Your last chance to ride the Assiniboine Valley Railway until spring!

Heads up, all AVR fans! The Assiniboine Valley Railway is open to the public on December 31 and January 1, and it's your last chance to ride the rails until the spring! What better way is there to celebrate the New Year than going for a wonderful winter ride on their trains?

Their hours are from 1:00PM to 4:00PM. One ride costs only two bucks, and you can get a 12 ride pass for only $20, which is also good for any AVR Public Event! Kids two and under ride for free! All minors must be accompanied by an adult. The AVR is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park.

Assiniboine Valley Railway running trains on December 26 and 27

Last weekend, our good friends at the AVR ran trains for their first holiday weekend this season, but turnout was a bit disappointing, as temperatures were unseasonably cold. But we’re pleased to announce that they’ll be back running trains on Boxing Day, and on December 27 as well! 

It looks like we’re gonna get socked with a pretty big snowstorm on Christmas Day, but hopefully it will be all cleared away by Boxing Day. And it better be for the sake of the AVR and all of those Boxing Day shoppers as well!

If you’re Boxing Day shopping, you’ll probably be finished way before the AVR is open to the public at 1:00PM. By that time, all the great sale items will be long gone, so why not come out to the AVR and enjoy the ride?

Their hours are from 1:00PM to 4:00PM. One ride costs only two bucks, and you can get a 12 ride pass for only $20, which is also good for any AVR Public Event! Kids two and under ride for free! All minors must be accompanied by an adult. The AVR is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park.

They’re also open December 31 (New Year’s Eve) & January 1!

Darryl Audette builds a model railroad display at Toad Hall

Zenon Lisakowski, one of our intrepid roving reporters, was dispatched to Toad Hall Toys recently to check out the spectacular work that Darryl Audette has been doing on the model railroad display that he has created there. The Z-man even lent a hand in the modelling! Darryl, who is a professional theatrical set designer, has had this layout featured in the pages of Metro News Winnipeg earlier this month. 

This image was taken in the middle of construction, but the display is up and running, and it’s worth your while to go downtown to check it out during the holiday season! While you’re there, check out their new expanded model railroad department, which sells all gauges. There's free parking on Thursday and Friday evenings after 6:00PM, and all day on Saturday. WMRC members get at 10% discount on all non-sale in-store model railroad items (but you gotta show them your membership card first!).

Toad Hall Toys is located at 54 Arthur Street, in the middle of Winnipeg’s historic exchange district. Until December 24th, they’re open from 9:30AM to 9:00PM Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00AM to 5:00PM.

Assiniboine Valley Railway has first winter run this weekend

Our good friends at the Assiniboine Valley Railway are again offering afternoon rides from 1:00 to 4:00 PM during the 2016 Christmas season at the following dates:

Saturday & Sunday December 17 & 18

          Monday & Tuesday December 26 (Boxing Day) & 27

          December 31 (New Year’s Eve) & January 1.

Come and enjoy riding through the AVR’s snow-clad forest! There is no light display this year, but it is quite a different experience from the summer rides! 

One ride costs only two bucks, and you can get a 12 ride pass  for only $20, which is also good for any AVR Public Event! Kids two and under ride for free! All minors must be accompanied by an adult. The AVR is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park. Look for the sign by the road!

Check out a great video from Christmas 2015 on YouTube from City TV’s Wheeler in the Morning show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuaLcgmluYA&index=7&list=PLyfwwR60J1bNAcu5smeqYdKsYkGLIwaat

Winnipeg author Barbara Lange seeks railway photographs

Winnipeg author Barbara Lange is seeking photographs from the Victoria Beach / Grand Beach Subdivision anywhere from 1916 to 1962. This would include trains, stations, people, businesses, and even the beaches.  She has collected memories for her next book and needs photos of CNR, its predecessors, and life on the east side of Lake Winnipeg as it relates to the beach train, especially the 'Moonlight Special'. 

Barbara Lange edited the popular book, Through a window of a train: A Canadian railway anthology, a collection of short story memories from those who lived, loved, and laughed on Canadian trains. You might’ve seen her selling her book at various local train shows The book is also available through Borealis Press.

If you can help, please contact Barbara at writealong@hotmail.com  or at 204-667-8521

Winnipeg's indoor ride-on train is back all this month!

