - Silver - HO PTEX 21878 Potash Car
Honourable Mention - Virginia Braun - Bronze - HO Stake Truck
Honourable Mention - Ian Plett - Bronze - HO 89' Flat Car Pipe Load

Clark Summers Award
Ian Plett - HO 89' Flat Car w. pipe load

Kit Award
Ron Einarson - HO House & Garage

Tyro Award
Virginia Braun - HO Stake Truck & Cattle

Best in Show
Ron Einarson - Gold - HO Saw Pit Store

Godfrey South displays miniature live steam at WMRC open house

 One of the big surprises we had at our 2014 open house was from one of our newest and most active members, Godfrey South, who displayed his collection of miniature live steam engines. A lot of model railroaders weren't aware that this genre even existed, and it was quite a thrill to see a live steam locomotive race around Godfrey's track with no electricity, no wires, and no power pack! Photo by Suzanne Lemon.

Morgan Turney, inspecting Godfrey's live miniature steam engine, looks like he's thinking, "How the heck does this thing work?" Photo by Paul Ullrich.

Gateway Western construction costs comes in under budget

   At our last meeting, WMRC Past President Norm Leathers reported that construction of the Gateway Western has come in about ten percent under budget!

    Congratulations to Gino Kost and his hard working crew! Not only did they build a great structure for the Gateway Western, but he's saved the WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum money as well! Considering the cost overruns the City of Winnipeg has had building their new police station, Mayor Sam Katz should hire Gino and the gang to finish the job!

    Much work still needs to be done, but the trains are running on the gateway. Keep in mind that if you wish to run trains on the Gateway, you must be a member of the WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum. A combined annual membership like that will cost you a total of $55, and considering what you get in return, it's a very small price to pay.

    Most model railroad clubs in other cities with operating layouts charge far more than that. Plus, you'll get the all the benefits that come to belonging to both organizations!

    Volunteers are still needed on Tuesday evenings, but they're into the fun part of building the model railroad! Tuesday is going to be a fairly mild night, and there's nothing good on TV that night anyway (we checked) so why not come on down? The crew meets at 7:00 PM at the museum, which is on the second level of the Via Rail station at 123 Main Street. 

Highlights from the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house

We had a blast at our last open house, and we took oodles of photos, which we'll post until there are no more left. Pictured above is WMRC President Larry Leavens showing off the working of Winnipeg's newest HO gauge modular group, the Kildonan Short Lines. The group had their premiere showing at our open house, which took place on March 15 and 16 at Westworth United Church. Photo by Railfan Canada Editor Suzanne Lemon.

A CP freight comes out of a tunnel on the Kildonan Short Lines modular group layout. The layout depicts the Whiteshell region of the Canadian Shield as well as the prairies. Photo by Suzanne Lemon.

We've had over 10,000 views - and Spam!

   The good news is that the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's blogsite has passed over the 10,000 readers mark, which is a remarkable achievement, considering that the site has only been up since the beginning of October.

    The bad news is that the spammers have now found us. Such is the price of fame. Fortunately, all comments submitted are subject to approval by your trusty moderator, so spam will never be posted. However, they're good for a laugh! Below are some of the spams we've received. Please note that the spammers links have been deleted. We don't want to lead anyone into temptation, and who knows what you'd get if you opened them. 

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Thank you, Comics America for promoting our open house!

   WMRC blog editor Paul Ullrich had a little fun with photoshop making this graphic. He showed it to Joe before he posted it, and he loved it!

  Comics America has been a staunch supporter of our shows for several years. Owner Joe Krolik has not only put our posters up in his store, he's also stuffed his customer's bag with our handouts! This year, he also mentioned our open house in paid ads that he put on Facebook!

    We had a very successful show this year, with an estimated 500 visitors, and Joe certainly played a part in making our show a success!

    Joe has also opened his store to model railroaders by adding several Lionel Train sets to his stock. Comics America is located at 552 Academy road, and you can find them on Facebook.

     

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house was a resounding success!

   Wow, what a party! We all had a great time at our open house! We had tons of visitors, we sold a record number of hot dogs, and the canteen made a profit! CBWFT and the Winnipeg Free Press were there! There were also a few surprises to be had, such as Godfrey South's miniature live steam display, Jim Spiers multi - layered O gauge Lionel "1960's" display and Suzanne Lemon's Z scale layout - placed right in the middle of the Kildonan Short Lines modular railway's returning loop!

     Thanks to everyone who showed up, and thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make this event  at Westworth United Church  great success! Thanks to the volunteers at St.Amant, who displayed all weekend. A portion of the proceeds from our show will go to support  St.Amant.

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house is today!

