Assiniboine Valley Railway holds last open house of the winter this weekend

All aboard for the last winter run at the Assiniboine Valley Railway! There won't be another open house until June, so climb on board while you have the chance! They're open on Saturday, January 5 and Sunday January 6 from 1 to 4 on both days. Tickets are only two bucks, kids under 2 ride for free, and a 12 ride pass is available for $20. They're at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park. Look for the signs on the road!

Assiniboine Valley Railway holds their second winter open house this weekend

The Assiniboine Valley Railway is holding their second winter open house for 2018 this weekend.They're open from 1:00PM to 4:00PM on both Saturday, December 29 and Sunday, December 30. Rides  are still only two bucks, and a 12 ride pass is still only $20! Kids two and under ride for free. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

When we posted the news about the AVR's first winter open house for 2018 on Facebook, we were inundated by the response! 79, 542 people saw the post, and we had 873 shares. However, we don't know if this response reflected the actual attendance at this event (but we sure hope that it did).
 
The AVR is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west for Assiniboine Park.  Look for the signs on the road!

Merry Christmas from the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club!

May all of our members and our many readers from all around the world have a joyous holiday season and a wonderful New Year! Keep 'em on the rails!

Assiniboine Valley Railway to hold its first Christmas open house this weekend

Christmas wouldn't be complete without a ride on the Assiniboine Valley Railway, and now you can go on their first winter run for 2018 this weekend! They're open from 1:00PM to 4:00PM on both Saturday, December 22 and Sunday, December 23.

Rides through their seven acre winter wonderland are still only two bucks, and a 12 ride pass is still only $20! 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 for Assiniboine Park.  Look for the signs on the road!

Thanks to everyone who came to the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's Clinic Carnival

A big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to the WMRC's Clinic Carnival and Christmas hot dog banquet on December 14! We had a wonderful turnout and all of the clinics were excellent! Richard Mikolayenko's scratch building project of Winnipeg's historic Market Square building was awesome! We will be featuring images of the other clinics in the days to come.

It's Clinic Carnival time at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's December meeting!

Step right up for the annual “Clinic Carnival” at the WMRC! We have five clinics set up for all to enjoy. Here is your opportunity to see what some of Winnipeg's best model railroaders have been working on and a great chance learn how they do it!

Here is our talented roundup:

Virginia Braun – Virginia is a very talented modeller who will showcase some of her structure and scenery work and talk about the tools and materials that she uses.

Richard Mikolayenko – Scratch building and Old Market Square structure from photos and triangulation. Richard is an experienced modeller who will showcase his techniques as he works to replicate a historic Winnipeg building.

Neil Carlton - “Painting undecorated HO figurines for fun and financial savings" Every model railroad needs people and Neil will explain how to populate a scene without breaking your bank account.

Christopher Robinson - “Modules” Every model railroader can make a module. Whether it be a portable section of a home layout or for a portable modular model railroad, modules give us a unique way to participate in the hobby.  

John Bate - “Using Servos as inexpensive switch machines”. John will demonstrate how you can utilize inexpensive servo motors as switch machines. Servos are rapidly becoming as a means of controlling switches, signals and applications requiring animation on model railroads.

But wait! There's more! We're also holding our annual Christmas banquet! Enjoy a hearty meal of hot dogs, chips and pop as you enjoy the Clinic Carnival! The fun begins on Friday, December 14, at 7:30 in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. Guests are always warmly welcomed!

 
 

Exclusive photos of the CP Holiday Train In Portage La Prairie

 WMRC Social Media Director Paul Ullrich went rail fanning with WMRC Past President Larry Leavens and WMRC Divisions Manager Gino Kost and caught these photos of the CP Holiday Train when it arrived in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. A few other club members were also present, including Cliff Davidson, Felix Lesiuk and Louis Lenz. Enjoy!

The CP Holiday Train is coming to town!

All aboard for the CP Holiday train! It will be stopping in Winnipeg at the railway crossing at Panet Road and Molson Street on Monday, December 3 at 9:00PM. The stage will open on both sides. The 45 minute show will feature Terri Clark, Kelly Prescott and Sierra Noble.

The train will also be in Whitemouth at 6:45PM on December 3. It will also stop at Portage la Prairie on December 4 at 3:15 PM,  Carberry at 5:30PM, and Brandon at 6:45PM. On December 5, it will visit Virden at 10:15AM.

The CP Holiday Train program launched in 1999 and has since raised more than C$14.5 million and gathered 4.3 million pounds of food for communities along CP's routes in Canada and the United States. Every pound and dollar raised at each stop stays with the local food bank to help feed those in need in that community.

