Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Holiday Express Ride-On Train will be open every weekend in January


We are pleased to announce that our good friends who run Winnipeg's Holiday Express Ride-On Train have announced that they will remain open in January! They will be open January 1, 2 and 3 from 10am to 6pm and every weekend in January from 10am - 6pm. You can find them at 3059 Ness Avenue (that's where the old Safeway used to be). Rides are $5.00 each, or $4.00 if you bring a tin for the bin.

On Feb 1st, they will re-open as Trains n' Treasures, and the theme for February will be pirates! We'll keep you posted on this exciting venture when more news comes our way throughout the month!

Friday, December 25, 2015

Ride the Assiniboine Valley Railway again this Boxing Day Weekend

Boy, everyone sure loves the Assiniboine Valley Railway at Christmas time! We got over 4,500 likes on the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's Facebook page from just one post on December 16! The AVR will be running again tomorrow on Boxing Day and on Sunday, December 27, and they'll be running on January 2 & 3, weather permitting. Hours are from 1:00 to 4:00, and a ride is only two bucks! A 12 ride pass is a bargain at just $20, and it's good for any AVR Public Event! Children two years of age and under ride for free. All minors must be accompanied by an adult. They're located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

A Winnipeg Model Railroad Club Christmas Story

This story was originally posted on December 23, 2013, when the WMRC blog was just staring up. It is being reposted in its entirety on the same day it was first posted two years ago.
 
By Paul Ullrich, WMRC Blog Editor
  A homeless man visited our meeting on a chilly December night in 2006. He came into the church right after I did. He was a slender man in his early thirties, with dark brown shoulder length hair and a full beard. He wasn't wearing a winter coat, but was dressed in over a half dozen sweaters and scarves. I watched him as he took most of them off and put them in a neat pile on the floor, leaving on two sweaters.  One of those sweaters almost came down to his knees.

 It was -20 outside. He obviously came in to warm himself up, and I certainly wasn't going to deny him that. I asked him to take off his shoes, as the church wanted to keep the wooden gym floor from being marred by wet winter boots. He nodded and smiled at me. He smiled as many homeless men do,  keeping his mouth closed to hide what few deteriorating teeth he had left.

He took off his shoes and followed me into the gym. As I was the one who let him in, I kept an eye on him in case there was any trouble. But as it turned out,  I didn't need to do that. He walked quietly around the gym, observing people setting up their displays and clinics.
  
As quiet as he was, you couldn't help but notice that he smelled bad. He reeked so badly that he parted groups of people like Moses parting the Red Sea whenever he came near. When he lifted his arm, it was enough make your eyes water.
   
He sat down right in front when the business meeting was called. He listened intently to the proceedings, paying more attention than most of the members. It was as if he was so starved for human contact that even something as boring as a club business meeting was somehow sustaining him.  
 
 After the business meeting, he had our usual break. That December was the first year that we had our annual Christmas hot dog dinner. A homeless man is most often a hungry man. There were people all around him eating hot dogs, and he didn't have a dime to his name to pay for one. Morgan Turney, our president at the time, took pity and brought a him a plate brimming with food.
 
 "Thanks, man!" He said, as he took the plate. Those were the only two words he spoke to anyone that night.
   
After the break, he walked about the gym, silently viewing the clinics and the displays with genuine interest. He sat down in front again for the evening presentation, never taking his eyes off the screen.  When the meeting was over, he went back to the church foyer, put his many layers of sweaters back on, and left without saying a word.
 
 As I was driving home, it suddenly hit me.
 
 A thin man, in his early thirties.
 
 Long, dark, shoulder length hair and a full beard.
   
In a church.
 
 I don't know why I didn't see it before, but at that moment I realized that he bore a remarkable resemblance to someone whose birthday we were about to celebrate on the 25th of December.
 
 Could it be?
 
 Nah.
  
But could it?
 
 I contacted Morgan the next day. He said that after the meeting, he drove around the neighbourhood looking for the man, but he was nowhere to be found. It was if he'd vanished into thin air!
 
 Westworth United Church, where held that meeting, is in a suburban area of Winnipeg far from downtown. It's not on any main road, and the area is seldom, if ever,  frequented the homeless.
  
Oh, boy.

The man who was pictured hanging on a cross in the very church we were in once said, "Whatever you did to the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

I hope we did all right by him.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Come ride on the Holiday Express this week!

