Neil Carelton displays Athearn Hustler at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's January meeting

WMRC member Neil Carleton brought this Athearn Hustler that he has been working on to the club's January monthly model display. He is using it to test the colors and making before repainting a larger, more expensive model.

He stripped the paint off by using a watered down lye solution. Then he painted it with Tamiya primer and masked and airbrushed it with Rapido acrylic Proto paint in classic CPR colors. He decorated it with Black Cat decals and sprayed it with Testors dull coat. Windows and headlight lenses were made with clear acetate and Testors clear part cement and window maker.  He finished the model by weathering it with pan pastels.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club to hold their annual banuet on May 10

The WMRC is winding up another great season with our annual banquet! We'll also be holding our annual general meeting and presenting awards to the winners of our photo and model contests. It's being held on Friday, May 10, at the Canad Inns Polo Park in Alto's Restaurant, which is located at 1405 St. Matthews Avenue. The Hotel puts on a wonderful buffet with a large choice of foods. You can also order from a menu. 

Cocktails and dinner will start at 6:00PM, and the AGM will begin at 7:30PM. There will be a great many prizes  up for grabs again this year, not to mention the ever popular elimination draw for one HO Athearn Genesis CN GP38-2W complete with DCC and sound.  The second prize is an N scale  Atlas BNSF Dash 8-408W. Ticket sales are five bucks each, and they will be limited to 60. Buy an arms length of tickets for five bucks for a chance at winning one or more of over 40 prizes of HO and N scale rolling stock, buildings and scenery effects. Hope to see you all there!

Norm Leathers shows his Aerotrain model at Winnipeg Model railroad Club's monthly model display

In the 1950’s General Motors was asked to produce a lightweight high speed passenger train. The result was the GM Aerotrain which consisted of a streamlined locomotive and cars which were widened GM bus bodies. The four wheeled cars were rough riding and though some railroads tried them, no railroads bought them. Bowser eventually bought the dies from Varney for an ‘HO’ version and this is what Norm started with.

The Bowser kit was not powered and so Norm started by sawing off the cross member of the frame that was supported by the front truck. An Athearn switcher was used for power. The switcher body was removed and the frame was cut in front of the rear truck.

The frames of the kit and the switcher were filed so that the locomotive would be level when the frames were joined. The frames were joined using epoxy cement. The frames were placed so that the plastic bearing covers were in the proper positions at the ends of the switcher axles. A decoder was fitted to the Athearn Chassis.

The wheels on the cars were pushed into slots on the ends of posts fitted to the cars. Friction was so great that the locomotive could not pull the three cars in the set. Parts from Rivarossi three axle passenger trucks were modified to accommodate Kadee wheel sets. The locomotive now easily pulls eight cars.

Norm leathers is seen viewing an actual Aerotrain at a railway museum in the states.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club to hold annual banquet on May 12

The WMRC is winding up another great season with our Annual General Meeting and Awards Night. This year, it is being held on Friday, May 12, at a new location, at the Canad Inns Polo Park in Alto's Restaurant, which is located at 1405 St. Matthews Avenue. 

Cocktails and dinner (buffet style or order from their menu) will start at 6:00PM, and the AGM will begin at 7:30PM. After the AGM, we’ll have our annual awards presentation.

After the awards presentation, we’ll have plenty of door prizes and “arm's length” raffle ticket prizes (that’s where you buy your arm’s length of tickets) to give out, as well as our now-famous elimination draw! This time the elimination draw will be for an DCC Atlas Classic CPR C424 locomotive with sound and a matching Athearn CPR caboose.

Suzanne Lemon wins Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's model contest special event

 WMRC photo contest chair and spring open house coordinator Suzanne Lemon won the club's special event in their annual model contest for her model of a Woodside frame boxcar. The special event's theme for 2016 was to build a "shake a box kit" manufactured by Athearn or a similar model manufacturer. Extra points were given if the WMRC 60th anniversary logo was included on the model.

   What made Suzanne's submission unique and outstanding was that she modelled the inside of the car, as well as the outside! Congratulations Suzanne, for a job well done! Second place went to Morgan Turney for his model of a CP boxcar with graffiti. Third place went to Aaron Woloshyn for his model of a PROX tank car.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual model contest deadline is just over two weeks away

With the WMRC annual model contest deadline looming, contest chair Morgan Turney has "shake-a-box" fever! For the club's monthly model display in March, he brought in this Athearn undecorated GP-7, which he's decorating in the colours of his beloved TH&B railway.

He's been building "shake-a-box" kits at a frantic pace, while his iPod plays a continuous loop of  "Shakin' all Over", "Shake it up Baby", "Shake, Rattle and Roll", and both the Sam Cooke and Otis Redding versions of "Shake". Every one in a while he stops to nourish himself with a plate of Shake N' Bake chicken, washed down with (wait for it) a milk shake!

He's so dedicated to "shake-a-box" kits that he takes real to run cars, removes their protective packaging, puts them back in the box and shakes them just so he can put back together all the broken pieces!

But seriously, folks - the special event for our annual model contest is to construct a "shake-a-box" kit, and you'll get an extra ten points if you include the 60th anniversary WMRC decal somewhere on the kit. We also have other contest categories, such as steam locomotives, diesels and others, passenger cars, freight cars, non-revenue, structures and displays. So be sure to bring your models down to the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion on Friday, April 1, after 6:00PM!  And don't forget your paperwork!

