Come see Santa at the NMRA Christmas train show this Saturday!

The National Model Railroad Association presents their first annual Christmas Train Show! Bring the kids to meet Santa Claus, and stay for all the layouts and displays in a Christmas setting!

Santa Claus is going to have some very good company at the show! Joining jolly St. Nick will be the No. 1 Northern Division’s Free-Mo HO gauge modular layout, WinNtak’s N gauge modular layout and the Lionel train O gauge “Giraffe Car” layout. 

Multiple award winning modeller Ron Einarson will be holding a modelling workshop. Fred Headon of Warehouse Hobbies will be on hand to offer all sorts of model railroading and modelling advice. Fred is the Canadian Director of the National Model Railroad Association and is a certified Master Model Railroader (MMR). 

There will also be a model railroad flea market, featuring a variety of model railroad equipment in various gauges for sale.

This is the last train show of the year, and it looks like it's going to be a good one! The show is being held on Saturday, November 12 at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church, 201 Scurfield Boulevard. Hours are from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. Handicap accessible. Admission by silver collection. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to St. Amant.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club members show off their talents at the NMRA train show in Winnipeg

Long time WMRC member Ron Einarson displayed many of his award winning models at the show.

Many WMRC members were front and centre at the NMRA's annual train show held on Saturday, November 7, at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church in Winnipeg.  Among those displaying and demonstrating were Ron Einarson, Larry Leavens, Paul Ullrich, Robert Weaver, Michael Leader and Ian Plett. WMRC Vice President Dave Downie was also on hand manning the admissions table and greeting all the visitors.  One of the attendees came all the way from Minot, North Dakota to see the show!

WMRC President Larry Leavens held a modelling clinic while running a Z scale train all day.

Michael Leader shows Randy Midzain how to operate a G gauge John Allen timesaver module.

Ian Plett adjusts his camera to take a picture of the No. 1 Northern Free-Mo group's CN freight entering a tunnel. Ian is also the superintendent of the Free-Mo group.   

Paul Ullrich's O gauge giraffe car layout is always a popular attraction with the kiddies! 

Robert Weaver's O scale display was also a popular attraction.

National Model railroad Association holds train show this Saturday

Heads up, everybody! This is the last train show for the year, and it's going to be a great one! Not only will there be several layouts running, but there will be interactive displays! Several clinics conducted by Winnipeg's finest modellers will be held. This is a rare treat, as no other train show in town holds clinics.

You can also test your railroading skills by operating a G scale John Allen Timesaver module, conducted by the NMRA's youngest member, Michael Leader. But don't let his age fool you - he's an expert at running a timesaver module!

There will also be a contest for the younger set. Each participant will receive a paper with multiple choice questions about the displays at the show. The papers will be drawn at the end of the show, and the three youngsters whose papers have been drawn who have the correct answers will receive a gift certificate from a local hobby shop!

The fun starts at 10:00AM at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church, 201 Scurfield Boulevard. Handicap accessible, admission by silver collection. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to St. Amant.

The National Model Railroad Association's Winnipeg train show is on tomorrow!

Saturday, November 1 is the big day! The NMRA is holding it's first ever train show in Winnipeg, and it's open to the public! You don't have to be an NMRA member to attend! They're going to have lots of layouts, including the No. 1 Northern Division's Free-Mo layout, the Lionel 027 "Giraffe Car" layout, a portable N scale layout, and a G scale layout! There will be clinics and a demonstration on how to run a layout with a cell phone. Try your hand at runing a miniature switching yard with the John Allen Timesaver module!

The fun starts at 10:00 AM this Saturday at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church, 201 Scurfield Road! Admission by donation. Handicap accessible! Portions of the proceeds will be donated to St. Amant.

Learn how to operate a model railroad with a cell phone at the National Model Railroad Association's train show in Winnipeg on November 1

Want to learn how to run a model railroad with a cell phone?  That's one of the the exciting clinics and demonstrations that the No. 1 Northern Division of the National Model Railroad Association is holding at their annual train show this November 1st at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church, located at 201 Scurfield Boulevard.

There will be several operating layouts, including the No. 1 Northern's Free-Mo HO layout, a portable N scale layout, the Lionel 027 Giraffe car layout, and a G scale layout! You can also test your skill at switching with the John Allen time saver module. There will also be continuous video presentations during the show.

Admission is by donation, and the church is handicap accessible. Hours are from 10AM to 4PM. Hope to see you all there!

The ultimate John Allen Timesaver contest!

It was a battle royal, a fight to the finish, a no holds barred, winner-take-all royal rumble in the basement of Whyte Ridge Baptist Church! Not since the WWE came to town has there been such a cataclysmic clash! There hasn't been such a brutal dogfight since Richthofen and Brown!

On November 2, 2013, the city's top John Allen Timesaver competitors squared off at the No. 1 Northern Division's third annual train meet. Their goal was to win the coveted gift certificate from a local hobby shop and a semi-valuable trophy. Each contestant had to shunt freight cars from one section of track to another through a maze of switches. The one who could do it in the shortest time won the prize!

First up was mighty Morgan Turney, Publisher of Canadian Railway Modeller and Acting Program Director for the WMRC. He threw in the towel after seven minutes and 50 seconds. Next up was Michael Leader, who finished in just under four minutes! Ian Plett was next, tying Michael's time.
WMRC Blog Editor Paul Ullrich was next, coming from way behind with a score for 12 minutes (and he was the one who designed the configuration for the competition).

Ian and Michael faced off in the finals. Michael picked up speed in the second round, edging out Ian with a new record time of just over three minutes! The semi-coveted trophy and the gift certificate was awarded to Michael by No. 1 Northern Superintendent Dennis Rietze.

 Morgan Turney tests his skill at the John Allen Timesaver module.

 Ian Plett was up next, while Michael Leader timed him using his smart phone.

 Michael Leader is shown here in the final competition as Dennis Rietze and Ian Plett look on.

 No. 1 Northern Superintendent Dennis Rietze presents Michael Leader with the trophy and the gift certificate with Roger Kiendl and Ian Plett. Congratulations, Michael!

  

The NMRA's No. 1 Northern Division's third annual train meet

   The NMRA's No. 1 Northern Division held their third annual train meet on Saturday, November 2 at Whyte Ridge Baptist Church in Winnipeg. This year, the group focused on "hands-on" clinics and demonstrations. Winnipeg Model Railroad Club President Larry Leavens showed how to make static grass by using an improvised hand held bug zapper that you could buy at any home improvement store for under ten dollars (genuine static grass makers usually sell for well over ten times that much).

   WMRC acting program director and Canadian Railway Modeller publisher Morgan Turney demonstrated how to make realistic rock faces with ceiling tile. No. 1 Northern superintendent Dennis Rietze conducted a clinic on DCC. A workshop on how to ballast a track was conducted, with a prize of a gift certificate from a local hobby shop for who did the best job.

   Members could also compete for a hobby shop gift certificate using a John Allen Style "time-saver" module to see who could shunt freight cars to their assigned destination the fastest. The winner was the No.1 Northern's youngest member, 10 year old Michael leader, who beat most of our veteran members by a very wide margin!

    Below is the first in a series of photos taken at this event. Others will be published in future posts.

    

 Larry Leavens shows Ian Plett how to transform an inexpensive bug zapper into a static grass maker.

Larry Leavens shows Morgan Turney how to rewire the bug zapper.

Michael Leader tries his hand with Larry's DIY static grass maker.