If you rode on the Assiniboine Valley Railway last weekend and want some more rail action, you don't have to wait until the next weekend! Come ride on the Holiday Express ride-on train! It's an indoor train, and there's lots of trees and light to see! It operates from 4PM to 9PM on December 21, 22 and 23. They're closed December 24 and 25, but they'll be open on Boxing Day from noon to 9PM! You can find them at 3059 Ness Avenue. Rides are $5.00 each, or $4.00 if you bring a tin for the bin.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Take a ride on the Assiniboine Valley Railway this winter weekend

We are pleased to announce that the Assiniboine Valley Railway will be running trains again this December! Their Christmas light display is still down, but you can still enjoy a delightful afternoon ride in the winter wonderland of the AVR's expansive grounds. Now that there's fresh snow on the ground, the ride promises to be especially beautiful!

The AVR will be open for afternoon rides this weekend, December 19 & 20. They're also operating on Boxing Day (December 26) and December 27, and they will be running on January 2 & 3, weather permitting. Hours for all days are from 1:00 to 4:00. One ride is only two bucks! A 12 ride pass is a bargain at just $20, and it's good for any AVR public event! Children two years of age and under ride for free. All minors must be accompanied by an adult. They're located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Everyone had a great time at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual Klinic Karnival

 Ian Plett shows how to install DCC in an Athearn locomotive. It's not as easy as it looks!

Six of Winnipeg's best model railroaders were on hand at the WMRC's meeting on December 11 to share their skills at the club's annual Klinic Karnival. Ian Plett demonstrated how to install DCC in an Athearn locomotive. WMRC Program Director Morgan Turney showed how to make realistic trees out of common plants and weeds.

Ron Einarson showed off his exceptional talents of modelling with wood, Aaron Woloshyn held a clinic on making hydro poles, and Richard Mikolayenko showed how to scratchbuild styrene models using photo references. Virginia Braun held a clinic on building station kits. She gave some great modelling hints on how to model realistic looking stucco using Elmer's Glue, toilet paper, and an egg beater!

And it was hot dog night! Every December, the club holds their "Christmas banquet" of hot dogs, chips and pop at their monthly meeting. Much thanks to our canteen staff - Jean and Godfrey South, and their children, Frances and Tommy, for cooking and serving up such a great meal!

 Richard Mikolayenko shows the photo references he uses for modelling structures.
 Aaron Woloshyn uses a few basic tools to make realistic hydro poles.
 Virginia Braun has a truly remarkable talent for building miniature structures!
With just a pinch of this, a dash of that, Morgan Turney has made another great looking tree!

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club holds annual Klinic Karnival

December is Klinic Karnival Month at the WMRC! Come on down to the Charleswood Legion on December 11 and learn from other members how to improve your model railroading skills. We'll have several table clinics set up and you can visit each one at your leisure and learn how they 'do their thing'.

Program director Morgan Turney has arranged for several clinic presentations. Ron Einarson will be modelling with wood, Aaron Woloshyn will be making hydro poles, Ian Plett will show you how to install DCC on Athearn 'blue box' locomotives. Morgan will also pitch in, and he'll be holding two clinics! The first will be a clinic on making trees from common plants and weeds, and the second will be on how to put an Athearn blue box kit together.

And don't forget that......

We're having our Annual 'Christmas Dinner'. Enjoy a delicious hot dog prepared by the South Family canteen crew. And please bring a non-perishable food item for the Christmas Cheer Board. The fun starts at 7:30PM at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. There's plenty of free parking, and visitors are always warmly welcomed! See you at the meeting!

Monday, December 07, 2015

Creators of Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland salute the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club

Thanks to WMRC Vice President Dave Downie, the club got a big "thumbs up" from the creators of Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland. Yes, those are indeed Frederik and Gerrit Braun, wearing the club's 60th anniversary shirts, which were designed by WMRC blog editor Paul Ullrich. Dave Downie was in Hamburg recently, and when he visited Miniatur Wunderland, he brought the anniversary t-shirts with him!

"I took to Hamburg the shirts, hats and a letter that WMRC President Larry Leavens and I both signed." Said Dave.  "In the letter we introduced the WMRC and indicated that we were celebrating our 60th birthday. I said that the shirts and hats were a token of appreciation from the WMRC to Wunderland. It was suggested in the letter that we'd appreciate a picture of the Braun brothers suitably attired. We also mentioned the blog in the letter because I really feel that it gives us instant credibility."

