All aboard for another open house at the Assiniboine Valley Railway this weekend

WMRC member Godfrey South and his entire family enjoy a ride on the AVR at their last open house.

   All aboard for another open house at the Assiniboine Valley Railway! The fun starts at 11:00 AM on Saturday, August 8 and goes on until 5:00 PM! On Sunday, August 9, the hours are from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. It's just two bucks a ride, and you can get a 12 ride pass for only $20! Join in on all the fun at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just past Assiniboine Park!

NFB video features Winnipeg streetcar operation in the 1950's

     Paul Tomkowicz: Street Railway Switchman is a remarkable 1953 NFB short that documents the work of Paul Tomkowicz, a Polish immigrant to Winnipeg who worked as a street railway switchman for 23 years. Paul's main job was to keep the rails and switches of Winnipeg's streetcar system clear, and in the winter that meant sweeping them clear of ice and snow! It's narrated by Paul Tomkowicz himself, and it has some wonderful views of Winnipeg and its streetcar system in the early 50's.

    Be sure to watch the nine minute film to the very end, when he has a typical 1950's North End breakfast in a North End diner, which consists of six hard boiled eggs, a pile of sausages and a stack of rye bread!

   To view this video, click here.

NFB's Railroaders showcases railroading in the Rockies in the 1950's

 

    Railroaders is a 22 minute documentary about winter railroading in the Canadian Rockies, and the men who keep the lines clear. The film focuses on the stretch of the CP line between Revelstoke and Field, British Columbia, which is a snow-choked threat to communications. The film shows the work of section hands, maintenance men, train crews and telegraph operators. For diesel lovers, this 1958 film has some great shots of classic CP F units and rolling stock, plus some nostalgic views of life and work in small Canadian mountain towns like Revelstoke from over 50 years ago.

   To view this film,  go to https://www.nfb.ca/film/railroaders