   There have been some truly great events since the millennium - the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Will and Kate's wedding, and the Winter Olympics. Joining that distinguished group is the most senses staggering, earth shaking, mind blowing event of all - The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's 2014 open house! Are we given to hyperbole? Well, perhaps. But the three other events mentioned didn't have any trains!

  And we'll have lots of trains at the show, in at least three different gauges! Not only that, there will be a gallery of entries for our model and photo contests, model railroading clinics and much more!

   The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue.  Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support  St.Amant.

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house is tomorrow!

   Here's an example of some of the fine modelling work that you'll see at the show! This GE 44 Tonner was one of last year's entries, and it's certainly one of a kind, as no model railroad manufacturer has ever made an engine representing the Greater Winnipeg Water District!

    Notice the fine detailing of this model. It looks exactly like the real thing, right down to the weathered sides and the pitted metal on the roof!

   The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue.  Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support  St.Amant.

All sorts of gauges at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house!

WMRC treasurer Gary Stempnick and Secretary Cliff Davidson run Gary's superbly detailed N gauge portable layout at the WMRC's 2013 open house. Photo by Suzanne Lemon.

   At the WMRC, we're not just about HO Gauge! We have members who model everything from G to Z! At this year's open house you'll see at least three different gauges operating: O, HO and N! There will also be displays of our model and photo contests and model railroading clinics, so come on down this weekend and join in on the fun!

   The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue.  Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support  St.Amant.

Thanks to Forum Art Centre for promoting the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house!

   The Forum Art Centre was kind enough to give us a really big plug for our upcoming show in their latest newsletter! The Forum Art Centre, established in 1964, offers a wide variety of fine art instruction in a friendly environment.  It is one of Winnipeg's city’s oldest independent, educational, registered charitable visual art organizations. 

   The institute holds art classes, camps, workshops, studio time and forums to the public at their facility 120 Eugenie Street in St. Boniface. They welcome artists and would be artists of all skill levels from ages seven and up, and provides an opportunity to all of their students to exhibit their work at our art exhibitions.

  If any model railroaders out here are thinking of painting a backdrop for their layout, this would be the place to learn how to paint it!

   They will be holding a flea market on March 29 at the Centre from 10AM to 3PM. If you wish to volunteer, or donate some items for sale (perhaps even model railroad equipment)  give them a call at 204-235-1069 or email at forumart@shaw.ca.

   The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue.  Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support  St.Amant.

The making of a module (which you can see at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house)

In case you were wondering , the prairie sky was digitally added by blog editor Paul Ullrich. The original background  has a beige wall with a folding chair.

 By Suzanne Lemon  

   The module represents the rugged prairie and the ghost town of Bents, Saskatchewan. The grain elevator was scratch-built from styrene and the wood siding, air brush painted, decalled and heavily weathered with a variety of acrylic paint colours and other materials.  
  
    The scene also features an abandoned farmhouse, kit-bashed from a Branchline laser-cut kit which has also been hand painted and heavily weathered with different shades of acrylic craft paint. A floor was also scratch-built from strip wood for the structure and some weathered interior furnishings were placed inside, along with tattered blinds at the windows, made from thin strips of paper carefully cut and shredded with an X-Acto knife.   
  
    The tack shed, the horse and the rider on the hill comprise a Woodland Scenics white metal kit that was hand painted with a mix of acrylic and enamel paint. The paint was also used to simulate the rust on the tin roof.   
   
   The rails and ties of the abandoned track were painted with a mix of acrylic paint and Woodland Scenics enamel paint pens to simulate rust and heavy weathering from many years of exposure to the elements.  
   
   The scenery on the module was made using a Styrofoam board base that was cut to shape and layered to create hills. It was covered with plaster cloth and a layer of Hydrocal plaster. This was painted when dry and coated with a variety of Woodland Scenics turf and bush products to enhance the character of the prairie vegetation.   
   
   Recent additions to the project have included the long grass tufts to make the areas near the abandoned house and grain elevator appear overgrown. These items are also a Woodland Scenics product that was made from a synthetic material which has to be separated to the right thickness. Depending on your intent, each clump can be trimmed to the length that you desire. I glued them in place using Weldbond, as the thick consistency of this type of glue helps the tufts stay upright as they dry.  
  
    I will be building and adding on some small internal and external details for the elevator. In the near future you can observe the remnants of the loading door platform, the grain spout, the drive-in shed and the loading ramp. More weathered structures and vehicles will likely be added to the scene in the future as opportunities permit.

   The actual photo that I took of Bents shows a creepy place with an abandoned general store that still contains shelves full of merchandise. There are also abandoned houses that still hold the furnishings. The details on the module are not exact copies, as some creative license was used. I hope to add more structures as a contextual component to the module.