"When I arrived, I asked if either of the brothers was available but was told that neither was expected in the building that day. Other senior management was not available. There was another event going on outside of the building. The person that I talked to saw the items and I had him read the letter. He assured me that he'd give the package to the Brauns the next day."

On December 1, Dave recieved this email message from Frederik Braun:

"Hello from Hamburg and thanks for your kind letter. Sorry for the late reply! Congratulations to the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club for the 60th anniversary! Please find the photo of Gerrit and me!"



Thursday, December 03, 2015

Gooch's to hold open house this weekend

If there's any such thing as a Winnipeg tradition, then Gooch's Bicycle and Hobby Shop certainly fits the bill! They've been in business since 1927 and has had four generations of the Gooch family running the store.

Veteran model railroaders have seen their shop move from Portage Avenue to Sherbrook Street and back to Portage Avenue again. Their present location is at 1046 Portage Avenue, by Garfield Street. They're now located in what used to be a video store - now there's a business trend that's come and gone! But the demand for bicycles and hobbies supplies goes on and on!

 On December 5th and 6th they're holding their 15th annual open house. There will be lots of displays by local modellers from various hobby groups across the city, including our own Ron Einarson.

Hours are from 10:00 to 5:00 on Saturday, and from 12:00 to 4:00 on Sunday. Call 204-956-6571 for more details or email gooch@mymts.net.

Our own Ron Einarson will be sharing his award-winning modelling expertise all this weekend at Gooch's annual open house.



Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Portage la Prairie's Fort la Reine museum holds a Dicken's Christmas

 

Portage la Prairie's Fort la Reine museum, home of the Van Horne inspection car, is holding a "Dickens Christmas". Come together with friends and family and be transported back to the time of Charles Dickens as your favorite characters from "A Christmas Carol" come alive in their holiday village. Take a horse drawn sleigh ride and make a holiday craft in their old-time general store! A caroling quartet and hand bell troupe will also bring on some festive cheer! There will also be a very merry meet and greet with Father Christmas and his forest friends in the fort. 

Rail fans will definitely want to check out the famous Van Horne inspection car at the museum, and perhaps take a few photos of the rail action over at Portage's rail yards, where the CN and CP mainlines get within a few hundred feet of each other!

Adult admission is $10. Children four years and up get in for $8, and kids under four get in for free. 60+ admission is $8. A family ticket (Two adults, three kids) cost only $25. But hurry and order your ticket on-line at their website, as ticket sales end on Friday, December 4!

The fun starts on Saturday, December 5 at 11am and continues onto 4pm. The museum is located close to the intersection of highway 1 and 1a, just east of Portage la Prairie. It's worth the trip!
EXPERIENCE THE WARMTH OF AN OLD-TIME HOLIDAY DECEMBER 5TH.
A Classic Christmas at Fort la Reine
Come together with friends and family and be transported back to the time of Charles Dickens as your favourite characters from "A Christmas Carol" come alive in our holiday village. Take a Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride, and make a holiday craft in our old-General store! Feel your toes tap and your heart sing as we've invited a Carolling Quartet and Handbell Troupe to bring on their festive cheer! This is the Fort la Reine Museum's Premiere Christmas event!! To complete this magical holiday experience, "A Very Merry Meet 'n' Greet with Father Christmas & his Forest Friends in the Fort".
Saturday December 5th,  11AM - 4PM  Fort la Reine Museum, Hwy 1 & 1A, East of Portage la Prairie, MB.
- See more at: http://www.fortlareinemuseum.ca/events/upcoming.php#sthash.uHCrVkCm.dpuf
EXPERIENCE THE WARMTH OF AN OLD-TIME HOLIDAY DECEMBER 5TH.
A Classic Christmas at Fort la Reine
Come together with friends and family and be transported back to the time of Charles Dickens as your favourite characters from "A Christmas Carol" come alive in our holiday village. Take a Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride, and make a holiday craft in our old-General store! Feel your toes tap and your heart sing as we've invited a Carolling Quartet and Handbell Troupe to bring on their festive cheer! This is the Fort la Reine Museum's Premiere Christmas event!! To complete this magical holiday experience, "A Very Merry Meet 'n' Greet with Father Christmas & his Forest Friends in the Fort".
Saturday December 5th,  11AM - 4PM  Fort la Reine Museum, Hwy 1 & 1A, East of Portage la Prairie, MB.
- See more at: http://www.fortlareinemuseum.ca/events/upcoming.php#sthash.uHCrVkCm.dpuf
EXPERIENCE THE WARMTH OF AN OLD-TIME HOLIDAY DECEMBER 5TH.
A Classic Christmas at Fort la Reine
Come together with friends and family and be transported back to the time of Charles Dickens as your favourite characters from "A Christmas Carol" come alive in our holiday village. Take a Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride, and make a holiday craft in our old-General store! Feel your toes tap and your heart sing as we've invited a Carolling Quartet and Handbell Troupe to bring on their festive cheer! This is the Fort la Reine Museum's Premiere Christmas event!! To complete this magical holiday experience, "A Very Merry Meet 'n' Greet with Father Christmas & his Forest Friends in the Fort".
Saturday December 5th,  11AM - 4PM  Fort la Reine Museum, Hwy 1 & 1A, East of Portage la Prairie, MB.
- See more at: http://www.fortlareinemuseum.ca/events/upcoming.php#sthash.uHCrVkCm.dpuf

