Come one, come all to the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club’s clinic carnival and Christmas hot dog banquet!

It’s clinic carnival time! We’re going to have four great presentations plus our annual Christmas hot dog banquet. See Winnipeg’s greatest model railroaders share their skills while you feast on hot dogs, chips, drinks and coffee.

John Bate will demonstrate how to build a turnout using the Fast Tracks Templates and using servos to control turnouts. Richard Mikolayenko will show how to super detail model figures. Neil Carlton will conduct a clinic on installing a Keep Alive decoder in passenger cars. There will also be a demonstration on using using car cards for switching using a John Allen time saver layout.

As a special treat, we’re going to air fry the hot dogs! Dig through your drawers and find your favourite ugly Christmas sweater to wear to the meeting! Don’t forget to bring a tin for the bin!

So come on down to the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard on Friday, December 16th at 7:00 PM. Guests are always warmly welcomed. There are no more COVID - related restrictions at the Legion. The room will be open by 6:00pm, so feel free to arrive early to chat and help set up the room.
 

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club holds first Clinic Carnival in two years

 Come one, come all to the WMRC’s first clinic carnival in two years! The fun begins on Friday, December 10, at 7:00 PM at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. The starting time of our meetings has been permanently changed from 7:30 to 7:00.
   We will also be holding our Christmas Hot Dog Banquet, so bring your appetites! We have a great line up of Winnipeg’s finest model railroaders who will demonstrate their skills.
        
        Robert Weaver – Photo Editing: Robert is amassing a collection of old photos, slides and negatives. He will show how he tackles the job to improve the quality of the images. Robert will explain the software that he uses.
        Marcel Blair – Resurrecting an Alco Models Brass Diesel: Marcel will show how he gets an old brass diesel model to run again. Replacement parts for a 40 year old model need to be found and adapted to fit. Here is your opportunity to learn how you can rebuild it!
        John Bate – Fast Tracks turnouts: John is a N Scale modeller who builds his turnouts using Fast Tracks jigs. Whether you model in N, HO or O Scale, if you want to build your own turnouts, the Fast Tracks system will work for you. A demonstration of using servo motors to control the turnouts will also be done.
        Larry Leavens - Freight Car Tune Up: What do you do with that $5 prize freight car you bought at Mega Train when it will not stay on the rails? A little tune up is needed. Couplers, correct weight and new wheel sets will greatly improve the performance of any rail car. Most ready to run cars are too light and might derail on curves or while being pushed through a turnout. The NMRA has a standard weight practice that will keep them on the rails. The Kadee coupler has become the standard coupler for HO today. For most cars it’s a simple swap, but for others it may take some work. Replacing plastic wheel sets with metal ones will greatly improve the operation.    
        Neil Carleton – Weathering: Neil will show how you can weather your rolling stock and structures using pan pastels and AK pencils. He'll have some models that he's working on so you can see his technique.
        Tyler Fedoroshyn – Model Building: Tyler will show samples of custom detailed and weathered locomotives along with 3D printed detail parts that he's created with his 3D Resin Printer. Tyler will also display an early winter scene in a freelanced village.
        
              The Legion requires proof of full vaccination for entry. Masks will be required at the meeting. Please bring a "tin for the bin" for Winnipeg Harvest. We will have a photo display, but there will be no model display.  If you can’t make it, please email us at wmrc.trainclub@gmail.com and we’ll send you a link. Only the business portion of the meeting will be broadcast on Zoom.
 

The future of model railroading

WMRC Vice President wrote a poignant and thought provoking essay on the future of model railroading, which was published in the 2015 summer special edition of The Lantern, the official publication of the WMRC. We are posting it in its entirety.

 
By Dave Downie

   One of the the things that I've been amazed at has been the pace of change in our hobby. Most of us got our start in the hobby many years ago when the pace of life and changes in technology were a lot slower. Looking back just over the last 2 decades, I'm amazed at how everything has changed. Some of these changes have been improvements while other changes, have not been for the best.

   Who could have imagined the affect that technology would have on our hobby? The Internet has changed the way we communicate, conduct research and purchase supplies. This has had a serious affect on hobby shops and publishing companies to name just two examples. Another significant change has been the dramatic increase in the average age of model railroaders as the hobby fails to attract new participants.

   Not everything that has taken place over the last 20 years has been negative. Far from it. Looking at the quality and variety of new products entering the marketplace, we could say that we are in the middle of the greatest period that the hobby has ever seen. Consider Digital Command Control (DCC), locomotives with sound, manufacturers like Rapido, Fast Tracks and others that supply products that we could only dream about 20 years ago.

The question that I ask is: What is Model Railroading's Future?

   Because of the aging demographics, we may reach a point where it may not be financially feasible for retailers and manufacturers to remain in business if the market for model railroad supplies shrinks rather than grows.

   The solution of course is to attract new people into the hobby. This is easier said than done. Research has shown that the hobby attracts fewer teenagers today and that many new model railroaders are now older than 30 who are now established with careers and families. Many of these people never had a train set as a kid and were raised in a generation with computers and video games. With the decrease in the number of hobby shops, the hobby's public exposure is decreasing, not increasing. This creates more challenges for the hobby.

So what can we do?

We need to ensure that the hobby gets exposure.

   The WMRC is leading the way to promote the hobby and, as club members, we all have a role to play. The executive is committed to create a friendly and respectful environment where all people with an interest in the hobby can enjoy themselves while participating in club activities.

   Our blog site has been up for less than 2 years and has had over 53,000 visits from people all over the world. This gives an insight to the club and the hobby that wasn't possible 20 years ago. We need to build on this exposure.

   The clinics that are held at our monthly meetings need to cover all aspects of our wonderful hobby. Each member probably has a technique that they use to build models or their layout. Consider putting on a clinic. Your efforts will be appreciated.

   We have a terrific location for our meetings in the basement of the Charleswood Legion. Invite a family member or friend to attend as a guest. We are not an elitist club, we are a friendly club.

   The Gateway Western layout within the Winnipeg Railway Museum has created a great opportunity for the club because it will not only showcase the hobby and club to the museum's visitors but it allows members the opportunity to participate in the construction of the layout. What better way to contribute to the club's legacy by building something at the Gateway. Every Tuesday night the “work crew” is at the Gateway. Come on out and participate. What better way to learn than by participating. You will also make new friends. I should also tell you that the Gateway is now open for members to operate. Bring out some equipment and run some trains. Come on out on a Tuesday and learn the protocol to getting access to the layout.

   WMRC club members participate in the Manitoba Mega Train Show, Doors Open Winnipeg, Railway Days at the Winnipeg Railway Museum and host our own WMRC Open House to promote the hobby. These are great opportunities to showcase our hobby. We ask all members to help out.

   It is up to all of us to help promote our great hobby. The WMRC is 60 years old and we have a rich history. Our current members will have a tremendous impact on the club's future and the hobby's future in Winnipeg.

What can you do to help out?