Meet the winners of the Thomas the Tank Engine train set

We are happy to announce that the Bunney family are the winners of the Thomas the Tank Engine train set from our annual open house and train show held last month. Pictured above from left to right are Kai, Beau and Owen. Looks like this set will get a lot of use! 

Every year we give away a Thomas set at our annual open house and train show. We don't charge for the tickets. To get a ticket all you have to do is to show up. Come on down to our next open house in 2027, and you might win too!

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!

 

All aboard for Railway Day at the Via Rail station!

Our good friends at the Winnipeg Railway Museum are putting on a real fun show on Sunday, May 3, at the Via Rail station. Come learn about Manitoba's train museums, model railroad clubs, train enthusiast societies and their activities. Find out where to view trains, ride trains and build model trains. 

The WMRC will be there with two of their most popular interactive displays from their recent open house, the  Thomas the Tank Engine layout and the John Allen Timesaver. Admission is free! Come on down to the Via Rail station lobby at 123 Main Street on Sunday, May 3 between 10AM and 4PM.

Thanks to everyone who came to our 2026 spring open house!

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club wishes to extend a big THANK YOU to all of the happy people who attended our 2026 train show and open house this past weekend. We had great attendance and crowds right up to our 4:00 Sunday closing time. When our new spring show chair Murray Brown announced that it was closing time, we were applauded by our remaining guests. That's never happened before!

Our new interactive Thomas the Tank Engine layout, created by WMRC Secretary Brent Karr, was a big hit among the youngsters!

This is your last day to see the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's 2026 train show and open house

This is your last day to see the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's 2026 train show and open house. There won't be another show in the city like it until the fall, and this show is the only one that is dedicated solely to model railroading. Hurry in to see the six operating layouts, the three interactive displays, the free how-to clinics, our display of award winning models and photos and get a chance to win a Thomas the Tank Engine HO train set before we close! 

Come on down to the Charleswood Legion today between the hours of 10 and 4. Admission by donation, proceeds go to St.Amant.

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual train show and open house is happening today

 

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual train show and open house is happening today! Come on down to the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard between 10 and 5 to see six operating layouts, three interactive displays, award winning models and photographs, free how-to clinics and a chance to win a Thomas the Tank Engine train set! And you can even come back tomorrow from 10 to 4! Admission by donation. Proceeds go to St.Amant.

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual train show and open house is happening tomorrow

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The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's 2026 train show and open house is happening tomorrow! Where else can you see six operating layouts (including our new Thomas the Tank Engine layout pictured above) three interactive displays and free how-to clinics all under one roof? This is a once a year event that you can't miss! Come on down to the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard, on Saturday, April 18 from 10 to 5 and on Sunday, April 19 from 10 to 4. Admission by donation, proceeds go to St.Amant.

Come see our new Thomas the Tank Engine layout at our spring train show and open house

The newest attraction at our spring train show and open house is our Thomas the Tank Engine layout. Every year at our show we hold a draw for an HO Thomas set. Now you can see what can be done with it! A instruction sheet will be available for free for those who want to build one. And kids can operate it at the show!

The 40" X 60" layout was constructed on braced 1/2" plywood with banquet table legs. All structures are lighted with 12 volt bulbs mounted on styrene tube pedestals and power by a 12 volt one amp power supply. Two inch styrofoam was used to construct the land contours. Sculptamold was used for the final contours. The roads were made with 1/4" foam core. They were painted yellow, then masked down the centre line and painted grey. Scenery was made with various shades of ground foam and ballast. 

The layout was designed so kids can operate it at the open house. 

The project was spearheaded by WMRC secretary Brent Karr with help from past president Larry Leavens and Gino Kost. Special thanks go to Joanne Stempnick, who donated the banquet table legs, and to Sandra Mulholland, the wife of our part president, the late Ed Mulholland, who donated some of the structures from his layout. 

The WMRC's annual spring train show and open house will be held in the Tank Room at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard on Saturday, April 18 from 10AM to 5PM and on Sunday, April 19 from 10 PM to 4PM.

The Manitoba Train and Hobby Expo is just a week away

 The Manitoba Train and Hobby Expo is just a week away! Many of your old model railroad favourites will be exhibiting this year, including WinNtrak, The NMRA No.1 Northern Division Free-Mo Group, Manitoba T-Trak and the Giraffe Car Man. There will be 15 layouts, 11 hobby displays and 60 vendors selling all sorts of model railroad equipment in every gauge.

The show also includes a wide variety of hobby groups such as the Manitoba Doll Club and the Manitoba Lego Users Group. There will be interactive slot car racing and a hot wheels display. Get a chance to fly a simulator model plane! Join the Lego building competition for a chance to win a prize, and put your name in for the Thomas the Tank Engine HO train set door prize!

It all takes place at Red River Exhibition Place, 3977 Portage Avenue, on Saturday, September 27 between nine and five and on Sunday, September 28 between nine and four. Admission is 12 bucks, youths 4-12 get in for six bucks, and kids under three get in for free. This is a once in a year event! You've got to be there!!

