Exclusive images of wrecked CN locomotive

Our intrepid rail photographers Felix Lesiuk and Louis Lenz headed West for the first time in a month. Weather for rail fanning had been a bit sketchy lately, as it was either very cold, windy or unsafe to be on the highways and back roads. A decent day presented itself on February 22. Weather really cooperated and turned out to be a nice sunny day. They followed CP to Portage La Prairie but not much was happening along the line, but they did catch the local CP switcher working around Portage.

    While in Portage they saw what they thought was one of the wrecked locomotives from Nattress sitting in the yard on a flatcar. They also saw that CN is busy getting ready for summer and is stockpiling a huge amount of concrete ties.

     They headed west and got as far as Moffat, where they saw some unique patched lease units. CN traffic was fairly light, which might’ve been because their crews were working on the wreck at St. Lazare. They saw two semis with scrap oil tank cars heading towards Winnipeg along the Trans Canada highway. They caught a CN potash train in Portage as the sun set. 

21 Vintage train cars have been converted into Air BnB's

Are your a rail fan looking to get away from it all? Have we got deals for you! Check out his article from Country Living that lists 21 places where vintage rail cars have been converted into Air B&B's! They're mostly cabooses, such as this beauty in Prince Edward Island, but there are some surprises.

There are a few other Canadian listings, but for Winnipeggers, the closest one is in East Cook, Minnesota, near the Canadian border and Lake Superior. If you want to check them out, and book one of these fabulous places, go to: https://www.countryliving.com/life/travel/g21100294/airbnb-train-cars/

Virginia Braun displays two structures at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's monthly model display

WMRC member Virginia Braun displayed a Walthers Cornerstone Laser cut Pump house kit at our December meeting. She painted both sides with a mixture of India Ink and 99% isopropyl alcohol, which prevents warping. She assembled it using Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue, which dries clear. She then weathered the walls by dry brushing them with white acrylic paint.


She also displayed Pete’s Market, an Osborn Model Kit. To prevent warping she used a stain marker to paint the inside floor. The outside walls were painted with acrylic paint. She used an acrylic grey wash for the front step.

The fruit stands were just put together and then the fruits and vegetables were painted. She carefully removed the excessive laser burns around the windows and other parts of the kit.

WinNtrak displays at Grant Park Shopping Centre this weekend

Those magnificent men with their N Gauge machines are back! WinNtrak will be displaying their marvelous N Gauge modular layout at Grant Park Shopping Centre this weekend!

You can catch them on Saturday, February 16 from 10:00AM to 6:00PM. On Sunday, February 17, they'll be displaying from 12:00PM to 5:00PM, and on Monday, February 18,  they'll be running from 12:00AM to 5:00PM. If you've got any shopping to do, then why not do it at Grant Park this weekend and catch the trains as well?

An inventive new "no duck-under" design for modular layouts

 Unless you're really into limbo dancing, there's no need to duck under this back saving design!

Our good friend Zenon Lisakowski sent us this link to a terrific new blog titled Rupert's Insights.
It's done by Rupert James,  a CPA living in Regina, Saskatchewan and an avid model railroader who is a member of the Echo Valley Railroad Guild, who displayed at last year's Manitoba Mega Train Show. 

In this post, he displays his "no duck-under" drawbridge design that he created and built for his club's modular group, and he attests that it's quite the back saver! Read all about his creation by going to Rupert's Insights.

Two great clinics at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's February meet

Learn how to expertly weather your rolling stock with Pan Pastels at our February meet!

We have two great clinics featured at our February meet! The first clinic is titled “Scenery – the ’S’ word in Model Railroading”. Scenery is usually the first thing that we see when we visit a model railroad yet it often presents a challenge to model railroaders. Learn where you can go to get the best advice.

There will also be a short presentation of photos showcasing one of Winnipeg’s newest model railroads.

The second clinic will be about weathering With Pan Pastels, which will include some samples of freight cars weathered using the technique.

The meeting starts at 7:30PM on Friday, February 8, in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. Wheelchair accessible. 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!