We are pleased to announce that the Holiday Express, Winnipeg’s indoor ride-on train, is back in action this month! They will be open from December 2nd to 23rd, and from December 27 to the 30th at 3059 Ness Avenue (that’s the old Safeway building). They’re open from Monday to Saturday, 12noon to 8pm, and on Sundays from 4pm to 8pm. Only $3 a ride!

Come and check out the new floor layout and decorations! They’re also taking consignment items from any hobby, such as boats, die cast, planes, and trains. 

For more information call  204-837-4776 or email vectormb@mymts.net, or go to their website at http://www.vectorgardentrains.ca

It's time for the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's Klinik Karnival!

It’s Klinic Karnival time at the WMRC! Come on down to the Charleswood Legion on December 9 and learn from some of Winnipeg's finest model railroading experts on how to improve your model railroading skills and techniques. We'll have several table clinics set up and you can visit each one at your leisure and learn how our talented clinicians do their thing.

We have a great group all set to share their knowledge with you, and it's absolutely free! If you were to attend a model railroad convention in the States you'd have to pay big bucks to attend any series of clinics they would hold. But we're not charging one red cent!

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

We're having our Annual 'Christmas Dinner'. Enjoy a delicious gourmet hot dog meal prepared by the world famous South family canteen crew. Our lovely canteen manager Jean South studied hot dog cooking with Jamie Oliver just for this event!  

The fun starts at 7:30PM at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. Please bring a non-perishable food item for the Christmas Cheer Board. There's plenty of free parking, and you don't have to be a member to attend! Guests are always welcome!

The CP Holiday Train is coming to town!

You better not shout, you better not cry! 

You better not pout, I’m telling you why:

The CP holiday Train is coming to town!

So you better be good, or else your parents (or your wife) won’t let you go see it!

The train pulls into Manitoba on Friday, December 2. Performing on the train this year is Juno award winning country star Dallas Smith. 

The train first arrives in Whitemouth, on Railway Ave. across from Whitemouth Hotel at 6:45 PM. The show lasts from 7:00 PM to  7:30 PM.  Then it barrels down to Winnipeg, arriving at Molson St. (Panet Road and Munroe Avenue) at 9:00PM. The show starts at 9:15PM and ends at 9:45 PM. 

It arrives on Saturday, December 3 at Portage la Prairie, Opposite the Centennial Arena, 390-1st St. NW at 3:45 PM. The show goes from 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Next stop is Brandon, by Assiniboine Ave, west of the 8th street overpass at 6:45 PM, with the show going from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM

The last Manitoba stop is at Virden at 10:15AM on Sunday, December 4, at the north side of tracks on 5th ave S between Lyons Street & Ashburton Street. The show goes from 10:30AM to 11:00AM.

Since its launch in 1999, the CP Holiday Train has raised more than C$12 million and 3.9 million pounds of food for communities in Canada and the northern U.S. Everything raised stays with the local food bank. Please bring heart healthy donations. Heart health education and awareness is a tenet of CP's community program, CP Has Heart. 

Follow its journey over social media, and post images. Capture the spirit of the train, holiday entertainment and the spirit of giving and enter the Capture the Spirit photo contest to win a ride on next year’s train. #CPHolidayTrain & #HealthyDonations

Please give yourself extra time getting to the event to compensate for crowds and traffic. Also make sure to keep a safe distance of 15 feet away from the train. For information, photos, and a route map visit www.cpr.ca/holiday-train

Brandon Hills Model Railway Club holds open house on November 26

It's time to head for the hills this coming Saturday! Brandon Hills, that is! The Brandon Hills Model Railway Club is holding an open house in conjunction with the Brandon General Museum and Archives, where they're housed. 

The club has been in existence for over 30 years. Besides having a great HO layout with a beautiful hand painted backdrop, they also have an N gauge layout and G scale trains on display.

The museum is located in the former Manitoba Telephone Service Building at 19-9th Street in Brandon. It will also be holding a special exhibition, titled "The remarkable women of Brandon and area", so be sure to check that out as well when you're there!

The hours are from 10AM to 4PM, and admission is free!

This month WMRC member John Bate will give us a presentation on “Computers and Model Railroading”. Learn how you can run your railroad using computer technology! The meeting this month is has been moved to November 18th, as Remembrance Day has fallen on the second Friday of November. 

Here is an open invitation to all WMRC members: Feel free to bring a modelling project you're working on as a table clinic during the meeting. 

The canteen will be open, and we will have our monthly model display and a 50-50 draw. The meeting starts at 7:30 PM at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. Guests are always warmly welcomed. Hope to see you all there!

