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. 

Winnipeg's mystery model train manufacturer

One of the followers of the WMRC Facebook page discovered this unusual brass locomotive. He also sent an image of the cover of a price list that came with it. The locomotive was manufactured in Winnipeg in 1934 by The Miniature Locomotive works. It was located at 635 Garfield Street, and the name of the contact person is M.G. Winslow. 

A Google search of the property shows that there is a 1 1/2 Story house built in 1913 at that address, which leads us to assume that this was a cottage industry. Another Google search found M.G. Winslow as a member of the Winnipeg branch of the International Brotherhood of Live Steamers in 1953. The gauge is difficult to discern as there isn't any other object to compare it to in these images. Does anyone have any other information about this mysterious Winnipeg model railroad manufacturer?

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club cancels their November meeting

We are deeply saddened to announce that the November meeting of the WMRC, scheduled for Friday, November 13,  has been cancelled. When October's meeting was cancelled due to the city going into code orange from COVID-19 concerns, we were hoping that things would improve in a month. But now the situation has worsened, and we've gone from code orange to code red. 

Hopefully, things might improve in December. If so, our next meeting will be on Friday, December 11. We will continue to inform and entertain our members and the general public as best we can social media on Facebook and this site.  Stay safe, everyone!

NMRA to hold virtual convention on Saturday, May 13

The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) is holding another virtual convention this Saturday, June 13. The complete schedule of events is listed below.

A total of twelve hours of live content begins at 6:00PM EST. Please adjust the times according to your time zone. Another virtual convention has been scheduled for Saturday, June 27.

You may use the NMRA Facebook page or the NMRA Facebook group to view the convention. You do not need a Facebook account in order to view the event. Simply click on the first link below to the Facebook page and you're all set! While you cannot comment, you can still watch and learn. Ignore all prompts to create an account or sign in.

The NMRA Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/NMRA.org/
The NMRA group Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nmragroup/

If you missed any of the previous events, all of the videos have been saved on the NMRA You Tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/c/NMRAORGModelRailroading

NMRA-X clinics have been posted on-line on Facebook

Did you miss any part of the NMRA-X virtual convention last Saturday, or the virtual convention that was held on April 24th and 25th? Fear not, because they’re on-line, and anyone, including those who are not NMRA members, can view them!

All you have to do is go to https://www.facebook.com/pg/NMRA.org/videos/ to watch these great model railroading clinics anytime, anywhere, or anyplace with your cell phone, tablet or computer.
You don't need a Facebook account to view them.

You can also catch many NMRA videos on their You Tube channel at:
http://www.youtube.com/c/NMRAORGModelRailroading

The next NMRA-X virtual convention will be held on Saturday, May 30. Other NMRA-X virtual conventions are slated for Saturday, June 13th and Saturday, June 27th.

NMRA to hold another virtual model railroad convention tomorrow

The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) is holding another virtual convention this Saturday, May 16. The convention, titled NMRA-X, will bring another session of clinics and layout tours right to your computer. The complete schedule of events is listed below.

A total of twelve hours of live content begins at 6:00PM EST. Please adjust the times according to your own time zone. Another virtual convention has been scheduled for Saturday, May 30.

You may use either the NMRA Facebook page or the NMRA Facebook group to view the convention. You do not need a Facebook account in order to view the event. Simply click on the first link below to the Facebook page and you're all set! While you cannot comment, you can still watch and learn. Ignore all prompts to create an account or sign in.

The NMRA Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/NMRA.org/
The NMRA group Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nmragroup/

NMRA to hold virtual convention on Facebook this weekend

The NMRA British Region has come up with a wonderful idea! To make up for all of the national and regional model railroad conventions have been cancelled this spring due to COVID-19, they have created a virtual convention.

The convention will be held on April 24 and 25. It starts at Midnight in the UK, which six hours ahead of central standard time and five hours ahead of eastern standard time. Please adjust the time to your local time zone.

They will have clinicians and layout tours from across the world, representing the true global nature of the hobby and the NMRA. Every hour they will have a different clinician start a clinic using Facebook live in the NMRA Facebook Group.

The convention is open to anyone who is a member of the NMRA Facebook page.

A schedule of clinicians and tours have been posted on their Facebook page.  Their Facebook link is:  https://www.facebook.com/events/s/nmra-x-virtual-facebook-conven/1474263012755341/

Gateway Western Railway closed until further notice

Tuesday nights are no longer Gateway nights for members of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club or the Winnipeg Railway Museum. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all operations at the Gateway have been suspended until further notice. The Winnipeg Railway Museum is also closed due to the pandemic.

