It was worth the trip to visit Larry Skoglund's layout near Morris, Manitoba

Long time WMRC members Gary Stempnick and Marcel Blair watch the Arduino controlled drawbridge rise on Larry Skoglund's layout, located on a farm outside of Morris Manitoba.

For the first time in two years, the WMRC held their monthly meeting outside of Winnipeg. On October 18 they went to a farm outside of Morris, Manitoba to visit Larry Skoglund's spectacular HO layout. Larry's layout was in a large outbuilding attached to his barn, and it was packed with magnificent scenery and many Arduino controlled features. 

Buttons were placed along the layout which controlled the drawbridge, lighting and sound effects, which included thunder and lightning coming from a menacing cloud over a town. The layout also sported an alpine ski resort, complete with a downhill run and an operating ski lift. 

The drawbridge traversed a model of a harbour which featured boats that ran on HO tracks. A magnetic controlled bus rolled down a highway and stopped automatically when the drawbridge was open.

Sadly, this would be the last time this layout was to be displayed, for Larry had just sold his farm and now has to dismantle his layout. It was well worth the trip to go and see it!

Larry's layout features an alpine ski resort with a downhill run and an operating ski lift.

A huge thundercloud threatens this prairie railroad town. Press a button below the layout and you can hear the thunder and see the lightning!

Larry's layout featured a system of tracks recessed under his harbour where boats equipped with HO motors and wheels could sail around it.

Also featured was a hydro dam with lighting and sound effects made to simulate rushing water.

There was also plenty of rail action to see on Larry's layout. Note the use of photographic backdrops which blended seamlessly on his layout.

WMRC to meet in Morris, Manitoba for their October 2025 meeting

We usually meet on the second Friday of the month, but we've changed the date and the location of October's meeting. On Saturday, October 18 we'll be meeting in Morris, Manitoba to view Larry Skoglund's barn layout. There will also be a clinic on the ways you can use arduinos in your model railroad as on Larry's layout.

The meeting starts 1:00 PM. Most members will be meeting at the Santa Lucia restaurant at 111 Main Street in Morris at 11:00 AM for lunch before going to Larry's. Please bring a folding chair instead of a lawn chair due to limited space. We have a few folding chairs if you don't have one. There are no washroom facilities or refreshments available in Larry's barn. Please do not arrive earlier than 12:30 PM at Larry's place.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club holds another great clinic carnival and Christmas hot dog banquet

WMRC President John Bate conducts a clinic on Arduino animation and all of the fun things you can do with it, while Murray Brown and Bart Hasselfield look on.

What a great Christmas party we had on Friday the 13th! Rod Sarna, John Bate, Larry Leaven, Ian Plett and Marvin Fetch put on five great clinics for our annual clinic carnival while our members and distinguished guests feasted on expertly prepared gourmet hot dogs prepared by our master chef Mark McLellan! We even had a few former members, such as Ian and Zenon Lisakowski, drop by and join in on the fun!

The two Ians meet at last! Former member Ian Lisakowski watches WMRC program director Ian Plett conduct his model weathering clinic. 

Rob Sarna conducts his clinic on how to install a NixTrainz Decoder Buddy replacement board, a Soundtraxx decoder and speaker into an Atlas HO locomotive. Tony Prud'homme, owner of the Frog and Diamond Hobbyworks shows off his spiffy hoodie as he watches.

Long time members Tommy Kuchera (R)  and Marcel Blair watch Larry Leavens conduct a clinic on how to control a Tortoise switch machine from opposite sides of a layout with a simple circuit.

Marvellous and well seasoned Marvin Fetch conducted a clinic on how a seasoned model railroader constucts a building.

Come one, come all to the WMRC's annual Clinic Carnival and hot dog banquet!

It’s Clinic Carnival time! Every December the WMRC holds a clinic carnival, featuring some of Winnipeg’s finest modellers who will share their skills and talents with you!

This year Rob Sarna will show you how to install a NixTrainz Decoder Buddy replacement board, a Soundtraxx decoder and speaker into an Atlas HO locomotive.

Larry Leavens will conduct a clinic on turnout control from two sides of the layout. Larry had a need to control a Tortoise switch machine from opposite sides of his layout. It is usually controlled by a double pole double throw (DTDP) toggle switch at a single location. Larry found a simple circuit that replaces the toggle switch with a push button that can be installed at multiple locations. 

John Bate will hold a clinic on Arduino animation, all the cool things you can do with them.

Marvin Fetch will show you how a seasoned model railroader constructs a building.

Ian Plett will take you through the steps of weathering your models.

We are also holding our annual Christmas hot dog banquet at our December meeting. Feast on gourmet air fried hot dogs, chips, donuts and your favourite soda while our talented clinicians take you through the steps on how to improve your layout!

The fun starts on Friday, December 13 at 7:30PM in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. There will still be a model and photo display this month. Pleas bring a tin for the bin to help support some of the less fortunate in our community. All donations will be forwarded to the Christmas Cheer Board. 

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.

John Bate exhibits N scale signal at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's monthly model display

WMRC treasurer John Bate brought in this nifty N scale 2-over-2 signal that he has been working on to the club's monthly model display. He started with a laser-etched brass kit from Train Cat Models (now no longer available). It was assembled with CA, then some parts were re-done with solder. Some old lumpy steel colored paint gave it a rather poor finish. It was then modified to enable the installation of four extremely tiny LEDs.

There are eight wires hand-threaded through the main vertical tube. The Styrene parts below the signal are to enable it to be easily inserted and removed from the layout. An Arduino with a short test program is being used to cycle all of the LEDs to test them.

All aboard for the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's first event of the season

It's our first event of the season, and it looks like it's going to be a good one! It's also time to renew memberships, and we're always delighted to accept new members! Guests are always warmly welcomed, and there's never any pressure to join, so why not come down to the club and see what it's all about? 

Our September program is a follow-up to last year’s “Computers in Model Railroading” presentation by John Bate. This time the focus is on tiny computers called Arduinos, which  are small embedded processors that can become an integral part of any electrical or electronic system - including a model railroad. You could control a level crossing, build a train speedometer, eavesdrop on your DCC system, or build a complete CTC system with a dispatcher’s console implemented in hardware, or on a computer screen. All of these things will be demonstrated. It requires a little bit of programming, but you will see that this is not nearly as scary as it sounds. 

The fun starts at 7:30PM on Friday, September 8 at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. We'll also have our monthly model display, so come and see what our members had been working on during the summer!