   You can view this module, which will be part of the Kildonan Short Lines modular railway, at the WMRC's open house, will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue.  Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support  St.Amant.

St. Amant to display at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual open house

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's charity of choice is St.Amant. A portion of the proceeds of every show we hold is donated to St. Amant. We are pleased and honoured to announce that St.Amant will be displaying at our annual open house, which will be held this coming weekend.

St.Amant is a not-for-profit organization that offers a wide range of programs and services to support individuals and their families. They are a comprehensive resource for Manitobans with developmental disabilities, and autism.

St.Amant programs include a large residence for complex-care, more than 50 community sites and homes, the St.Amant Research Centre, the St.Amant School and River Road Child Care, a community child-care centre. They offer effective programs for children with autism and also for families who care for an individual with a developmental disability at home.

St.Amant strives to enhance the quality of life and self-determination for the thousands of individuals and families we serve each year. They are also a member of the Catholic Health Network. For more information on St.Amant, click here.

The Winnipeg Model Railroad open house will be held at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue, on Saturday, March 15 from 11:00AM to 4:00PM, and on Sunday, March 16 from 1:00PM to 5:00PM. Admission is by donation.

NMRA No. 1 Northern Division's Free-Mo Group to exhibit at WMRC's open house

   No. 1 Northern Division Superintendent Dennis Rietze waves hello to a father and son watching the trains go by. Photo by Suzanne Lemon.

    The NMRA's No. 1 Northern Division will once again be displaying their free-mo group's layout at the WMRC's annual open house this year.  Free-mo stands for free modular, which is a relatively new concept in model railroading. 

   According to Wikipedia, Free-mo's emphasis is on flexibility in track design and prototypical scenery and operations. Free-mo was developed with the idea that a set of standards focusing mainly on module end plates would enable faithful modeling of prototype track plans and operations in a modular environment. The length and track configuration of a Free-mo module or module set is up to the modeller. Free-mo modules may be long or short, straight or curved. Free-mo modules may even be composed of several sections, forming a module set.

   The No. 1 Northern Division's layout was the largest display at last year's Manitoba Mega Train Show, and it's always a treat to see them run!

    The NMRA will also have a display at the train meet. There will be application forms available for those who wish to join. The NMRA is an international model railroading association. Membership give access to regional and national conventions, several publications, and insurance for your model railroad equipment. For more information about the NMRA, click here. 

   The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue.  Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support St.Amant.

The man with the Giraffe cars is coming to the WMRC's open house!

   WMRC Blog Editor Paul Ullrich (also known as "the man with the giraffe cars") will again be exhibiting his portable Lionel layout at the club's open house this year. Paul has been displaying Lionel trains at the open houses since 1986, and he's made a total of seven different layouts for the show.
 
    His layouts became more and more kid friendly after one open house, when club member John Longhurst asked him to watch is son while he made the rounds at the show. The kid didn't have anything to do, so Paul invited him to blow the whistle on one of his trains. The next thing he knew, he had a lineup of about a dozen kids waiting to do the same!

    Paul's layout includes four operating dump cars that the kids can operate. It is the only layout in the show that is interactive. This surprises most of the parents, who often shoo away their children when they see them work the dump cars. Paul aways has to explain to the parents that operating the dump cars is not only allowed, but encouraged! (But for safety reasons, Paul is the only one allowed to run the trains)

    The giraffe cars have always been a hit with children and adults alike. Paul started out with one, but through the years his long necked menagerie has grown to six cars! He's just added a car with a bobbing lion's head (but he keeps that lion at a safe distance from the giraffes).

    The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue.  Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support St.Amant.

A preview of a Kildonan Short Lines module premiering at the WMRC's open house

    Suzanne Lemon, WMRC Past President and Editor of Railfan Canada, displayed the module that she created for the Kildonan Short Lines modular group at our February meeting. The group will make its initial run at the WMRC open house on March 15 and 16. Suzanne did an excellent job of depicting a typical Canadian rural prairie scene, complete with an accurately weathered grain elevator!

     The No.1 Northern Division will also be displaying their modular railway at the show. There will  be displays of the submissions for the model and photo contests, and "how-to" clinics about model railroading. We'll also have a canteen serving refreshments. Of course, the man with the giraffe cars will be there with his portable Lionel layout. Kids (and adults) are always welcome to operate the dump cars on his layout!

     The WMRC open house will be held at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue. The hours are from 11:00AM to 4:00PM on Saturday, March 15, and from 1:00PM to 5:00PM on Sunday. March 16. The entrance for the show will be at the side door on the west side of the church, but access for the handicapped (including an elevator) is available through the front door.