Monday, November 30, 2015

Holiday express indoor ride-in train opens December 5


Maurice and Susan Dorge, the folks who brought you the Manitoba Mega Train Show, have come up with a special holiday treat. They're setting up their Mega-Train in the old Safeway store at 3059 Ness Avenue (at the corner of Sturgeon and Ness) for the month of December.  Their store, Vector Garden Trains, will be moving there too.  They open on Dec 5.  Come and do something special with your family for the holiday season! Take a ride on the Mega-Train in a Winter Wonderland! There will be lots of trees and lights to see, and it's warm!

The hours are weekdays from 4pm to 9pm, Saturdays from 9am to 9pm, and Sundays from 10am to 6pm. The train will be operating on Christmas eve until 6pm. It will be closed on Christmas day, but it will re-open on Boxing Day at noon. Ticket price is $5.00 with a dollar going to charity, or $4.00 with a tin for the bin.

For more information, check out their website at:
http://www.vectorgardentrains.ca/holiday-express-ride-on-train/
or go to their Facebook page at: 
https://www.facebook.com/HolidayExpressWinnipeg/

Sunday, November 29, 2015

The CP holiday train is coming to town!


It's that time of the year again! The CP holiday train will be rolling into Winnipeg on Friday, December 4, arriving at Molson Street between Panet Road and Munroe Avenue at 9:00 PM. Showtime is from 9:15 to 9:45, and the featured performers this year are Devin Cuddy and Kelly Prescott.

Kelly Prescott is no stranger to Holiday Train. She has taken part in numerous U.S. tours and was featured on many of the past Holiday Train CD's, including the gold record release in 2005. In 2013 she shared the stage with Sheryl Crow and Take Six on the Holiday Train 15th anniversary show in Minnesota.​​​ Devin Cuddy is the son of one of Canada's most beloved singer/songwriters, Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy, country rock has been the soundtrack to Devin's entire life.
 
The train will also make stops at Portage la Prairie on December 5 opposite the Centennial Arena on 390-1st St. NW at 1:15 PM. It then arrives at Minnedosa at 5:00 PM west of the station on the north side of the yard, 30 2nd Ave, NW. It makes its last stop in Manitoba at Shoal Lake by the gravel lot adjacent to grain elevator on North Railway Avenue at 8:15 PM. 

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Selkirk Model Railroad Association holds train show on Saturday, November 28

A huge Milwaukee Road passenger train pulled by two "Little Joes" roll down the Selkirk Model Railroad Association's O gauge layout.

Not a football fan? Tired of shopping on black Friday weekend? Don't care for the Santa Claus parade? Then come to Selkirk for the Selkirk Model Railroad Association's train show this Saturday!
You'll see lots of rail action with three operating layouts in O, HO and N gauge! The hours are from 10am to 4pm, and you can find them at 217 Clandeboye Avenue in Selkirk. Admission charge for adults is $4.00. Ages 12-16, $3.00. Free admission for everyone under 12!

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Winnipeg's model railroad and rail fan community mourns passing of David Harris

We are saddened to announce the passing of one of the founding members of the Winnipeg Railway Museum, David Harris, who passed away on Nov. 20.