The Gateway Western is almost as old as the WMRC itself. There have been several Gateway layouts in different locations for well over a half a century. The first one was on the main floor of Winnipeg's Union Station. That layout was torn down to make room for a larger bathroom for the station.

Its next incarnation was at Gooch's hobbies in its Sherbrook street location. This layout was taken apart and stored in a local warehouse when Gooch's hobbies moved their store to Portage Avenue.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum, the Gateway was once again resurrected and returned to its original location at Union Station. A tireless band of volunteers assembled an insulated, heated structure within the museum that houses what is now the largest permanent layout in the province.

When the health crisis has abated, the Gateway and the Winnipeg Railway Museum will reopen. Notices of the reopening will be posted on this site and on the club's Facebook page.

Northwest Short Line is closing their doors

We are saddened to report that the Northwest Short Line is going out of business. Established in 1959, they offered a wide selection of quality model railroad upgrade and repair products. For 60 years they had been a premier manufacturer of wheel sets, gearboxes, replacement motors, tools, and other products for the advanced railroad modeller. Northwest Short Line operated out of Hamilton, Montana.

They will continue to fill orders for in-stock products until July 1, 2019. On their Facebook Page, they stated that the closure is for personal reasons. Sale of the business is not anticipated, but they will consider any and all reasonable proposals.

You can access their website at http://www.nwsl.com/

Assiniboine Valley Railway holds their second winter open house this weekend

The Assiniboine Valley Railway is holding their second winter open house for 2018 this weekend.They're open from 1:00PM to 4:00PM on both Saturday, December 29 and Sunday, December 30. Rides  are still only two bucks, and a 12 ride pass is still only $20! Kids two and under ride for free. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

When we posted the news about the AVR's first winter open house for 2018 on Facebook, we were inundated by the response! 79, 542 people saw the post, and we had 873 shares. However, we don't know if this response reflected the actual attendance at this event (but we sure hope that it did).
 
The AVR is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west for Assiniboine Park.  Look for the signs on the road!

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club creates new members-only Facebook page

The WMRC has created a new members-only Facebook page called the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club Chat Room. This is a members-only page where we can discuss and share all sorts of topics about the hobby that we all love! But you have to be a member to join in on the fun! You can join up by going to https://www.facebook.com/groups/750121262009047/

Winnipeg's Anthony David James models graffiti on model railroad rolling stock

The neat thing about this site is that you never know when a fellow hobbyist or modeller will come out of the blue with a surprising creation. This happened just last week when Anthony David James contacted us through the WMRC Facebook page. He’s a very talented artist and designer who has created some striking and realistic graffiti designs on model railroad rolling stock.

He is offering them for sale, and he will also do custom design work. He is based in Winnipeg, You can contact him via email at Spareoh204@gmail.com

Selling model trains at a yard sale? Let us know!

Last month a woman contacted us who wanted to sell her late husband's collection of model railroad equipment. When she mentioned that she was going to have a yard sale which included this equipment, we posted notice of the sale on this site, and on our Facebook page. We are pleased to report that as a result of our posts, she managed to sell off most of the late husband's collection.

Thanks to the success of those posts, we're going to offer the same service to anyone in the Winnipeg area who plans to sell any model railroad equipment at a public yard sale, and at a public yard sale only. For privacy and security reasons, we will not accept notices for private sales. That's what Kijiji is for.

So, if you're holding a yard sale, and have some model railroad equipment to sell, let us know by posting a reply on this site or on our Facebook page. We'll post it for free, and you don't have to be a member of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club!

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club blog surpasses 100,000 views

Last week the WMRC blog hit the 100,00 views mark, and kept on going! As of this writing, we've reached 100,373! This is quite a remarkable achievement, considering that the blog had only started in October 2013. On-line interest in the WMRC has exceeded all expectations, and it's had a very positive effect on the club. Membership is up, and the blog (along with our very popular Facebook page) has become the major source for model railroading news and events in the province!

The WMRC blog is not just about club activities. It's for all model railroaders and rail fans. We will continue to post all events concerning the model railroading community in this province, regardless of whatever organization it may come from, and we hope you'll continue reading this blog!

Ride the Assiniboine Valley Railway again this Boxing Day Weekend

Boy, everyone sure loves the Assiniboine Valley Railway at Christmas time! We got over 4,500 likes on the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's Facebook page from just one post on December 16! The AVR will be running again tomorrow on Boxing Day and on Sunday, December 27, and they'll be running on January 2 & 3, weather permitting. Hours are from 1:00 to 4:00, and a ride is only two bucks! A 12 ride pass is a bargain at just $20, and it's good for any AVR Public Event! Children two years of age and under ride for free. All minors must be accompanied by an adult. They're located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park.