The train will arrive at the scheduled event time and depart immediately after the show. Please give yourself extra time getting to the event to compensate for crowds and traffic. Make sure to keep a safe distance of 50 feet away from the train while it’s moving so we can safely continue our journey.

All events are free. CP requests event attendees to bring money or a heart-healthy donation for their local food bank. CP is also encouraging fans of the train to donate heart-healthy food, as everyone should have access to healthy, nutritious food, regardless of circumstances. This supports the mission of CP Has Heart, a program dedicated to improving the heart health of men, women and children in North America. To date, this program has raised over C$15 million for cardiac care and research.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club mourns passing of member Gord Stimpson

WMRC member Gord Stimpson passed away on November 21 at  St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, MB, at the age of 83.  Gord grew up in Kelwood, Manitoba and later moved to Winnipeg where he met his wife Marlene. They had three children and five grandchildren.

Gord and his family moved to Brampton in 1963. They moved back to Winnipeg in 1974.  Besides being a model railroader, Gord was also an avid singer, carpenter, outdoorsman, gardener, a pickler of fruit and root vegetables, and a lover of tropical fish.

 A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 28 at the United Church in Meadowood at 1111 Dakota Street. Donations in his memory  may be made to either the United Church in Meadowood or the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.

Exclusive images of the CP holiday train

We have some exclusive images of the CP holiday train, taken by our intrepid photographer, Felix "scoop" Lesiuk, who caught the train heading east just outside of Winnipeg on November 14. It has both the U.S. and Canadian sections, which is why is so long and has two different stage cars.

The CP holiday will be coming to Manitoba early next month! We will be posting the schedule shortly on the site and on our Facebook page.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club creates new members-only Facebook page

The WMRC has created a new members-only Facebook page called the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club Chat Room. This is a members-only page where we can discuss and share all sorts of topics about the hobby that we all love! But you have to be a member to join in on the fun! You can join up by going to https://www.facebook.com/groups/750121262009047/

Two models entered at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's monthly model display

Christopher Robinson and John Bate submitted two entries for the WMRC's monthly model display this month. Christopher entered a Grand Trunk GP-38 that was originally his father's engine. He weathered it using several coats of acrylic paints. One technique he used was to apply a thick mix of medium grey paint on one side, letting it set for ten minutes, then running it under the tap with cold water.

He also installed a TCS T1 decoder, which required some cutting and filing on the inside of the shell and the chassis. He plans to install LEDs for headlights, front and rear.

John Bate submitted a N scale model of a company house (complete with an outhouse). This was a City Classics kit, which he also weathered.

Learn how to use the NMRA gauge at November's Winnipeg Model Railroad Club meeting

WMRC Past President Larry Leavens will demonstrate how to use the NMRA gauge. When building a model railroad, clearances are an important part of the design. The NMRA clearance gauge is a handy tool to have to easily measure them. It is useful to ensure steps and other low hanging parts of your train will clear buildings and scenery along the line. It is also used to fine tune your track work to help ensure flawless operation of trains.

John Bate will talk about the NMRA National Convention that was held in Kansas City this past summer. John was a clinician at the convention and he'll talk about what he saw and what he did while at the event. The annual NMRA National Convention is the biggest single model railroad event each year and Kansas City is a “hot bed” for the hobby. By all accounts, the convention was a huge success.

The meeting starts at 7:30PM on Friday, November 9, in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. The canteen will be open, and we'll have a 50/50 draw and our monthly model display. Not a member? Not a problem! Guests are always warmly welcomed!

Portage La Prairie CPR station holds grand opening Sunday November 4

Portage La Prairie Heritage and the Portage La Prairie Model Railroad Club are hosting the grand opening of the restored CPR station at 251 3rd Street NE in Portage La Prairie from 2:00PM to 4:00PM on Sunday, November 4. Model railroad layouts will be on display and cake and refreshments will be served.

Exclusive photos of the CP executive train in Manitoba

On a recent rail fanning trip, long time member Felix Lesiuk caught sight of the CP Rail executive train rolling down the mainline near Rosser, Manitoba. This train is used only occasionally for private excursions and tours taken by CP Rail executives. It is a rare sight to see this magnificent train on the rails, and our man Felix was at the right time at the right place!

Enjoy a Halloween ride on the Assiniboine Valley Railway this weekend

The Assiniboine Valley Railway is having a very special (but not too scary) Halloween train run this weekend only! It runs on October 27, and on Sunday, October 28. Hours are from 6:00PM to 9:00PM. Please take note that the train is running in the evening.

