Everyone had a great time at Railway Day at the Via Vail Station

WMRC President John Bate hands out stickers and brochures in the lobby of the Via Rail station at Railway Day last Sunday. 

Last Sunday's Railway Day in the lobby of the Via Rail station was well attended, and everyone had great time! The WMRC was in full force at the event. President John Bate and past president Larry Leavens manned the John Allen Timesaver switching layout. Past WMRC treasurer and current Winnipeg Railway Museum President Gary Stempnick brought along his portable N Gauge layout. 

WMRC secretary Brent Karr and Vice President Marvin Fetch displayed tour newest attraction, the Thomas the Tank Engine interactive layout, WMRC secretary Brent Karr and Vice president Marvin Fetch displayed our newest attraction, the Thomas the Tank Engine interactive layout, which was Brent's idea, and built by Brent, Gino Kost and Larry Leavens. WMRC spring program chair and webmaster Murray Brown brought along his Z scale layout in a steamer trunk and took pictures of everything!

 

Buy a WMRC T-Shirt and become one of the beautiful people

WMRC contest chair Ian Plett is looking good in his brand new WMRC 70th anniversary T-shirt.

Do want to be a fashion plate? Do you want to be a trend-setter? Do you want to be a babe magnet? You can't afford an Armani suit? Then come to the WMRC's next meeting and buy one of our spiffy new 70th anniversary T-shirts at our next meeting! They're on sale for just $25 each, and there's a limited supply, so come on down to 6003 Roblin Boulevard at on January 9 at 7:30PM, buy a T-shirt and join all of the beautiful people pictured here showing off their WMRC T-shirts!

WMRC webmaster Murray Brown is looking good too!

                                  So does WMRC Lantern editor and past president Bob Harrison!

Marvin Fetch say he feels 50 years younger in his new WMRC 70th anniversary T-shirt!

Cliff Davidson has never looked better wearing his WMRC 70th anniversary T-shirt!

A good time was had by all at the WMRC's annual Clinic Carnival and Christmas hot dog banquet

Darrell Brownlee (left)  demonstrates how to make model with his 3D computer. John Bate, sitting behind him, conducted a clinician how to use 3D printing software.

Everybody had a great time at last week's clinic carnival and annual Christmas hot dog banquet. We even had a few guests! 

For the first time at our annual clinic carnival we had two tag team demonstrations. We had a 3D printing clinic by Darrell Brownlee with a software tutorial on how to set it up by John Bate. 

Murray Brown showed us how to make your own decals, while MMR Fred Headon showed us how to apply them. Marvin Fetch was on hand showing us his many structure building techniques.

And of course, there was the hot dog banquet! Everyone enjoyed the air fried hot dogs expertly prepared by our master chef, canteen operator Mark McLennan.

Murray Brown shows Graham Leathers (R) and Gary Stempnick (L) how to make decals.

After Murray Brown showed you how to make your own decals, you could mosey on over to MMR Fred Headon's table to learn how to apply them.

Marvin Fetch shares some of his expert structure building techniques with long time member Allan Graham (L) and WMRC Past President Bob Harrison (R).

Marvin fetch wins first place for his structure

Marvin Fetch won first place in the structures category at the WMRC's model contest held at the club's annual train show and open house. Although Marvin has been a model railroader and modeller for decades, he's a relative newcomer to the club. But he's been a very active member, serving in various positions such as club secretary and model contest chair. Congratulations, Marvin!

Marvin Fetch is seen receiving the first place award in the structures category from former WMRC president Larry Leavens at the club's AGM and banquet in May.

Neil Carleton wins first place in three categories

Neil Carleton (L) is seen being presented the award in the special event - open load category by model contest chair Marvin Fetch at the WMRC's AGM and annual banquet held in May.

Long time WMRC member Neil Carleton won first place in three categories in the club’s 2025 model contest, which was held at our spring open house and train show. 

Neil won first place in the freight car category for his model of a CP brass caboose. He also won first place in the display category for his model of a GMC fire pumper. He won first place in the special event - open load category for his model of a flat car with figurines. 

Neil is a gifted modeller who has won many awards over the years in numerous categories. Members of the club and the many visitors to our annual open houses always look forward to viewing his latest creations. Congratulations, Neil!

Neil won first place in the freight car category for his model of a brass CP caboose.

