Frog and Diamond Hobbyworks to hold grand opening of ther train room on July 6

If you’re going out to the Weston yards to see the CPKC 2816 on July 6, then why not make it a complete train day and stop over to the Frog and Diamond Hobbyworks too! They’ll be holding the grand opening their train room in their basement, featuring several operating layouts in various scales, ranging from HO to N to T-track!

The shop is also creating a special group independent of the store where members will be able to operate the layouts. Owner Tony Prud’homme also plans to hold clinics for the members. A contest has been held to name the group, and the name will be announced on July 6.

Everything in the store will be 10% off on July 6. You also have the option of spinning the turntable of temptation, where you try your luck and might get an even bigger discount!

Tony’s birthday is also on July 6, so be sure to say (or sing) happy birthday to him. You can even bring him a card!

The Frog and Diamond is located at 301 Bowman Avenue. They're open from 10AM to 5PM from Tuesday to Saturday, and from 10AM to 8PM on Mondays. 
 

John Bate wins first prize in two model categories

WMRC President John Bate (L) is seen receiving the first place award for freight cars from model contest chair Marvin fetch at the club's AGM and banquet held in May.

WMRC president John Bate walked away with two awards at the club’s AGM and banquet, held at CN’s Winnipeg campus. He won first prize in the freight car category for his model of a bulkhead flat car with a payload. He also won first prize in the structures category for his model of the CPR #5 standard station.

The N scale flat car was Prairie Shadows CN bulkhead flat car. John scratch built the stakes from styrene strips cut to length with  chopper tool. The hay bales were made of garden twine cut to short lengths and separated into individual strands. He cut scotch tape in strips 3/8” wide and 3” long, then sifted the twine fibers onto the tape. He rolled up the strips to form the bales.

He built the N scale station from a Monashee Laser engineering kit. The L-shaped platform was scratch built. The roof shingles were painstakingly applied one row at a time. He painted the station with an airbrush and stained the platform with colours of Hunterline stains.

 

 

John created the hay bales for this model out of garden twine attached to strips of scotch tape.

 

 

John scratch built the platform of this model of a CPR #5 standard station.

The CPKC 2816 Empress steam train is coming to Winnipeg

It has been 17 years since the 2816 Empress steam train has been in Manitoba. But on Saturday, July 6, it will arrive in Winnipeg its way back from a historic journey from Calgary to Mexico to celebrate the merger of the Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern.

Please note that he date has been changed from its previous arrival date of June 30. The date was pushed back to accommodate changes to required locomotive maintenance and inspections. The train will arrive at the Weston shops, 949 Jarvis Avenue at 9:00AM on July 6.

A celebration open to the public will be held from noon to 4PM. Visitors will be able to tour a mobile museum exhibit highlighting the history and the future of the CPKC. The Puffer Belly Express, a miniature version of the 2816, will be on site offering free train rides. Admission is free.

The train will be entering Canada through the Emerson subdivision. It will continue its journey back to Calgary on the CPKC mainline. It will be in Brandon on July 7. Winnipeg is the last event stop of the tour.

CPKC strongly cautions that rail fans should keep clear of railway property and the right of way, which extends 15 metres (50 feet) from the centre of the tracks on either side. It is unsafe and illegal to be on railway property.

For more information about this event, click here.