Take a ride for two bucks, or buy a 12 ride pass for $20. Kids two years old 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.

Model display entries at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's September meeting

WMRC Past President Larry Leavens brought in a model of a Bentonite plant that he had been working on. Bentonite is a clay product that swells when wet and is used in construction to reduce seepage in the soil. It is shipped either as a powder or in pellets, either in bulk or bagged.

The structure is a Faller Concrete Plant kit. The base of the building where a cement truck would receive the premixed concrete, was filled with corrugated sheet styrene. The majority of the structure was painted with ‘rattle can spray paint’ prior to the assembly of the major components.
The structure will be incorporated into a larger industry, Pembina Mountain Clays, at Scott’s Siding. The siding is named in memory of long-time WMRC member Charlie Scott.

Neil Carleton brought in a Canadian Pacific truss rod boxcar built from a kit. The kit was repainted and decorated with period correct decals from Black Cat Decals. Weathering followed using Pan pastels and then sprayed with Testors Dullcoat.

Enjoy the fall foliage this weekend at the Assiniboine Valley Railway this weekend

October is an especially wonderful time to ride on the AVR, as the fall foliage is in its full glory!
They're open from 11:00AM to 5:00PM on Saturday, October 13, and from 1:00PM to 5:00PM on Sunday, October 14. A ride costs two bucks and you can buy a 12 ride pass for only $20! 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.

Two great clinics to be presented at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's October meet

WMRC Treasurer John Bate will talk about his trip to the NMRA National Convention, which was recently held in Kansas City. John presented a clinic at the convention and also toured a number of layouts. He'll show you what a NMRA national convention is all about and talk about those things that caught his eye.

After that, Tyler Fedoroshyn will present a clinic about locomotive maintenance and repair in 1:1 scale. Tyler is a model railroader who works for GE (the people who make the diesels) as a service tech here in Winnipeg. Tyler has worked in both Weston (Canadian Pacific) and Symington (Canadian National) diesel shops. His presentation will include an overview of the shops and describe the various reasons why locomotives are brought into the shops. 

This will include stories about the problematic ones and stories about the particularly big  jobs like wrecks and major engine failures. He'll also talk about his HO scale CP PortCoquitlam shops with ideas on how you can model prototypical shop operations. Tyler spent 4 weeks this summer training at GE's Erie, Pennsylvania plant and may have some photos of that facility.

The meeting starts at 7:30PM on Friday, October 12, in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. The canteen will be open, and we'll have a 50/50 draw and our monthly model display. Not a member? Not a problem! Guests are always warmly welcomed!

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's blog reaches its fifth anniversary

Five years ago today the WMRC went online in a big way when their blog was created by their newly appointed social media director Paul Ullrich (with a lot of help from his wife Margaret, who has two very popular blogs, Winnipeg is Better than Chocolate and I'm Turning 60). The blog got 90 views on the very first day. As of today, it has had 208, 540 views and has a worldwide audience.

605 posts have been created and archived for anyone to view. Thanks to all of our club members, model railroaders and rail fans throughout the world who have made this blog such a success!

Watch Ian Plett on Global TV

WMRC Vice president and Public Relations Director Ian Plett was interviewed on Global TV's local morning show on September 28. He was there to promote the Manitoba Mega Train Show, which was held on September 29 and 30.

Ian, who is also Superintendent of the NMRA No. 1 Northern Division and President of their Free-Mo group, set up the largest display the show ever had, combining forces with the Kildonan Short Lines modular group.

The WMRC always has a significant presence at the show, as the club is involved in set up and take-down of the event, including assembling the mega-train and manning the admissions desk.

You can see Ian's interview by going to: https://globalnews.ca/video/4496572/model-train-lovers-unite-at-manitoba-mega-train-hobby-show

Manitoba Mega Train Show is happening on September 29 and 30

You've never seen anything like it! 40,000 square feet of trains, trains and more trains! Tons of displays and over 70 vendors! This is the event all of Manitoba's model railroaders and rail fans have been waiting for all year!

Yes, it's Manitoba Mega Train Show time, and the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club will be there in full force, doing the set-up and the take down, volunteering at the admissions table, running the mega-train and holding their own display table.

The two days of fun begins on Saturday, September 29 at 9:00AM and runs until 5:00PM at the Red River Exhibition Place, 3977 Portage Avenue, right by Assiniboia Downs. The hours are the same on Sunday, September 30. Admission is only seven bucks. Admission for youths ages 4-12 is five bucks. A family pack admission is only twenty bucks. Free admission for children 3 and under. Admission includes unlimited free rides on the mega-train. Don't miss this event!