Neil also won first place in the display category for his model of a GMC fire pumper.

Neil won first place in the special event competition for his model of a flat car with figurines.

 

Murray Brown wins five model contest awards

WMRC model contest chair Marvin Fetch (R) presents the club's best in show award to Murray Brown at the WMRC's annual banquet and AGM, held at the Canad Inns Polo Park.

Murray Brown, who walked away with the WMRC’s 2025 President’s Shield award and the Robert Weaver memorial award for the second year in a row, also swept the club’s annual model contest with no less than five awards. 

Murray won first, second and third place in the motive power category for his models of the CP 5369 diesel, a Kershaw ballast regulator and a Via Rail bus. He also won second place in the freight car category for his model of an air dump car. He also won the coveted best in show award for his unique diorama of a track with culverts. 

Murray won so many awards at the WMRC’s annual banquet that other some members joked that he should’ve chosen a seat closer to the podium, and that he was going to have to rent a truck to carry off all off the awards that he won that night. Congratulations, Murray!

 

                   Three of Murray's award winning models were placed together for this shot.

                   Murray won third place in the motive category for his model of a Via Rail bus.

    Murray won second place in the motive power category for his model of a Kershaw ballast regulator.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club holds another great clinic carnival and Christmas hot dog banquet

WMRC President John Bate conducts a clinic on Arduino animation and all of the fun things you can do with it, while Murray Brown and Bart Hasselfield look on.

What a great Christmas party we had on Friday the 13th! Rod Sarna, John Bate, Larry Leaven, Ian Plett and Marvin Fetch put on five great clinics for our annual clinic carnival while our members and distinguished guests feasted on expertly prepared gourmet hot dogs prepared by our master chef Mark McLellan! We even had a few former members, such as Ian and Zenon Lisakowski, drop by and join in on the fun!

The two Ians meet at last! Former member Ian Lisakowski watches WMRC program director Ian Plett conduct his model weathering clinic. 

Rob Sarna conducts his clinic on how to install a NixTrainz Decoder Buddy replacement board, a Soundtraxx decoder and speaker into an Atlas HO locomotive. Tony Prud'homme, owner of the Frog and Diamond Hobbyworks shows off his spiffy hoodie as he watches.

Long time members Tommy Kuchera (R)  and Marcel Blair watch Larry Leavens conduct a clinic on how to control a Tortoise switch machine from opposite sides of a layout with a simple circuit.

Marvellous and well seasoned Marvin Fetch conducted a clinic on how a seasoned model railroader constucts a building.

Come one, come all to the WMRC's annual Clinic Carnival and hot dog banquet!

It’s Clinic Carnival time! Every December the WMRC holds a clinic carnival, featuring some of Winnipeg’s finest modellers who will share their skills and talents with you!

This year Rob Sarna will show you how to install a NixTrainz Decoder Buddy replacement board, a Soundtraxx decoder and speaker into an Atlas HO locomotive.

Larry Leavens will conduct a clinic on turnout control from two sides of the layout. Larry had a need to control a Tortoise switch machine from opposite sides of his layout. It is usually controlled by a double pole double throw (DTDP) toggle switch at a single location. Larry found a simple circuit that replaces the toggle switch with a push button that can be installed at multiple locations. 

John Bate will hold a clinic on Arduino animation, all the cool things you can do with them.

Marvin Fetch will show you how a seasoned model railroader constructs a building.

Ian Plett will take you through the steps of weathering your models.

We are also holding our annual Christmas hot dog banquet at our December meeting. Feast on gourmet air fried hot dogs, chips, donuts and your favourite soda while our talented clinicians take you through the steps on how to improve your layout!

The fun starts on Friday, December 13 at 7:30PM in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. There will still be a model and photo display this month. Pleas bring a tin for the bin to help support some of the less fortunate in our community. All donations will be forwarded to the Christmas Cheer Board. 

John Bate wins first prize in two model categories

WMRC President John Bate (L) is seen receiving the first place award for freight cars from model contest chair Marvin fetch at the club's AGM and banquet held in May.

WMRC president John Bate walked away with two awards at the club’s AGM and banquet, held at CN’s Winnipeg campus. He won first prize in the freight car category for his model of a bulkhead flat car with a payload. He also won first prize in the structures category for his model of the CPR #5 standard station.