"Dave was one of the first railroad-types I met when I moved here in 1987." Said Morgan Turney, WMRC Program Director. "I remember going up to his apartment where he had the Winnipeg Railway Museum stuffed into a spare room! His dream was to find a place to display what was then a fair amount of stuff he had collected, and to rescue The Countess of Dufferin out of the Weston Shops! His dream was fulfilled when Via Rail  gave the museum some space on tracks one and two."

There will be a celebration of his life and works on the main floor of the south tower of Armadale Hollows at 1750 Pembina Highway on Friday, November 27, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Coffee and tea will be provided. If you plan to attend, contact Dave McDowell at 204-489-6512 or email him at: clio1@mymts.net

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Brent Tingey wins the monthly prize at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's November model display

Long time WMRC member Brent Tingey was awarded the monthly prize at the club's model display at their November meeting for his model of a CN 36' wooden stock car. Brent has won many awards for his model and for his rail fan photography. He has also won the President's Shield for his volunteer work for the club. 
 
To qualify for the monthly prize, the submitted model must show signs of either some assembly or some weathering. Each entry must include your name and a short write up describing the work that has been accomplished to date. If you are planning to build a model using a 3D printer but only have completed some portion of your 3D CAD drawings, then we would like to see them, but only if the renderings are your own work—no scanned materials! Failure to comply with all of these rules will mean immediate disqualification. Each entrant will submit just one entry. The monthly prize of a voucher in the amount of $15 from a local hobby shop is chosen at random.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Felix Lesiuk wins Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's monthly photo contest

Long time WMRC member Felix Lesiuk has won the club's monthly photo contest. He was awarded a cash prize, and his winning entry was published on the cover of the November issue of The Lantern, the official publication of the WMRC.

The theme for November's competition was "Evidence that Jack Frost was seen working on one of the railways". Despite the unusually warm weather, our members dug into their image files and submitted six entries from previous winters. Felix took this image on February 9th, 2015 at the Norfolk Siding.

Next month's contest theme is "Railway graffiti nightmare", and there sure is enough of that going around to guarantee a good number of entries, cold weather notwithstanding! All submissions are due by December 1st at midnight.  Only the first photo received from each participant will be accepted as an entry, so make it a good one! Others that you choose to submit may be displayed in The Lantern but not  judged.

Please submit all entries to Lantern editor Robert Weaver at weaverflowers@gmail.com

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Take a ride on Rail Travel Tour's North Pole Express from Winnipeg

All aboard the NORTH POLE EXPRESS! The Winnipeg Railway Museum and Rail Travel Tours are offering for the first time a fundraising day trip for kids and their parents, grandparents or guardians to enjoy a memorable train journey during the holiday season.

This full day trip scheduled for Sunday, December 13, 2015 will feature a morning tour of the Winnipeg Railway Museum, lunch, and a two hour train trip on a VIA Rail Canada train to Gladstone, Manitoba, which will be transformed into the North Pole!  Thanks to the Gladstone Chamber of Commerce, travellers will visit with Santa Claus, enjoy crafts, games and other experiences before they return by motor coach to Winnipeg later that afternoon.

The tour of the Winnipeg Railway Museum will feature holiday decorations as part of the event. The train trip will feature hot chocolate,  a holiday singalong, a souvenir ticket and other activities on the train while travelling to Gladstone.  Those that take part on the trip will receive a family membership to the Winnipeg Railway Museum so they can visit this great attraction as many times as they want over the next year.

The price of the trip for one child from the ages of 2 -12 is $85 (plus GST) and must be accompanied by a parent, grandparent or guardian. For everyone 13 years of age and up, the cost is $95 each (plus GST).  There is no charge for children two years of age and under who are travelling with a parent and not taking up a seat.  There are only 50 spaces available, and they'll go quick, so book now! For reservations or more details call Rail Travel Tours at 204-897-9551.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

More scenes from Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland

WMRC Vice-President Dave Downie gave a great presentation last night about his recent visit to Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland, the largest model railroad display in the world. Members and visitors were treated to a jaw dropping display of the most spectacular modelling they've ever seen!

Some of the displays were over 40 feet high, as their crew had modeled scale versions of the Alps (It sure makes you wish that you had a higher ceiling in your basement). Everything was scratch built in painstaking and accurate detail. If you missed Dave's program, we have a few images that he took during his visit. Enjoy!



Thursday, November 12, 2015

Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland featured at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's November meeting

 Feast your eyes on this image of this magnificent horseshoe curve at Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland, taken by our own Dave Downie during his visit to Germany this fall. 

