NMRA to hold another virtual model railroad convention tomorrow

The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) is holding another virtual convention this Saturday, May 16. The convention, titled NMRA-X, will bring another session of clinics and layout tours right to your computer. The complete schedule of events is listed below.

A total of twelve hours of live content begins at 6:00PM EST. Please adjust the times according to your own time zone. Another virtual convention has been scheduled for Saturday, May 30.

You may use either the NMRA Facebook page or the NMRA Facebook group to view the convention. You do not need a Facebook account in order to view the event. Simply click on the first link below to the Facebook page and you're all set! While you cannot comment, you can still watch and learn. Ignore all prompts to create an account or sign in.

The NMRA Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/NMRA.org/
The NMRA group Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nmragroup/

Jack Carr, owner of Carr's Hobbies in Duluth, has passed away

 Jack Carr (left) is seen with Frank Gerry of Thunder Bay at Carr's Hobbies just before the store closed for good in the fall of 2019. Frank is a long time NMRA member and had been a customer of Carr's Hobbies for over 40 years. Photo by Paul Gerry.

Jack Carr, owner of Carr’s Hobbies in Duluth, Minnesota, has passed away at the age of 79. Carr’s Hobbies closed in October 2019. Nearly 500 lots of items were sold off at auction.

Carr’s hobbies was a Mecca for model railroaders for almost a half century. Model railroaders from Winnipeg and other Canadian locations within driving distance to Duluth made it a point to visit Carr’s whenever they were traveling in Minnesota. Carr estimated that 70% of his trade came from outside of the Duluth area.

His store was one of the most fully stocked hobby shop in the upper mid-west. Hundreds of items were stocked from floor to ceiling in the shop. The store was well known for its collection of antiques and railroad memorabilia that he kept in glass display cases, which gave the shop a museum quality. Rail fans who visited his store will always remember the impressive assortment of railroad lanterns that he had hanging from the ceiling.

John Longhurst invites you to take a virtual layout hop

It has been a tradition at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club to have a spring layout hop, where members were invited to tour some of the layouts around town. Unfortunately, this was not going to happen this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But long time WMRC member John Longhurst has come up with a unique alternative. He's put together a virtual layout hop using posts he selected from his blog, the CP Manitoba and Minnesota Subdivision. 

John's blog, which has had well over one million views, has dutifully posted features about the finest layouts in Winnipeg for many years. Some of these layouts have been torn down, and some of the owners of the layouts have passed away, but they have been preserved online thanks to John's diligence. With a virtual layout hop, there is no driving between layouts, or trying to choose which ones to see based on time available. 

You'll see some great layouts by Arnie Walker, Stafford Swain, Ken Epp, George Meyer, Ron Loewen, and take a virtual ride on the Assiniboine Valley Railway! All you have to do is click here.