Model railroading - also an art form?

   We've had an unusual amount of response when our last post about Chris Burden's model railroad sculpture was posted on the WMRC's Facebook page. But the best reply came from our own John Longhurst, who made a post on his own blog, the Manitoba and Minnesota Subdivision, about an Canadian visual artist named Kim Adams who also uses model railroading equipment in his art, which was displayed in the Art Gallery of Ontario.

    Whether you agree with his approach or not, he might be on to something, because he was awarded the Gershon Iskowitz prize of $50,000 for his efforts! You can buy a lot of ground foam for that kind of money!

    To see John's post on Kim Adams, click here.  To read more about Kim Adam's 2013 exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, click here.

Yes folks, this is considered a sculpture by the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Back by popular demand: The Gateway Western layout plan

    One of our loyal readers asked us if we could re-post the layout plan of the Gateway Western. Your wish is our command! Post for the Gateway Western have proven to be extremely popular on this blog site, and on our Facebook page as well.

     To further meet this demand, we have put in a Gateway Western index on this site. Scroll down the page and you'll find it on the right hand side. All of the posts about the Gateway Western are there! All you have to do is click on one of the links, and you're there!

The Assiniboine Valley Railway is rolling again this weekend!

   We are very pleased to announce that the Assiniboine Valley Railway is having their next open house this weekend. The trains will be running from 1PM to 4PM on both Saturday and Sunday at 3001 Roblin Boulevard.

    Last weekend, they held their first winter open house since the passing of their founder, the late great Bill Taylor, in August of 2013. Outside of former WMRC President Ed Mulholland's announcement of the AVR's forthcoming open houses at the WMRC's December meeting, there was virtually no publicity for the event (not even a mention on their own website).

    The day after the WMRC's December meeting,  the news was posted on this blog site and on the WMRC's Facebook page. The FB notice got 500 views in just a few hours! Watching the numbers come in was like watching the gas gauge at the pump turn while you're filling up your car! This shows not only the power of social media, but of the interest in the AVR itself!

    We sent our top investigative reporter out to the AVR open house to cover the event last Sunday. As you can see by the photographic evidence, it was business as usual at the AVR! They had steady and respectable crowds on both days, and they're hoping for the same this coming weekend.

    And they'll certainly get that! Another FB post about the AVR on the WMRC's Facebook page has garnered over 4000 views and 50 shares! AVR President Len LaRue was on CBC Radio One's noon program on Wednesday, They gave him a full ten minutes to promote the event! He was also on the CBC 24 Hours supper time news show that night, and the evenwas also promoted on the noon hour radio news on boxing day.

    Riding the AVR at Christmas has become an important Winnipeg traditions for many Winnipeg families. Although the lights aren't up and there are no evening runs, people still want to ride the trains through the forest! And there's still plenty of deers to see while you're enjoying the ride!

Photos of the original Gateway Western in the 70's and 80's

    Mark Perry, who is one of the WMRC's Facebook friends, has shared these wonderful photos of the original Gateway Western Railway on the club's FB page.

   The first Gateway Western was in its own room on the main floor of Winnipeg's Union Station, long before Via Rail took the building over. It was a landmark for decades until the club was forced to demolish it to make way for a new bathroom.

   Since then, it has been revived first as a modular group, then as a permanent display at Gooch's Hobbies, and no finally back to its original place (albeit one floor above) back at the station in the Winnipeg Railway Museum!

    The image above was taken in the 70's.  Bob Whitehouse is seen on the left, bending over the layout as Lindsey Fuller looks on.

    The image below was taken in the 80's. Jim Jenkins is seen in the back, while Dave Kyliuk switches out one of the industry tracks on the layout.

They find the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club on Facebook!

The WMRC blog site has passed the 22,000 reader mark, and our Facebook page is also gaining in popularity! It's become the voice of the club! Many people have been messaging us, asking all sorts of questions about the club, our activities, and membership inquiries through Facebook. We also get a lot of inquiries about selling trains, but we don't mind that at all, for that is part of the hobby!

Several groups have found us through Facebook, such as the Sioux Valley Railway Historical Society and Museum, the Endless Mountains Model Railroad Club and York Modelmaking. We've also "liked" the Assiniboine Valley Railway, the Winnipeg Railway Museum, the Prairie Dog Central, Model Railroader magazine, and White River Productions, so you can follow all of their posts on our FB site.

We're striving to make this blog site and our FB site the place to be for all model railroaders and rail fans in Manitoba, and it's not just for our members! Anyone can join Facebook and visit out page at https://www.facebook.com/WinnipegModelRailroadClub.