Aaron Woloshyn models a jobsite trailer

Aaron Woloshyn brought in a unique model to the club's February model display. He scratch built a job site trailer using Evergreen brand sheet styrene. He added an air conditioner and a custom made decal of a major Winnipeg company.

Aaron was able to get accurate measurements for his model, as he spends a lot of time in and around these types of trailers,which are often used as site offices, meeting areas, or lunch rooms. Sometimes up to a dozen of them may be joined together to create large offices or dorms.

We would like to remind our members that our Spring show is fast approaching, and we'll accepting submissions in all categories for our annual model contest, including the structure category for building like the one Aaron submitted.

The special event category this year is to build a "shake a box" kit from Athearn or any other kit manufacturer. Extra points will be rewarded if you add a WMRC 60th anniversary decal to your model!

Morgan makes a "shake-a-box" kit

At our last meeting's model display, WMRC Program Director Morgan Turney submitted this "shake-a-box" kit he has been working on.  Morgan, who is also our annual model contest chair,  submitted it to serve as a subtle reminder to all of our members that our spring open house annual model contest is only two months away!

 This year's model contest special event is to make a "shake-a-box" kit, which is a slang term for any Athearn blue box kit,  but it could be any kit from any manufacturer, in any scale. Kits were once the staple of every model railroader, as they were easy to build and cheaper than buying ready-to-run models, but they have fast disappeared from the model railroading scene when prices for many ready-to-run models became cheaper than kits.

But there are still plenty of kits around, and this special event celebrates the proud tradition of actually building a piece of rolling stock! An extra ten points will be given to anyone who includes the WMRC 60th anniversary decal on their model.  If you don't have a decal, we have them for sale, and you can pick them up at our next meeting!

Everyone had a great time at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual Klinic Karnival

 Ian Plett shows how to install DCC in an Athearn locomotive. It's not as easy as it looks!

Six of Winnipeg's best model railroaders were on hand at the WMRC's meeting on December 11 to share their skills at the club's annual Klinic Karnival. Ian Plett demonstrated how to install DCC in an Athearn locomotive. WMRC Program Director Morgan Turney showed how to make realistic trees out of common plants and weeds.

Ron Einarson showed off his exceptional talents of modelling with wood, Aaron Woloshyn held a clinic on making hydro poles, and Richard Mikolayenko showed how to scratchbuild styrene models using photo references. Virginia Braun held a clinic on building station kits. She gave some great modelling hints on how to model realistic looking stucco using Elmer's Glue, toilet paper, and an egg beater!

And it was hot dog night! Every December, the club holds their "Christmas banquet" of hot dogs, chips and pop at their monthly meeting. Much thanks to our canteen staff - Jean and Godfrey South, and their children, Frances and Tommy, for cooking and serving up such a great meal!

 Richard Mikolayenko shows the photo references he uses for modelling structures.

 Aaron Woloshyn uses a few basic tools to make realistic hydro poles.

 Virginia Braun has a truly remarkable talent for building miniature structures!

With just a pinch of this, a dash of that, Morgan Turney has made another great looking tree!

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club holds annual Klinic Karnival

December is Klinic Karnival Month at the WMRC! Come on down to the Charleswood Legion on December 11 and learn from other members how to improve your model railroading skills. We'll have several table clinics set up and you can visit each one at your leisure and learn how they 'do their thing'.

Program director Morgan Turney has arranged for several clinic presentations. Ron Einarson will be modelling with wood, Aaron Woloshyn will be making hydro poles, Ian Plett will show you how to install DCC on Athearn 'blue box' locomotives. Morgan will also pitch in, and he'll be holding two clinics! The first will be a clinic on making trees from common plants and weeds, and the second will be on how to put an Athearn blue box kit together.

And don't forget that......

We're having our Annual 'Christmas Dinner'. Enjoy a delicious hot dog prepared by the South Family canteen crew. And please bring a non-perishable food item for the Christmas Cheer Board. The fun starts at 7:30PM at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. There's plenty of free parking, and visitors are always warmly welcomed! See you at the meeting!

Model Power going out of business

    Model Power, one of the oldest and largest model railroad and hobby manufacturers in North America, has announced that they are going out of business. As of April 24, they have stopped accepting new retail orders and customer service requests. The corporations stated that they will do their best to resolve all existing issues, returns and repairs that are currently in house.

     Their closing is a reflection of the sad state of the hobby industry, which has been gradually losing its client base over the past decades. As fewer and fewer people have taken up model railroading as a hobby, the once strong base of customers companies like Model Power depended on to sustain their business has been steadily eroding away.  As hobby shops continue to close, their distribution base has crumbled.

    Many model railroaders think of manufacturers of model railroad equipment as big businesses, but they are no more than cottage industries. As the actual manufacturing is now done overseas, companies like Model Power have been reduced to being small staffed distributors with extremely small profit margins.

     If Model Power can go out of business, who's next? Atlas? Athearn? Bachmann? Lionel?

     For more information on the closing of Model Power, please go to their link by clicking here.