Come see Santa at the NMRA Christmas train show this Saturday!

The National Model Railroad Association presents their first annual Christmas Train Show! Bring the kids to meet Santa Claus, and stay for all the layouts and displays in a Christmas setting!

Santa Claus is going to have some very good company at the show! Joining jolly St. Nick will be the No. 1 Northern Division’s Free-Mo HO gauge modular layout, WinNtak’s N gauge modular layout and the Lionel train O gauge “Giraffe Car” layout. 

Multiple award winning modeller Ron Einarson will be holding a modelling workshop. Fred Headon of Warehouse Hobbies will be on hand to offer all sorts of model railroading and modelling advice. Fred is the Canadian Director of the National Model Railroad Association and is a certified Master Model Railroader (MMR). 

There will also be a model railroad flea market, featuring a variety of model railroad equipment in various gauges for sale.

This is the last train show of the year, and it looks like it's going to be a good one! The show is being held on Saturday, November 12 at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church, 201 Scurfield Boulevard. Hours are from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. Handicap accessible. Admission by silver collection. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to St. Amant.

Britain's Necropolis Railway: A train for the dead

A reader sent us in this very unusual article from the BBC about Britain's Necropolis Railway, a 23 mile short line that transported the dead (in coffins, of course) and their families from London to the Brookwood Cemetery near Surrey. 

It was considered an essential service, created in the mid 19th century when London's cemeteries were hopelessly overcrowded. The Brookwood Cemetery was built to solve this problem, and  transporting the dead by train was the only means of getting to there. It existed for 87 years, closing in 1941.

To read the full article, please click here. 

Aaron Woloshyn presents three scratch built models for WMRC monthly model display

The WMRC’s first monthly model display of the season showcased three scratch built HO gauge MOW models by Aaron Woloshyn. He was awarded a $15 voucher from a local hobby shop. 

Aaron came up with the idea of building a CN tie exchanging gang earlier this year. There are many ready made models and kits that are available but he couldn’t find any that worked for his Canadian railroad. So he decided to do what he liked to do and made his own machines. He printed photos of each machine in HO scale using dimensions from the Nordco website. 

Once this was done he used the photographs as a reference for both shape and size to build the entire body of each machine out of Styrene. Additional detail parts were used for each machine to add to the complexity. They are all hand painted and the ballast regulator has various decals from his collection. The rest will be getting decals soon,  and they all will get a generous amount of weathering before they are considered finished. All photos by WMRC Lantern Editor Robert Weaver.

Felix Lesiuk's Churchill diary

Long time WMRC member Felix Lesiuk (who is also President of WinNtrak and Rail Travel Tours primo tour guide) sent us some wonderful photos and some text on his trip to Churchill with his latest tour group earlier this month. Enjoy!

By Felix Lesiuk

We made it to Churchill pretty much on time.  Turned on the wye outside of town and backed in to the station. I had a chance to take a couple of quick pix of the dome car in the morning sun at the station, before we all piled into Nature 1st's bus for a quick tour of town and a visit to Cape Merry Gun Battery. It was very cold! Most were bundled up quite well. I braved it and smiled with my frostbitten face (frozen in  a smile). We had a sentry watching us for bears. One of the pictures shows a cool effect where Bay seawater and freshwater from the Churchill river meet.  

We went by the shuttered Port. I took some pix for those who want to model one. (extra images of the port are available upon request).   

After that, we checked into our hotels. We were spread out into three hotels, I stayed in the Bear Country Inn with 17 others. We then toured around town to shop and explore. Between my tour duties, I headed out and quickly took some pix of the train still parked at the station.  Our train would head southbound later in the evening.  We had an Arctic Char welcome dinner at the Seaport Hotel before tuning in for the main event tomorrow. Da Bears!

Cellar Dweller Hobbies expands stock of Woodlands Scenics products

In the wake of the demise of Gooch's Hobbies, we've received notice from Cellar Dweller Hobbies that they're alive and well, and that they've expanded their stock of Woodlands Scenics products, including their line of scale model trees!

Jim Holland of Cellar Dweller said that if model railroaders begin coming into the store that they would begin to carry more model railroad products and accessories.

Modellers have been going to Cellar Dweller over the years for Styrene and strip wood supplies. They do have a very limited stock of low-end model railroad rolling stock  items and a few plastic building kits. Jim has said that the shop might begin to carry a better range of model railroad items if he thought that modellers might begin asking for such items. 