For the past few years, WMRC Vice President Dave Downie has made several excellent presentations for the club about his annual trips to Europe. This year, his travels have taken him to the model railroader's Mecca,  Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland, largest model railroad in the world. Dave's presentation this Friday will take you right there!

You've all heard about it, and you've all seen the various videos posted online. Now's the chance to get to view it from someone who has actually been there! Their HO scale display has over 50,000 feet of track with 930 trains hauling almost 15,000 cars. Wunderland is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany and showcases the hobby of model railroading to over a million visitors every year. This is your opportunity to see one of the world's great model railroads and something extra that you will not believe!

The fun starts at 7:30 PM on Friday, November 13 at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. There's plenty of free parking, it's handicap accessible, and guests are always warmly welcomed. In addition to Dave's presentation, we'll have our usual model display, the 50-50 draw, and the canteen will be open! Please enter on the west side of the building.

Monday, November 09, 2015

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club members show off their talents at the NMRA train show in Winnipeg

Long time WMRC member Ron Einarson displayed many of his award winning models at the show.

Many WMRC members were front and centre at the NMRA's annual train show held on Saturday, November 7, at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church in Winnipeg.  Among those displaying and demonstrating were Ron Einarson, Larry Leavens, Paul Ullrich, Robert Weaver, Michael Leader and Ian Plett. WMRC Vice President Dave Downie was also on hand manning the admissions table and greeting all the visitors.  One of the attendees came all the way from Minot, North Dakota to see the show!

WMRC President Larry Leavens held a modelling clinic while running a Z scale train all day.

Michael Leader shows Randy Midzain how to operate a G gauge John Allen timesaver module.

Ian Plett adjusts his camera to take a picture of the No. 1 Northern Free-Mo group's CN freight entering a tunnel. Ian is also the superintendent of the Free-Mo group.   

Paul Ullrich's O gauge giraffe car layout is always a popular attraction with the kiddies! 

Robert Weaver's O scale display was also a popular attraction.

Thursday, November 05, 2015

National Model railroad Association holds train show this Saturday

Heads up, everybody! This is the last train show for the year, and it's going to be a great one! Not only will there be several layouts running, but there will be interactive displays! Several clinics conducted by Winnipeg's finest modellers will be held. This is a rare treat, as no other train show in town holds clinics.

You can also test your railroading skills by operating a G scale John Allen Timesaver module, conducted by the NMRA's youngest member, Michael Leader. But don't let his age fool you - he's an expert at running a timesaver module!

There will also be a contest for the younger set. Each participant will receive a paper with multiple choice questions about the displays at the show. The papers will be drawn at the end of the show, and the three youngsters whose papers have been drawn who have the correct answers will receive a gift certificate from a local hobby shop!

The fun starts at 10:00AM at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church, 201 Scurfield Boulevard. Handicap accessible, admission by silver collection. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to St. Amant.

Tuesday, November 03, 2015

The making of the Hudson Bay Railway

Bart Hasselfield is one of our newer members, and he has a terrific website that he wants to share with us! After reading MRC Blog Editor Paul Ullrich's posts about his recent rail trip to Churchill, he sent us these links from his website, http://www.zambonista.com, about the making of the rail line to Churchill.

Bart also has a very personal connection to the Railway. His grandfather  was Major J.G. MacLachlan, who was the manager of the Hudson Bay Railway from 1943 to 1951. He had served on the railway since 1928 in various roles, including Division Engineer, District Engineer, and Superintendent and District Engineer. Bart has posted excerpts from his grandfather's memoirs and several photographs of the rail line from 1929. Boy, was there a lot of snow that spring! You can see it all by clicking here. 

  MacLachlan is shown above right with CNR President Vaughn and CNR Vice President Devenish.

Sunday, November 01, 2015

Kids just love the Gateway Western Railway!

The absolute best thing about running trains on the Gateway Western is watching the kid's reactions! Just look at this youngster in the image -  every model railroader knows how he feels, and all of us remember being that age when we were watching and dreaming about trains! If there was anything that made all of the efforts to build the Gateway (not to mention the building that houses it) is the look on this kid's face!

The Gateway Western Railway is house is a joint effort between the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club and the Winnipeg Railway Museum. The museum is located on the second level of the Via Rail station on 123 Main Street. For a complete schedule of their hours of operation, please click here.  

 Here's another wonderful shot of a youngster watching the trains run on the Gateway, courtesy of our crack photographer, Morgan Turney. Looks like our own Cliff Davidson is in the reflection!