The N scale flat car was Prairie Shadows CN bulkhead flat car. John scratch built the stakes from styrene strips cut to length with  chopper tool. The hay bales were made of garden twine cut to short lengths and separated into individual strands. He cut scotch tape in strips 3/8” wide and 3” long, then sifted the twine fibers onto the tape. He rolled up the strips to form the bales.

He built the N scale station from a Monashee Laser engineering kit. The L-shaped platform was scratch built. The roof shingles were painstakingly applied one row at a time. He painted the station with an airbrush and stained the platform with colours of Hunterline stains.

 

 

John created the hay bales for this model out of garden twine attached to strips of scotch tape.

 

 

John scratch built the platform of this model of a CPR #5 standard station.

Neil Carleton multiple award winner for his campground diorama

Neil Carleton (L) is seen receiving the award for best in show for his Prairie Grove Campground diorama from Marvin Fetch at the WMRC's AGM and annual banquet held on May 9.

Neil Carleton won two awards for his Prairie Grove Campground diorama at the WMRC’s annual open house and train show. The awards were presented to him at the club’s AGM and annual banquet held on May 9.

Neil won best in show for his diorama he submitted in the special event category, which was to create a diorama on a 9x12 picture frame. He also won the club’s first people’s choice award for the same model. This award, initiated by former WMRC secretary Marvin Fetch, let visitors to the club’s open house vote for their favourite model. Neil won hands down in this category. Marvin noticed that during the voting the visitors were very impressed with Neil’s creative use of LED lighting on his diorama. 

Neil Carleton also received the club's very first people's choice popular vote award for the same diorama.

 

 

Neil packed a lot of detail inside a picture frame! 

A closeup of the campground scene on Neil's diorama.

 
 

Marvin fetch recieves WMRC model contest special event award at the club's AGM and banquet

Marvin Fetch (left) is seen receiving the WMRC special event award from fellow member Luca Matas.

Former WMRC secretary Marvin Fetch won the club's special event award at the club's spring open house for his model of the Franklin Equipment factory. He received his award at the club's AGM and banquet, held on May 12. Marvin has been a model railroader and modeller for decades, and his layout and his structures have been televised many times. Congratulations, Marvin!

Barrie Creran receives best in show and best in display awards plaques at the WMRC's 2023 AGM and banquet

 

Barrie Ceran (left) is seen receiving best in show and best in display plaques from WMRC model contest chair Marvin Fetch at the club's AGM and banquet, held on May 12, 2023.

Barrie Creran won both best in show and best in display for his model diorama of the historic tree planting car at the WMRC's AGM and banquet, held on May 12. Barrie also won last year's best in show for his models. He also won this year's photo contest in the model category. Barrie is a fairly new member of the club, and he's sure made a place for himself with his award winning work! Congratulations, Barrie!

 

Barrie Creran's model won best in show at the WMRC's spring open house, held in April.
 

 

Marvin Fetch makes a marvelous freight shed from scratch

Former WMRC secretary Marvin Fetch built this freight shed entirely from scratch! Following instructions from an issue of Model Railroader magazine published in the 1960's, he built this shed using sheets of clapboard siding and strip wood. 

The shingled roof is made from the cedar lining from a cigar container. He flattened the cedar lining by placing it in a book for five months. Then he cut shingles from it and glued each one on, one shingle at a time. 

Painting and weathering was brushed on by hand. Marvin has proudly placed this model on every one of the five layouts that he has constructed throughout the years.
 

Winners of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual photo and model contests

 

Felix Lesiuk received the award for best prototype photo from Marvin Fetch.

WMRC Secretary Marvin Fetch sure was kept busy handing out awards at the club’s AGM and banquet! Felix Lesiuk is seen winning the Nick Andrusiak Memorial award for best digital prototype photo. Luca Matyas won the Peter Abel Memorial award for photo special event. Barrie Creran won for structures for his model of a UGG grain elevator. He also won for best in show. Neil Carleton won The Lantern award and he also won first prize in the non-revenue category for his model of a crane. Congratulations to all of them!

Luca Matyas received the Peter Abel award for photo special event.

 

Barrie Creran received awards for structures and best in show.

 

Neil Carleton received The Lantern award and the award in the non-revenue model category.