Now that most of the other model railroading shops in town are gone they might be willing to fill the model railroading niche to some degree in Winnipeg. So what are you waiting for? Contact them and start asking! Cal them at 204-589-2037 or toll free at 1-866-248-0352, or send them an email at cdhobby@mts.net

Model railroad auction in Austin, Manitoba to be held this Saturday

Ray and Mary Peck's HO scale layout and equipment is going to be sold at an auction on Saturday, October 22 in Austin, Manitoba. Included are HO scale higher end era trains, rolling stock and accessories too numerable to mention.

"I had an opportunity to visit this layout last year and it's spectacular!" Says long time WMRC member and program director Morgan Turney.  "They are retiring off the farm and it's all being sold." 

Check the Nickel Auctions website for more information at www.nickelauctions.com or email them at nickelauctions@mymts.net

Felix Lesiuk's graffiti gallery of trains

Felix Lesiuk captured this great image of Charlie Brown and Snoopy graffitied onto a grain hopper.

Long time WMRC member Felix Lesiuk sends us many photos taken during his rail fanning trips with his good friend and fellow WMRC member Louis Lenz. This post features the wild world of railroad graffiti images that he has taken. There doesn't seem to be any limit to the imagination (or to the spray paint supply) of these roving bands of artists who haunt the rail yards of North America. Enjoy their creativity!

How many spray cans do you think someone used to create these beasties? 

Nice font! Someone really knows their calligraphy!

A star burst design really brightens up this ordinary gondola!

At October's WMRC meeting, Suzanne Lemon will give us a short program on "What Makes a Good Photo" to enter into the Club's photo contest. After a short break, Christopher Robinson will present "Railfanning Adventures in Southern Manitoba" which includes a look at Central Manitoba Railway operations down Hwy 3 in the Brunkild area.

And to all WMRC members: Feel free to bring a modelling project to work on as a table clinic during the meeting!

The meeting starts at 7:30PM at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard, on Friday, October 14, 2016. The canteen will be open, and we'll be holding our usual modelling display and the 50/50 draw. Hope to see you all there!

Large HO train garage sale to be held on Saturday, October 15

A large HO model railroad garage sale will be held on Saturday, October 15 from 9am to 3pm, 627 David St., which is about a half block north of Portage Ave. 

Sale includes: NCE Power Pro DCC system and accessories, several Walther's Cornerstone pre-built structures, several RTR structures, Fastraxx jigs and accessories, code 83 flex track, turnouts, acrylic RR paints, an air brush and compressor,
miscellaneous electronics, many MR tools, how-to books, construction wood and Styrene, Kadee couplers, Woodland Scenics scenery supplies, and much more. 

A complete 21x6-foot finished shelf layout will also be up for sale. For a complete list, e-mail Bruce at: va4bb@shaw.ca

Ride the Assiniboine Valley Railway this Thanksgiving weekend

This is your last chance to ride the AVR until Christmas, so why not come out and enjoy the ride this Thanksgiving Day weekend? Bring the whole family down and make this Thanksgiving Day weekend something really special!

The AVR is open to the public on Saturday, September 8 from 11:00AM to 5:00PM. and on Sunday from 1:00PM to 5:00PM. It's only two bucks a ride, and kids two year of age and under ride for free! All minors must be accompanied by an adult. A 12 ride pass is available for only $20. The AVR is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park.

Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust displays HO scale replica of Nazi death camp

The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust has an HO scale model of the train that took the Jews to the death camp in Sobibor.

A reader has sent us images of a very unusual model railroad display from the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. The images are of a model of the extermination camp at Sobibor, including the train that brought the Jewish prisoners to the camp during World War Two. 

These images might be considered disturbing to some, but it also serves as a very strong and poignant way of showing how model railroading skills can be used to educate and convey a powerful message to anyone who views display such as this.

It must’ve taken an incredible amount of intestinal fortitude to even model a scene like this, and we applaud the museum’s efforts to educate the public about one of the most horrifying events in human history through the medium of model railroading. 

For more information about the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, visit their website at:

http://www.lamoth.org 

Note: Copy for this post has been corrected from its original version, thanks to the comment left by Randy Schoenberg, who spotted that the model was of the dead champ at Sobibor, and not Treblinka. 

Painstakingly exact detail went into the modelling of the Sobibor death camp.