 Here's a great scene of the rail action on the Gateway taken during Railway Days in September.

 

Thursday, October 29, 2015

The Gateway Western keeps on growing

    TH&B consist makes for the tunnels on the Gateway Western layout during Railway Days at the Winnipeg Railway Museum. All photos by Morgan Turney. 

The jewel in the crown of the WMRC is the Gateway Western Railway. It has seen several incarnations since its early days on the main floor of Winnipeg's Union Station, but the latest version in the Winnipeg Railway Museum is the greatest one yet! A dedicated band of volunteers, led by long time member Gino Kost,  built the structure in which its housed in the middle of a very cold Winnipeg winter. The state of the art layout inside the building has been growing ever since!

These images were taken at Railway Days, which is hosted by the Winnipeg Railway Museum. It was held this year on September 19 and 20, 2015. Attendance was brisk and there were several displays to be seen, including the Gateway Western Railway. Railway Days is held each year on the third weekend in September at the Winnipeg Railway Museum, located at the VIA Rail station, 123 Main Street.

Youngster love to watch the trains through the windows of the Gateway Western!

A scale model of the famous Napa Valley Wine Train rolls down the tracks of  the Gateway Western.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Twin City Model Railroad Museum gets a reprieve

This just in from John Longhurst: The Twin City Model Railroad Museum is getting a five month reprieve! They will have to move eventually, but this gives the club some much needed time to get their finances in order and to find a new location.

However, their toy train museum, located in a separate building at Bandana Square, couldn't be saved. It's going to close this Monday, November 2.

Their goal is to raise $250,000 to pay for their move and the $30,000 in rent that they owe. They still have to pay all of their operating expenses from December until they move in the spring. Once a new location for the museum is found, the club will apply for grant funding to help pay for the relocation.

For more information about the Twin City Model Railroad Museum's reprieve, go to John Longhurst's CP Rail Manitoba and Minnesota Subdivision blog site by clicking here. To view the article from CBS television in Minnesota that broke the story, click here.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Twin Citiy Model Railroad Museum is closing

A fine example of some of the amazing modelling work done by the Twin City Model Railroad Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo by Paul Ullrich.

Our good friend and long time WMRC member sent us some sad news last week, The Twin City Model Railroad Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota is closing. The museum, which has been around for an amazing 81 years in several locations, is $30,000 in debt. They just can't pay their rent, and to make matters worse, it would cost about $50,000 to move the layout to another location.

This museum has been the highlight for many Winnipeg model railroad buffs when they visit Minneapolis -St. Paul. In addition to their massive scale O gauge layout, they had recently included a separate toy train display in another building next to their Bandana Square location, which was formerly the Northern Pacific Railway's Como passenger car shops.

The museum is slated to close today, but members hope that they will be allowed to stay open for the the Christmas season so it can earn some much needed revenue. Their toy train will be closing on November 15. 

For more information about the Twin City Model railroad Museum, and its closing, you can see John Longhurst's many posts about it by clicking here. To read an article about the closing of the museum from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, click here. To visit the Twin City Model railroad Museum's website, please click here.

 Just one of the Twin City Model Railroad Museum's toy train layouts. Photo by Paul Ullrich.

 Another more realistic 3-rail O gauge hi-rail layout was also a part of their toy train display, which was house in a separate building in Bandana Square. Regular visitor to the area will recognize many of the city's famous most famous building to the far left of the image. Photo by Paul Ullrich.


Friday, October 23, 2015

More memories of the Manitoba Mega Train Show

James South hams it up for the camera at the Kildonan Short Lines HO scale modular group display.

We still have a ton of images from last month's Manitoba Mega Train Show to share with you! These images were taken by our Program Director, Morgan Turney, who covered as much of the huge show as he could, in between helping run the Kildonan Short Lines HO scale modular group. Enjoy!

 Seated is Dan Kollesavich, Winnipeg's own "Morse code guy", with his Morse code display. 

A miniature model of the Countess of Dufferin was also on display at the show.

What's this? Boats at a model train show? Well, why not? A model is a model, and these guys are definitely superb model builders!

WinNtrak President Felix Lesiuk, who is also a WMRC member, commands the raffle table for his club. WinNtrak has raffled off many of these painstakingly hand-built N gauge layouts.

Val Lemon volunteers at the WMRC table at the show. We sold a lot of train magazines that weekend!