Morse code at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club

Suzanne Lemon watches Dan Kollesavich demonstrating how to telegraph a message. 

   CP veteran Dan Kollesavich gave an excellent presentation on the history and usage of the telegraph at the Winnipeg Model Railroad club's meeting on November 8. Dan started working for the railroad in the 50's, when the telegraph was still in use. Both CN and CP Rail finally stopped using the telegraph in 1970. By then, it was only used for communication with rural stations. Dan also gave a demonstration on how it worked by clicking out "Winnipeg Model Railroad Club" in lightning speed!

   Before Dan's presentation, Suzanne Lemon demonstrated how to dry brush a laser cut wooden kit.

    There were also some very fine models shown for our monthly display run by the NMRA's No. 1 Northern Division. WMRC members Ron Einarson, Ron Lundy, Morgan Turney, Larry Leavens and Suzanne Lemon all exhibited their latest creations.

Suzanne Lemon dry brushes a laser cut wooden kit.

Larry Leaven's model of a tank car.

 Morgan Turney's working model of an oil rig.

 Ron Einarson's structure entry.

 Ron Einarson also entered some trucks that he was modelling.

 Ron Lundy's unique engine model was displayed.

Suzanne Lemon displayed a finished laser cut wood kit. 

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.

More Manitoba Mega Train memories

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club photo contest chair Suzanne Lemon took this overhead view of the entire event. The mesh is there because we're in an indoor soccer pitch!

Stalwart WMRC volunteers Rober Weaver and Fred Eldridge man the admissions desk in a rare moment when they weren't busy admitting some of our 1,700 guests.

WMRC webmaster Paul Ullrich watches his O gauge Lionel train layout in a rare moment when he wasn't surrounded by dozens of kids watching the giraffe cars or operating the dump cars. 

Suzanne Lemon's Z gauge layout was the smallest model railroad display in the entire show.

Our good friends at WinNtrak had their magnificent N gauge layout displayed at the show.