The numbers correspond to the text provided, describing what each building was used for. 

Another mega success for the Manitoba Mega Train Show

WMRC member Ian Plett commands the controls of the mega-train at the 2016 Manitoba mega Train Show, held at the Red River Exhibition Park last weekend. Photos by Morgan Turney.

It was another mega-success for the 2016 Manitoba Mega Train Show! Celebrating it's second year at the Red River Exhibition Park, the show just keeps growing and growing! Many volunteers from the WMRC kept the show running smoothly, doing set-up, take-down, manning the admissions desk, holding displays and running the mega-train, of course!

The Red River Exhibition building was well attended throughout the entire weekend.

The Echo Valley Mainliners modular group brought their layout all the way from Regina!

The Kildonan Short Lines HO modular has added a spectacular prairie scene backdrop.

 It's Lego time! The Manitoba Lego Users Group always puts on a spectacular display!

Gooch's Hobbies shutters doors after almost 90 years in business

We are saddened to report that Gooch's Hobbies, the oldest continuing hobby shop in Winnipeg, has gone out of business. Following a disagreement with their landlord over a lease proposal, the owners have decided to call it quits.

Many model railroaders and hobbyists in the city have fond memories of shopping at Gooch's at their former locations on Portage Avenue and on Sherbrook Street over the many decades they had been in business. Their most recent location saw a downsizing in their hobby side of the business, but it still was a fairly well stocked and convenient place to shop for model railroading equipment.

Sadly, this now leaves us with one less hobby shop in the area in an era where more and more hobby shops are disappearing all across North America. Goodbye, Gooch's! We're going to miss you!

Manitoba Mega Train Show is on this weekend!

Mark your calendars! Cancel all appointments! This is the big Kahuna! The mother AND the father of all train shows in the province! Yes, it's the Manitoba Mega Train Show, and it's back this weekend! Last year's show had 3,000 people attending. The ATM ran out of money (but this year there are two ATM's on site). This year's show promises to be bigger and better than ever!

Come on down to Red River Exhibition Place at 3977 Portage Avenue (It's right next to Assiniboine Downs). Hours are from 9:00AM to 5:00PM on both Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25. Adults get in for $7.00, youth 4-12 for $5.00. Kids three years of age and under get in for free! Special family packs are available for $20.00. Admission includes unlimited rides on the Mega-Train!

Come to The Forks this weekend for Railway Days and WinNtrak

Come see the Gateway Western Railway at the Winnipeg Railway Museum this weekend!

The Forks is the place for all model railroaders and rail fans to be this weekend!

Railway Days is happening at the Winnipeg Railway Museum, and the WMRC will be  operating the HO gauge Gateway Western Railway, housed in its own structure within the museum. Hours are from 11AM to 5PM on both Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18. Regular admissions are suspended, but donations will be gladly accepted.  

The museum is located on the second level of the Via Rail station at 123 Main Street. 

The Winnipeg Sun had a great write-up about the museum recently, which you can read by going to: http://www.winnipegsun.com/2016/09/06/on-the-rails-museum-offers-ride-through-history

As an extra added bonus, WinNtrak will be displaying their N gauge modular layout just across from the museum at The Forks Market! They will be displaying from Friday, September 16 to Sunday, September 18 in the wing around the corner from Skinners. The display is open during mall hours. 

Gerrit Vaderklok explains the mysteries of Digital Command Control at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's September meeting

 WinNtrak's Gerrit Vanderklok gave the club's members a great program on Digital Command Control using the Digitrax DCC control system. The meeting was well attended, and Gerrit's clinic was extremely thorough. He answered all questions about the mysteries of DCC with the greatest of ease! The meeting was 100% "hands on", as former WMRC President Larry Leavens as also on hand to assist any members in programming their engines to DCC.

Our next meeting will be held on October 14, 2016 at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. The fun starts at 7:30 PM. Hope to see you all there!

Learn all about digital command control at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's meeting on September 9

Welcome back, everyone! WinNtrak's Gerrit Vanderklok will give us a Digital Command Control primer on the Digitrax DCC control system. The basics of DCC will be discussed with demonstrations provided. If you want to bring a new engine and have it programmed, bring it along!

This year, we are bringing back side table modelling! Larry Leavens will have a DCC program track available for programming which will fit nicely into the evening's presentation by Gerrit. 