Kildonan Short Lines modular group debuts at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house

    We have a brand new modular group in town, and the WMRC is pleased to announce that the Kildonan Short Lines will have its premiere run at the club's upcoming open house, which will be held March 15 and 16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue.  The very spiffy logo for the group was designed by WMRC blog editor Paul Ullrich.

    Our good friends from the No. 1 Northern Division will also have its modular layout operating at the show. When they displayed at last year's Manitoba Mega Train Show, they had the largest layout in the building!

    Of course, the man with the giraffe cars (also known as blog editor Paul Ullrich) will have his portable Lionel layout up and running at the show. Paul's layout is definitely hands on! The kids (and the adults) are always welcome to come over to the layout and play with all of the operating dump cars.

   There will also be displays of the club's model and photo contests, some "how to" clinics about model railroading, a canteen serving refreshments, old train magazines for sale and a few more surprises!

    The hours are from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, and from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday. Please note that the entrance for the show is on the west side of the church, although the main entrance of the church and the elevator will still be accessible for our handicapped visitors.

Ten days to go before the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house!

   We usually call it our spring show, but look outside - it's not spring yet, and from the way it looks, the snow is going to be with us until May!

   The WMRC blog site will be going full tilt for the next ten days. We will be posting every day, and every post will feature something exciting and unique about our upcoming show.

   Our next meeting is on Friday, March 14, at 7:30 PM at Westworth United Church. But there will be no program, as we'll be setting up for the show, which starts the next day. However, we will need volunteers to help with the set up and to assist those with displays that need to be brought down into the gym. So please come out to the meeting and lend a hand!

   We'll also have a sign-up sheet for those who can help at the admissions table when the show is open to the public. We'll also have a WMRC modelling table. If anyone would like to show the public their modelling skills, the sign-up sheets for the modelling will be at the head table during the meeting.

    We're accepting submissions for the model and the photo contests at the meeting on Friday night only at the meeting. Submissions will NOT be accepted on Saturday morning. If you were awarded trophies last year, please return them on Friday night as well.

    During the show, the entrance will not be through the main door of the church, but through the side door on the west side of the building. However, the main entrance and the elevator to the basement will still be available for the handicapped.

Modelling trees with Ron Einarson

   

   If any model railroader deserves a degree in forestry, it's Ron Einarson! He's been making trees for decades at very little cost, using simple household materials and home grown Sedum from his back yard. Ron has had so many mentions on this blog that he's developing a web presence almost as large as Justin Bieber (but he gets into far less trouble).

By Ron Einarson

   When it came to creating trees for my layout I turned to my old friend the Sedum bush. I have used it to make trees for over 30 years and I am still in awe of how great they look using little or no special techniques or skills.    In the fall I harvest the branches. I cut the stems long so I can tie a bundle together and hang them from the garage rafter.  They hang there over the winter and by spring they are ready to go.   I cut the stems shorter and then gather four to six branches together. I usually make them from 3" to 6" in height to give me a good variety for planting. Once I have the branches, I wrap them with some floral wrap I bought at a craft store. I use masking tape when I run out of the floral tape. 
      I take a 2” piece of wire, coat the end of it with glue and stick it up the middle of the trunk. It will be used for mounting the finished tree. Once the trunk is to the size I like, I take out  LePage's Ready to Use patching compound and apply it in layers so it dries evenly. I used to mix plaster, but it was messy and I never seemed to get the right consistency.Sometimes I didn't mix it enough and the mixture would dry flaky. Most of it would crumble off, or half of it would and I'd have to redo the process. For $5 I get the ready to go stuff and it goes on like a dream! It stays put and all dries together at the same time, creating a very nice trunk. 

   I also learned to have something to stick the tree in while the plaster sets. What better way to use old pieces of styrofoam than to cut it into blocks and use them to secure the tree. That’s why I put the wire in at the beginning! Clever, eh!   

   After the plaster sets (I usually don’t get back to them for at least a week or two, or the next year) I am ready to make some trees. I get out a small rasp file and score the trunk to give it some definition. Doing this makes a big mess of plaster dust - do this while outside if you want to live to finish your model railroad! 

   After my masterpiece meets my approval I paint it.  I spray the foliage with a can of cheap green spray paint. Then I sprinkle on a fine ground foam / sawdust mixture, which I dye green with Rit dye. Sprinkling the trees with this mixture often takes two or three applications to get the right look. 

   After each step I spray the tree with “cheap” hair spray, preferably a scent free type (unless you want a nice smelling forest on your layout).   When the foliage has dried, I take out the brown paint and paint the trunk. I mix up various shades of brown so I have a good variety to apply. In no time I have myself enough trees to plant a forest! But don’t forget to prepare the forest floor before planting, or you'll have a heck of time doing it after you have planted your trees!