The Manitoba Train and Hobby Expo is eight weeks away

The Manitoba Train and Hobby Expo is just eight weeks away! It's is presented by the same friendly folks who brought you the Manitoba Mega Train Hobby Show and Sale.

This event replaces the Mega Train Show. This show is different, but in many ways it's still the same as before. There is no more ride-on train, but there will be lots of model railroad layouts running and plenty of vendors selling all sorts of model railroad equipment in all gauges.

The show has expanded to include all sorts of hobbies such as the Manitoba Doll Club, slot car racing and hot wheels! The Manitoba Lego Users Group will be back. Get a chance to fly a simulator model plane! Join the Lego building competition for a chance to win a prize, and put your name in for the Thomas the Tank Engine HO train set door prize!

It all takes place at Red River Exhibition Place, 3977 Portage Avenue, on Saturday, September 27 between nine and five and on Sunday, September 28 between nine and four. Admission is 12 bucks, youths 4-12 get in for six bucks, and kids under three get in for free. Mark your calendars now!

Winner of the Thomas the Tank Engine train set draw at the Manitoba Mega Train Show announced

The winner of the Thomas the Tank Engine HO train set draw from this year’s Manitoba Mega Train Show was Denni Rose, which she presented to her daughter. For several years the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club has given away a Thomas set in a draw at the Manitoba Mega Train Show. All you have to do is pay admission to the Manitoba Mega Train Hobby Show and Sale to get your draw ticket! But you'll have to wait until next September's show.
 

Angelica Ttmtiman is the winner of the door prize from the WMRC's spring open house

 WMRC President John Bate is seen giving the door prize from the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's 2024 annual open house to the winner, Angelica Timtiman and her son.

The lucky winner of the door prize at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club’s Open House was Angelica Timtiman. Her son is the very excited recipient of a Thomas the Tank Engine train set. Congratulations to Angelica and the whole family!

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club holds its annual open house and train show every spring. For the past several years every visitor has received a ticket for a door prize of an HO train set.
 

Dannele Hueging is the winner of theThomas the Tank Engine train set door prize at the Manitoba Mega Train Show

The lucky winner of the Manitoba Mega Train Show door prize was Dannele Hueging, whose nephew John will be the excited recipient of the Thomas the Tank Engine train set. Congratulations to Dannele and John!

WMRC president John Bate dropped off the set at Dannele's place. Dannele sent us these two images of herself and of her nephew at the Manitoba Mega Train Show. 

Dannele wrote, "After chatting with John Bate I'm sending a photo of our nephew John and I at the train show. He will be the lucky recipient of this set. He is an avid train enthusiast, and has a couple different sets on the go with his dad. But not this one yet, he will be thrilled!"

 

 

Winner of the draw at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's 2023 annual open house announced

Three year old John Conci was the winner of the draw at the WMRC's  2023 open house, held last weekend at the Charleswood Legion. John was accompanied by his father and his grandfather to the show.  Newly elected WMRC president John Bate personally delivered the set to John's home.

250 entry slips were given out during the weekend, 141 from Saturday and 109 from Sunday. John Bate's wife Karen drew the winning ticket from a large pot. As you can see, young John is clearly enjoying his prize of a Thomas the Tank Engine HO train set. Congratulations, John! 

 

Tickets still left for the Prairie Dog Central's "A Day Out With Thomas"

Thomas the Tank Engine will be at the Prairie Dog Central Railway on August 16, 17, 23 and 24. All of the rides are already sold out for this weekend,  but there are still a few tickets left, mostly for early morning and late afternoon for next weekend on both Saturday and Sunday. Out of a total of 44 separate excursions, there are still tickets available for twelve of them. These tickets must be ordered on-line through Ticket Web. You cannot order tickets for these excursions though the Prairie Dog central's ticket office. You can reach the site by clicking here. You may also purchase tickets over the phone by calling 1-888-222-6608.

On the site, a few of the trips listed say that some tickets for a few of the rides for this weekend may be available on site, but why take the risk of disappointing some youngsters when you can be guaranteed a ticket on-line for the following week?

For more information about A Day Out with Thomas, click here. 

Gooch's open house - November 30 and December 1, 2013

   If there's any such thing as a Winnipeg tradition, then Gooch's Bicycle and Hobby Shop certainly fits the bill! They've been in business since 1927 and has had four generations of the Gooch family running the store.

   Veteran model railroaders have seen their shop move from Portage Avenue to Sherbrook Street and back to Portage Avenue again. Their present location is at 1046 Portage Avenue, by Garfield Street.

   They're now located in what used to be a video store - now there's a business trend that's come and gone! But the demand for bicycles and hobbies supplies goes on and on!

    This weekend they're holding their 13th annual open house. There will be plenty to see, including a few stalwarts from the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club holding demonstrations. Our friends from WinNtrak will also be there, as well as representatives from the Manitoba Rocketry Group, the International Plastic Modeller's Society. There will also be a Meccano display, a model shipbuilders display, an ho sectional layout, and an HO Thomas the Tank Engine layout for the kiddies.

    Whew! That's quite a show! And it's free!

    Hours are from 10:00 to 5:00 on Saturday, and from 12:00 to 4:00 on Sunday. Call 204-956-6571 for more details or email gooch@mymts.net.