If any modeller wishes to do a side table clinic at the meeting, bring your modelling equipment with you and we'll provide you with a table (with a tablecloth!) for you to work.

The fun starts on Friday, September 9 at 7:30 PM at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. The canteen will be open, and we'll be having our popular monthly model display and the 50/50 draw. Guests are always warmly welcomed. Hope to see you all there!

Portage La Prairie Model Railroad Club and the Assiniboine Valley Railway hold open houses this weekend

We are pleased to announce that the Portage La Prairie Model Railroad Club will be holding an open house on Saturday, September 10 at their historic CP Station #251, located on 3rd St NE in Portage La Prairie. This is the club’s first open house in two years, and it’s always been a great event! Hours are from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. There will be a BBQ from 11:00AM to 2:00PM, and there will be lots of family friendly model train demonstrations. Admission is free! The station is a wheelchair accessible facility. A 50/50 draw will also be held.

The Assiniboine Valley Railway is also holding their monthly open house this weekend! On Saturday, September 10 they run from 11:00AM to 5:00PM, and on Sunday, September 11  from 1:00PM to 5:00PM. A ride costs only two bucks, and you can buy a 12 ride pass for $20  which is good for any AVR Public Event!  Kids two years of age and under ride for free! All minors must be accompanied by an adult. The AVR is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park. 

No. 1 Northern Division's Free-Mo HO group to exhibit at Dawson Trail Days in Ste. Anne, Manitoba this weekend

The No.1 Northern Division’s HO gauge Free-Mo group will be exhibiting at Dawson Trail Days in Ste. Anne, Manitoba, during the Labour Day long weekend. The group will be running trains on Saturday, September 3 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and on Sunday, September 4 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. 

Named after the historic Dawson Trail that crosses the village of Ste. Anne, Dawson Trail Days are held every September long weekend. The three-day festival features baseball, a parade, music and dancing, kids zone, youth talent competition and fireworks. This popular community event is a sure sign that summer is drawing to a close. 

Ste. Anne is conveniently located east of Winnipeg, off the Trans Canada Highway. Turn off on Highway 12, then take Highway 207 east to Ste. Anne.

To view or to download a PDF of all of the activities that are being held during Dawson Trail Days, click here.

Toad Hall revamps model railroad department

If you haven't been to Toad Hall Toys lately to check out their model railroad department, then it's worth the trip! Darryl Audette has taken over the reins, and he's making some changes! Pictured above is his work in progress in the store, which promises to be a terrific display when it's finished!

As you can see from behind his layout, the place is very well stocked with all sorts of mode railroad goodies! It is very gratifying in these days of hobby shop disappearing or downsizing to see that Toad Hall is not only still in the game, but is expanding!

Toad Hall has been a supporter of the WMRC for many years, and has continued to faithfully advertise in the clubs. official publication, The Lantern. Every member in good standing receives a 10% discount on all no-sale in-store model railroad items, so be sure to bring your card the next time you go!

Darryl Audette, published miniaturist, general brilliant person and all around great guy is in charge of Toad Hall's model railroad department. 

Two exciting open houses on tap for this weekend

How’s this for fun? The Assiniboine Valley Railway and WinNtrak will both be holding open houses this weekend!

WinNtrak’s clubhouse and layout will be open between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28. Their clubhouse is located in the parking lot of the Prairie Dog Central complex, and admission is free!

The Assiniboine Valley Railway’s open house hours are from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, August 27, and from 1:00PM to 5:00PM on Sunday, August 28. They’re located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park. 

It's just two bucks a ride, and kids under two years of age ride for free. All minors must be accompanied by an adult. A 12 ride pass is only twenty bucks!

The rail fanning adventures of Felix Lesiuk

On a recent rail fanning trip, Felix Lesiuk took this whimsical image of a Pillsbury grain hopper with the Pillsbury doughboy graffitied on it. Good eye, Felix!

Since his recent retirement from school teaching,  long time WMRC member Felix Lesiuk has kept himself very busy! He's the president of WinNtrak, and he also conducts tours to Churchill for Rail Travel Tours, which is owned and operated by another long time member, Daryl Adair!

But he is best known at the club for his many award winning railroading images. He goes rail fanning on a regular basis with his old friend and long time WMRC member Louis Lenz, and he has shared many of his images with us.

From time to time, we will be posting his images on this site. Keep up the great work, Felix!

Felix celebrates his birthday and Canada Day on the sunny shores of Churchill, Manitoba.