Winnipeg Model Railroad Club mourns passing of Lantern editor Robert Weaver

Robert Weaver is seen displaying one of his O scale locomotives at one of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club’s spring open houses.

We are deeply saddened to announce that long time member and Lantern editor Robert Weaver passed away at Grace Hospital on Saturday, February 19.

Robert was born and raised in the Kitchener-Waterloo area of Southern Ontario. He moved to Winnipeg in the 70’s to study landscape architecture at the University of Manitoba, one of the few universities in the country offering that course at the time. He remained in Winnipeg and operated a successful landscape architecture business, Weaver Flowers. Some of his corporate clients included Burger King and MacDonald’s.

Robert was an avid O scale model railroader, the only one in the club who pursued that branch of the hobby. He was a frequent displayer at the WMRC spring open houses and at the Manitoba Mega Train Show.

Robert was the iron man of newsletter publications. He became editor of The Lantern in 2009, and  remained the editor for an incredible 13 years, which is a club record. Most of the past editors of The Lantern served for only a three year term. Robert tackled this task with unprecedented zeal and diligence. Under his editorship, The Lantern became a world class publication.

Robert hit his stride when The Lantern went from print to digital. Unencumbered by the restraints of a limited page count, he expanded the publication and its content, sometimes going to as much has 38 pages.

Robert had been plagued with various health problems over the years. Although he had fought his health battles for a long time with amazing determination and tenacity, he recently resigned editorship of The Lantern due to his declining health. No replacement has been found.
 

Exploring darkest Peru by train with Gino Kost

The only ones we’ve known who’ve been to darkest Peru are Paddington Bear and our own Gino Kost. But Paddington Bear is a fictional character, and long time WMRC member Gino Kost, who is our Gateway Western Divisions Manager and Fall Train Show Show Coordinator,  is very real, and a great guy!

Gino submitted the images for the club’s monthly photo display at our February 2022 meeting. He took an excursion train trip on Peru Rail high up in the Andes from Cusco to Puno, on the western shore of Lake Titicaca.

 

WMRC member Tommy Kuchera's exclusive images of the EW&S excursion train

For the WMRC's photo display at our February meeting, long time member Tommy Kuchera submitted these marvelous images he took of an EW&S excursion train that he took on one of his many trips to the U.K. EW&S stands for English, Welsh and Scottish Railway, which was formed in 1996. It became DB Cargo UK in 2007. 

Learn how to build an Arduino based signal system with John Bate at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club’s February meeting

Signals add a lot of visual interest to a model railroad. Its great to see a green signal drop to red when a train passes it, or a signal change from red to yellow when a switch is thrown.

A realistic system with a full CTC dispatcher's panel used be extremely complex and difficult to build. But thanks to today’s technology, all you need is an Arduino Nano at each location.

WMRC treasurer John Bate will demonstrate how a simpler system can be built. John has constructed an Arduino based signal system, and those attending the meeting in person will be shown how to use it. Just two different programs are needed to handle any size of model railroad, and these will be supplied. John will demonstrate how the system can react realistically to switch positions and to the presence of trains.

The fun starts on Friday, February 12, at the Tank Room in the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. Please note that the time of our meetings has been permanently changed from 7:30PM to 7:00PM. We will be holding our monthly model and photo display, and the canteen will be open. The Legion requires proof of full vaccination for entry. There will be no exceptions. Masks will be required at the meeting.

This will be a combination in-person and a Zoom meeting. All members will receive a Zoom link. If you are not a member and wish to attend, please email us at wmrc.trainclub@gmail.com and we will send you a link.