It's movie night at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club!

It's movie and popcorn night at our next meeting,and we've got some dandies for you!

WMRC member Neil Carlton has supplied us with a CD with some footage on it that he shot when he worked as a cameraman for the CBC. On the CD is a short clip on the 1983 NMRA Winnipeg Jamboree National Convention and a clip featuring the late Paul Schuff as he discusses the trials and tribulations of VIA Rail while on The Canadian travelling on CP tracks from Winnipeg to Kenora. There's also a piece shot on the Prairie Dog Central out of their old St. James Street Station, with Peter Jordan travelling to Grosse Isle for Thanksgiving dinner. 

After a short break for more popcorn and donuts, you'll watch the IMAX movie Rocky Mountain Express featuring Canadian Pacific's 2816 Empress. This movie is very highly acclaimed and up until last year, could only be seen at an IMAX theater. 

Our meeting starts on Friday, February 10 at 7:30PM at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. We'll have our model display, a 50-50 draw and the canteen will be open! Not a member? Not a problem! Guests are always warmly welcomed. So come on out to movie night at the WMRC!

Rail fanning the Prairie Dog Central Railway

The Prairie Dog Central Railway is truly a Manitoba rail fan's most precious resource.  We don't post most of their events, because they're usually sold out! But if you can't ride on it, you can always watch it and get some great pictures, especially if the venerable #3 steam engine is operating.

The grounds are open, the ticket office is open from 9:30AM to 3:00PM Monday to Friday, and you can look - but don't touch! There are "No Trespassing" signs on those two CP G5 locomotives they got from Virginia last year.

If you're going during the weekends just to look around, please go early and leave well before 11:00AM, when the paying customers board the train. The only have so much parking space! Be sure to check out their gift shop at the station before you leave!

Rail fans have been shooting pictures along the trackside of the PDC's route since it started running decades ago. You can get some great pictures, but use some common sense as to where you chose to take those pictures. Stay well away from the track! If you're following the train along the road, choose a level crossing on a side road, and not on highway 6, which is one of the province's most dangerous roads.

Two great places to view the train are their two main stops at Grosse Isle and Warren, but make sure to check their ticket schedule, as the train doesn't always go to Warren.

It's a little tricky getting to their Inkster Junction location since they moved the highway, but all you need to do if follow the directions to the station by clicking here.  Happy railroading!

All aboard the Prairie Dog Central for Father's Day!

   What better way to celebrate Father's Day than a trip with dad on the Prairie Dog Central? Steam locomotive No. 3 will be operating on that day! Listen for it's unmistakable whistle, along with the conductor’s "all aboard", which indicates it’s time to be on our way.

    Enjoy the company of family and friends as you ride across the prairie. Tap your feet to the live on board Blue Grass music and immerse yourself in the presentation by our 1911 passenger agent. During the stopover at Grosse Isle, savor the goodies freshly prepared by the vendors, or just kick back and enjoy more Blue Grass tunes.

    Tickets are $28.00 for adults (14 years old and up), tickets for children (ages 2-13) are $21.95. Children two years old and under ride for free when seated on the knee. If you require a seat for a child two and under, please purchase a children's ticket.

    The train departs at 11:00 AM  at the Prairie Dog Central's Inkster Station, and returns at 2:45 PM.You can buy tickets two hours prior to departure at the station, but they might be sold out by then, so it's preferable to buy the tickets online on their website. Go to http://pdcrailway.com for more information.

Railfanning the Prairie Dog Central

    What better way could there be to spend a summer weekend than riding on the Prairie Dog Central? You can buy a ticket at the station from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM at the station, but it is advisable to order tickets online and in advance, as some of their special events sell out pretty fast!

    Please note that because of the CentrePoint highway project, it's a little trickier to get to the station than it was before. The big pile of gravel that blocked the road last year is gone, but now you have to veer off the main road to get there! For directions click on this link.

    The next best thing to riding on the train is railfanning it, but you should always do so at a proper distance. Please don't do so at the station if you're not going to buy a ticket, as parking is limited.

   But there are plenty of other places to get a good shot of the train. The track run parallel to Prairie Dog Central Road right to the Perimeter Highway. The tracks cross Sturgeon Road, Mollard Road and Paterson Road within the Perimeter. There is also a service road running parallel to the Perimeter Highway. Please don't stop on the Perimeter itself to take a picture - it's one of the busiest roads in the province!

    You can follow the train along Highway 6, but it is not advisable taking shots along the road, as that stretch of Highway 6 has been designated as one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the province. A safer and much more scenic place to stop would be to get off the highway and go  to Grosse Isle, where the train often stops, or to Warren, which is the terminus of the PDC. The tracks also cross Highway 67, Highway 321 and Highway 322.

    Always remember to stay off the tracks at all times, and keep a safe distance from the train. Happy railfanning, and keep safe!