All aboard for Train Day at the Portage La Prairie Model Railroad Club on June 6

Train Day at the Portage Model Railroad Club is happening next Saturday, June 6. This club opens its doors to the public just twice a year, so don't miss out on this opportunity to view all of their spectacular layouts housed in the fully restored Portage CPR station. It takes place from 10AM to 3PM at the Portage CPR station, 301 3rd. street N.E. in Portage La Prairie. Admission is just five bucks. Kids under 12 get in for free!

Winnipeg Model Railroad Clubmourns passing of former member Fred Shannon

This image of Fred Shannon is from the Rails MRSK page on Facebook.

Former WMRC member Fred Shannon passed away this week. Fred was an active member of the club until he moved to rural Manitoba, but he remained a very enthusiastic model railroader and rail fan all of his life.  Fred was a life long employee of the CPR. He had recently bought his retirement home near Emerson, Manitoba, and regularly posted his rail fanning pictures from that location on RailsMBSK onFacebook . Fred will be remembered for opening his impressive HO layout to hundreds of NMRA members for viewing during Railway Jamboree, the 1983 NMRA national convention held in Winnipeg. 

Portage Model Railroad Club to hold holiday train day

The Portage Model Railroad club is holding a holiday train day on Saturday, December 13. The club, located in the historic renovated CPR station, is open to the public just a few days each year, so don't miss out on this opportunity to visit them! 

They have several spectacular layouts, and they're right next to the CPKC mainline, so there's opportunities abound to see lots of model and prototype trains! They're open from 10 AM to 3PM on Saturday, December 13 at the CPR station, 3rd. street northeast in Portage La Prairie. Admission is just five bucks, and kids under 12 get in for free.

Luca Matyas builds a Prairie Dog Central Railway caboose

Luca Maytas submitted this model of the Prairie Dog Central caboose for the model display at the WMRC’s March meeting. The caboose model was originally CPR and didn't really fit in on Luca’s CN layout, but it looked close enough to the Prairie Dog Central Railways caboose number 109.

Other than making the wire handrails, the kit was pretty easy to put together. He mixed a few different colours until he got close enough to the darker green that PDCR uses. Luca hand painted the entire model, and then printed off two PDCR logos for the sides.

Pictured below is the prototype as it appears today. What a great job Luca did on modelling it! 

 

Canadian Museum for Human Rights honours Canada's black sleeping car porters

In honour of Black History month, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights has posted a moving article about Canada's black sleeping car porters who worked for the CPR and the CNR. Although the position was considered a good job for black Canadians, they were subject to various hardships such as not having a place to sleep during a grueling 72 hour run. You can read the post by clicking here. 

There is also a short animation posted on You Tube concerning the organization of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, produced by Historica Canada, which you can view by clicking here.
 

Two great clinics on tap for Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's February Zoom meeting

The WMRC will present two great clinics at their next virtual meeting in February. First, Tommy Kucera will present "A CPR supervisor's journal book", which is an artifact from the 1930s used by at least 3 CPR supervisors in the Western region. It is neither a log book or a diary, but a compendium of odds-and-ends that the supervisors found interesting, useful and important. 

After that, WMRC Secretary Marvin Fetch will present "The Carson & Cobourg Railroad". Marvin and his good friend Vern Gibson have been building one of Winnipeg's finest model railroads with unsurpassed levels of detail. He will describe the construction and operation of this masterpiece while showing photos of the layout. 

The club will still be holding their monthly Photo Contest. Members can send in their photos (model or prototype) to Bart Hasselfield at wmrcphotocontest@gmail.com. The photos will be shown at the meeting during the break. One lucky entry will win a $20 gift certificate. The deadline for submissions is 5:00pm on Friday, Feb 12.

The meeting starts on-line at 7:30 PM on Friday, February 12. Members have already received the Zoom link. If you are not a member and wish to attend the virtual meeting, please contact us at wmrc.trainclub@gmail.com. Guests (even virtual ones) are always warmly welcomed!

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club to hold their first social distant meeting of the season

Two power point programs are scheduled for our first meeting of the season. First, Mike Budde will demonstrate how to create your own model using hollow core resin castings.

Mike is a model railroader with a passion for cars and trucks  He wanted to model the bi-level and tri-level auto racks used by railways in the 1960's and 70’s, but he couldn't afford to buy models of the cars or trucks to fill his auto racks, so he learned how to make his own. Learn how Mike creates exquisite models. Mike is a regular on the “What's Neat This Week” YouTube channel.

After that, we will have a power point demonstration featuring Winnipeg railroads in the 1950's, which includes CNR steam, CPR steam, a few Royal Hudsons and street cars. Very few of these photos have ever been published. Some are in colour.

The meeting starts at 7:30PM on Friday, September 11 in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard.  We will still hold the photo and the model displays, but the canteen will be closed. 

There will be no 50/50 draw. Chairs will be properly placed as required. The draw for the two diesel engines, which usually takes place at the AGM, will be held at this meeting. Social distancing will be observed, and masks are mandatory.
 

Cliff Davidson wins Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's first photo cover contest

   Cliff Davidson, recording secretary for the WMRC, won the very first photo cover contest held by the club. He received a  prize of $15 and got his photo on the cover of The Lantern, the official publication of the WMRC. November's theme was “Railway Faces” and the possibilities were endless!

   "This is definitely a new face in the city." Said Cliff.  It was taken as the oil train was getting ready to head east out of the CPR yard on Oct.17th, 2014 at 5:07 PM. It was taken with a Canon Power ShotSX50 @ 1/200 sec., ISO-125, at F5.6. This Kansas City Southern ES44AC, #4683 was paired with CP AC4400, #9539. They had just backed unto an oil consist which would be heading south on the Emerson Sub. KCS is my favorite US Railroad and color scheme."

   One prize will be awarded each month in the amount of $30, if the Lantern editor receives 10 entries or more. If there are fewer than 10 entries then the awarded prize will be set at $15.

    Only one entry per member will be accepted and the document must be in a vertical format, 7.5" x 10" with a minimum resolution of 130 pixels per inch. Each entry must be taken during the current club year. Please include your name, the date taken and a brief description of the entry. If possible, please include the technical camera information regarding the exposure, etc.

    All entries to be submitted to the Lantern editor on the Saturday preceding The Lantern mailing (two weekends before the next meeting). The December issue of The Lantern should be in everyone's inbox very soon. The theme for the December issue was "In the spirit of a railway Christmas." Who will the winner be this month?