 

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club presents annual awards at October meeting

WMRC president Bob Harrison presents the President's shield award to Marvin and Arlene Fetch at the club's October 2021 meeting. 

The WMRC presented three awards at their October 2021 meeting. The recipients were awarded on-line at the club's virtual AGM, which was held in May. This was the first time since then that the club was able to present the awards in person.

WMRC secretary Marvin Fetch and his wife Arlene were awarded the president's shield for their volunteer work for the club. WMRC Program Director Dave Downie won the Peter Abel Memorial Award Photo Special Event, and Felix Lesiuk won the Nick Andrusiak Memorial Award for best digital prototype photo.

                Felix Lesiuk won the Nick Andrusiak Memorial Award for best digital prototype photo.

    WMRC program director Dave Downie won the Peter Abel Memorial Award Photo Special Event.
 
 

 

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club mourns passing of Vern Gibson

Vern Gibson (right) is pictured with his good friend Hilt Friesen in their store, Elmwood Hobby Works, on the cover of the Sunday Herald in 1999.

Long time WMRC member Vern Gibson passed away on Friday, July 16 at age 89, just short of his 90th birthday in August. He was a resident of Beacon Hill Lodge during his final years.

Vern spent most of his working life at the Centennial Concert Hall. He will be fondly remembered by the model railroad community as the founder of Elmwood Hobby Works, which he started in a small section of his good friend Hilt Friesen’s furniture, window treatment and blind shop. Hilt became a co-partner and the shop expanded to take over the entire building.

Vern and Hilt built the business up, providing an excellent stock of model train equipment for all gauges along with great service. Their mail order business was well received by hobbyists across Western Canada. Vern eventually sold his half of the business to Hilt and devoted the rest of his time to his favourite hobby. He and his good friend Marvin Fetch built a spectacular layout in Marvin’s house, which has been featured in several model railroad publications and posts on-line.

Vern was a lifetime member of the NMRA, and he encouraged almost everyone who entered his shop to join. He kept membership forms in a desk drawer right by the cash register. He attended many regional and national conventions, the last one being the 2006 TLR convention held in St. Paul, Minnesota.

 

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!

See the train display at the Manitoba Electrical Museum this Christmas season

The Manitoba Electrical Museum is holding their annual All That Glows Christmas display, and this year they're featuring electric trains! The WMRC's dynamic duo of Secretary "Marvelous" Marvin Fetch and Social Media Director Paul Ullrich helped set up the train displays, which include an operating Lionel layout in the museum's lower level.

The display runs from November 15 to January 4. The museum is located at 680 Harrow Street. They're open from Tuesday to Saturday from 1:00PM to 4:00PM, and on Wednesdays from 1:00PM to 8:00PM. Admission is $3.00 and children ages five and under are admitted for free.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club presents and evening with Jason Shron of Rapido Trains

You better watch out, you better not cry! You better not pout, I'm telling you why! Jason Shron is coming to town!

Yes, that's right! Jason Shron of Rapido Trains is making a special visit to the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club, and you're all invited, even if you do pout or cry (but we'd prefer if you didn't). This event is open to all model railroaders in the Winnipeg area, or anyone who wants to be a model railroader.

Jason will provide an overview of Rapido Trains and take you behind the scenes at the company. You'll see how Rapido products are made, how the company decides what to make and the challenges involved in manufacturing model trains.
 
Jason has graciously agreed to stay following his presentation and take any questions that you might have about his company and the model railroad industry – past, present and future.

Rapido Trains is one of the premier manufacturers of model railroad products in the world. He is an engaging and humorous speaker, well known in the model railroad community for his videos, including one featuring WMRC Secretary Marvin Fetch. This is a great opportunity to meet Jason, learn about his company and ask him any relevant questions that you might have.

This special presentation takes place on Wednesday, August 8, at 7:00 PM in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. Hope to see you all there!

Watch Marvin Fetch on Global News Morning Winnipeg

If you do a Bing search for the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club, this blog shows up first. Our Facebook link shows up third, and second place is Global News Morning Winnipeg's interview with WMRC Secretary Marvin Fetch! It was broadcast on Friday, April 6 to promote our annual spring train show and open house, which took place on April 7 and 8.

Marv did a terrific job of promoting our club, our hobby and our show! You can view it by clicking on this link: https://globalnews.ca/video/4127891/winnipeg-model-railroad-club-open-house