John Longhurst scores another article in Trackside Photographer

 Our good friend and long time WMRC member John Longhurst has informed us that he has a posting in Trackside Photographer, titled "Blowing the Past Away". It's about the abandoned grain elevator in the former town of Thrasher, Saskatchewan. It was deemed a safety hazard and burned to the ground by the owner. It's sad to see the loss of another one of these prairie giants which dotted the landscape. You can view his post at: http://thetracksidephotographer.com/2018/08/30/blowing-the-past-away/

See the Gateway Western Railway in action at Railway Days at the Winnipeg Railway Museum

Join the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club and the Winnipeg Railway Museum's annual celebration of railroading and see the Gateway Western Railway, Winnipeg's largest operating HO railway, in action! The Gateway Western Railway is open to the public just twice a year, so don't miss this rare opportunity to view it!

The volunteer crew from the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club and the Winnipeg Railway Museum have been working hard every week on making improvements to the layout, so even if you've seen it just a few months ago in May during Doors Open Winnipeg, you're bound to see something new this time!

The museum is located on the second level of the Via Rail station at 123 Main Street, and is open from 11:00AM to 5:00PM on Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16. Admission by donation.

Double header clinics featured at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's September meeting

We have a thrilling double header, featuring longtime WMRC member Dwight Kjartanson, who will give a presentation about his work as a CN signals engineer. He will also be promoting the Assiniboine Valley Railway dinner train, which will running on September 15 and 16.

Then WMRC program director Dave Downie will present "Rebirth of a model railroad", showcasing his progress rebuilding his layout in the past months, including his venture into creating scenery.

 We'll also be having a 50/50 draw, our monthly model display, and the canteen will be open!  The fun starts on Friday, September 14 at  7:30 P.M. in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Robin Boulevard. Not a member? Not a problem! Guests are always warmly welcomed! Hope to see you all there! 

Take a ride on the Assiniboine Valley Railway this September weekend

The Assiniboine Valley Railway is holding their fourth public open house of the year this weekend. Celebrate the coming of fall by taking a train ride through the beautiful forested canopy of the AVR!

They're open from 11:00AM to 5:00PM on Saturday, September 8, and from 1:00PM to 5:00PM on Sunday, September 9. A ride costs two bucks and you can buy a 12 ride pass for only $20! 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.

Rail fanning in Melville with Felix Lesiuk

By Felix Lesiuk

On Monday, August 20,  I took a group of people on behalf of Rail Travel Tours to Manitou Springs Spa resort, which is just north of Watrous, Saskatchewan on VIA's Canadian.  It was kind of neat seeing all the spots I usually take pictures of the train but from the "inside" perspective.
    
We stopped in Melville for a crew change and a chance to stretch the legs. Nice to see that they are fixing the old station. Last time I saw it was boarded up and smelled like pigeon crap.  We were making fairly good time until we got stuck for about three hours near Uno, Manitoba. A CN freight had mechanical issues and had to be rescued by another train.

See this video about Canada's oldest railway tunnel in Brockville, Ontario

 A.J. Benoit from Brockville, Ontario sent us a link to a new video about Canada’s Oldest Railway Tunnel. This two minute and 39 second long video was created to help promote the tunnel. The tunnel was reopened in August 2017 after extensive refurbishing effort cost over 2 million dollars.

The tunnel was of particular interest to Mr. Benoit as it was the railroad that brought his family to Brockville over 87 years ago. His grandfather  relocated here from St. Jean Sur Richelieu in Quebec and worked for the CNR for over 40 years. His father George followed his footsteps and also worked for the CNR for 25 years before retiring. You can view this video by going to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVFLfnBtfeY

Felix Lesiuk spots twin VIA 40th anniversary units

 
By Felix Lesiuk

Louis Lenz and I headed out on Thursday, August 2. The weather started off with some rain and the rest of the day was spent with the sun darting in and out of the clouds. Not too hot, not too cool and a slight breeze to keep the bugs away. A perfect rail fanning day.  We bumped in to Cliff Davidson, who was also heading west and rail fanning. He informed us that VIA had tweaked its schedule and was running a bit earlier now. That would explain our surprise of seeing VIA's No 1 heading west at Harte around one o'clock. Super early!

That surprise was complimented by the fact that the westbound had a pair of wrapped 40th anniversary units on the lead. Awesome! The chase was now on. Thankfully VIA was following a freight and CN was fairly congested with traffic. We beat it to Moffat and caught it in Rivers coming into town and leaving. Nice! CN traffic was steady and we even caught sight of some elk near Moffat.  The new VIA schedule might make it possible to catch both at Rivers more easily (I hope).