Winnipeg Model Railroad Club mourns passing of Karl Purchase

 Karl Purchase (right) is seen here with his son Matt in a scene from a CBC news story that was broadcast nationally last April.

Former WMRC member Karl Purchase passed away on June 14, 2019. Karl was born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland served with the RCMP for 30 years in Manitoba. He will always be remembered in the model railroading community for his love for the Newfoundland Railway and his home town of Corner Brook, which he modeled with such astounding and painstaking accuracy.

The layout, with scenes that he made entirely from memory, fills two rooms and spans two different levels. It took him 20 years to complete it. Karl’s layout was featured prominently in Railroad Model Craftsman in 1983, prior to the NMRA national convention held in Winnipeg.

Karl was just featured in the national media in April of this year when his family used his layout to help reignite his failing memory Karl hadn’t seen his layout in over a year, and was living in a personal care home after breaking two hips. You can access this story by going to:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/nowornever/for-this-newfoundlander-a-trip-down-memory-lane-in-a-model-train-1.5084309

Read MMR Lester Breuer's great model railroading blog

Lester Breuer of Plymouth, Minnesota is an NMRA master model railroader (MMR) who writes a terrific model railroading blog. It's titled the Minneapolis and Northland Railroad Company Modeling, which is named after his layout which he started in 1973.

In his posts, Lester takes you step by step on all of his model building projects, and the tools he uses to build them. He has been making two to three posts a week since January 2018. There are 30 different categories to choose from, all in alphabetical order, from boxcars to upgrades.

All of Lester's posts are an indispensable "how to" journey into the world of model railroading and modeling, and he has an incredible eye for detail. You can check it out by clicking here.

Winnipeg Railway Museum will reopen on June 17

This just in! We are pleased to announce that the Winnipeg Railway Museum will reopen on Monday, June 17. The structural concerns that caused Via Rail to close the platform that houses the museum have been taken care of. This means that Tuesday nights are once again Gateway Western nights for the WMRC!

WinNtrak to exhibit at Riverwood Square retirement community on June 15

Our good friends at WinNtrak will be exhibiting their N gauge modular layout at Riverwood Square's Father's Day model train show this Saturday, June 15. Hours are from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. Riverwood Square is located at 1778 Pembina Highway in Winnipeg. If you plan on attending this event  please RSVP at 204-275-7632.

Mark your calendars for the Manitoba Mega Train Show in September

Get out your calendars and mark off September 28 and 29, for that's when the Manitoba Mega Train Show is happening! This is the big Kahuna, the biggest train show between Toronto and Calgary! 40,000 square feet of trains, trains and more trains at Red River Exhibition Place. There will be 70 vendors, tons of great layouts and displays, and you get free unlimited rides on the Manitoba Mega Train!

Come on down to the Red River Exhibition grounds on September 28 and 29 at 3977 Portage Avenue. It's right beside Assiniboia Downs. Adult tickets are $8.00, youth 4-12 $6.00, kids three years old and under are admitted free, and a family pack is just 25 bucks! Don't miss it!

All aboard for the first run of the Assiniboine Valley Railway for 2019

It's the event you've been waiting for! The Assiniboine Valley Railway is holding their first open house of the year! It's been almost six months since their last open house, but summer's here and it's time to ride the AVR's wonderful trains again!

They're open from 11:00AM to 4:00PM on Saturday, June 8, and from 1:00PM to 4:00PM on Sunday, June 9. A ride costs three dollars. You can buy two rides for just five bucks. You can also get a 10 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.

Winnipeg Railway Museum closed until further notice

The Winnipeg Railway Museum has been closed for the time being. There are some structural concerns that have to be addressed by Via Rail. No one will be allowed into the museum until the green light has been given by Via Rail. The museum executive will be meeting shortly to review the situation.