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Are you ready for even some more fun on riding the rails? The AVR is holding another open house this weekend! On Saturday, August 22, you can take a ride from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. On Sunday, the hours are from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Rides are just two bucks, and you can get a 12 ride pass for only $20! Join in on the fun this weekend at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine park! For more information click here.

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!

   The friendly folks at the Assiniboine Valley Railway are holding a second open house this month. During the months of July and August, there will be two open houses during each of those months.
This weekend, on July 25 and 26, the hours will be from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday.

    Please keep in mind that there will be two open houses each month only during July and August. In September and October, they will be going back to their usual schedule of one open house a month.

    Tickets for one ride are just two bucks. A 12 ride pass costs just a mere $20. Children two years old and under ride for free! All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

    The AVR is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park. Limited parking is available on their 800 foot long driveway, but you can also park on Roblin Boulevard or Chalfont Street.

    For more information about the AVR, click here.

   It's time to ride the trains again! The AVR is holding their second open house of the season this weekend, on July 11 and 12. The hours are from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday.

The AVR will be holding open houses every second weekend of the month from now until October. During the months of July and August, they also hold a second open house on the 4th weekend of the month, which means that you'll get another chance to ride the rails in another two weeks!

    Tickets for one ride are just two bucks. A 12 ride pass costs just a mere $20. Children two years old and under ride for free! All minors must be accompanied by an adult. 

    The AVR is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park. Limited parking is available on their 800 foot long driveway, but you can also park on Roblin Boulevard or Chalfont Street.

    For more information about the AVR, click here.

    WMRC members Tommy and James South ride the rails at the AVR's Fun Run Day, which was held last month. This weekend there will be other engineers and gondolas that you can ride in!

     What better way to celebrate the start of summer than to ride the AVR? They're having their very first open house of the season this weekend, June 13 and 14. Hours are from 11:00AM to 5:00PM on Saturdays, and from 1:00PM to 5:00PM on Sundays.

   A ticket for one ride is two bucks. A twelve ride pass is only $20! Kids two years old and under can ride for free (All minors must be accompanied by an adult). They're at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just past Assiniboine Park!

   For more information, please go to their blog site at: http://assiniboinevalleyrailway.org/blog/

   The Assiniboine Valley Railway is open for business and raring to go! They're starting off the season with a special Fun Run Day, this Saturday, May 30. This is a rare opportunity to not just ride the AVR, but to run the trains as well!

  Learn basic locomotive driving skills as a Trainee Engineer, operation protocols and switching duties as a Conductor/Brakeman. Cost: $5:00.

     There will be four 2-hour Operating Sessions with 3 trains per session. You�ll start with a made-up train in the station, then head out into the 7 acres of AVR track to drop off & pick up cars according to your Card-Sort Orders.?
   Enjoy a hot dog lunch break from noon to 2, included with your registration. You'll also get to tour the AVR's engine house and machine shop.?
   All participants are eligible to win a 12-ride pass on the AVR (good for any open house / rail weekend) to be drawn at each session.

     You must sign up for one of the four operating sessions, with 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th choice of session times.

Session times are as follows:

9-11 AM
11-1 PM
1-3   PM
3-5   PM

Only the first 24 registrants will be accepted.

To sign up for one of the sessions, please contact Len LaRue at: hellarue@mymts.net  to reserve your time. You can pay the registration at the AVR when you arrive. Please your name, phone number and your preferred session time.

For more information about the AVR and their Fun Run Day, please visit their website at:

http://assiniboinevalleyrailway.org/blog/2015/05/16/operating-sessionfun-run-day/

   Long time WMRC member supervises the running of the trains of the No. 1 Northern Division's Free-Mo group at the WMRC's annual spring open house.

 The WMRC would like to extend a very big THANK YOU  to everyone who attended our spring open house this weekend at the Charleswood Legion! We had a lot of very happy folks who love trains drop by. A lot of them stayed for hours, but that's okay - it's even encouraged!

    There sure was plenty to see! All of the popular gauges, from Z to G were on display, and there was even a display of rolling stock from the Assiniboine Valley Railway! Two big modular railways - the No. 1 Northern Division's Free-Mo group and the Kildonan Short Lines were up and running at the show. There were also two N gauge layouts, the ever popular Lionel "giraffe car" layout, plus the displays of the WMRC model and photo contest winners. Our charity of choice, our good friends at St. Amant, were also there with a big display.

    The good folks at the Kildonan Short Lines modular railway had lots of trains up and running!
   Frances South and her brother James were on hand to help volunteer with their mom running the canteen, and to help run the Lionel giraffe car layout!

   We are very pleased to announce that the Assiniboine Valley Railway is having their next open house this weekend. The trains will be running from 1PM to 4PM on both Saturday and Sunday at 3001 Roblin Boulevard.

    Last weekend, they held their first winter open house since the passing of their founder, the late great Bill Taylor, in August of 2013. Outside of former WMRC President Ed Mulholland's announcement of the AVR's forthcoming open houses at the WMRC's December meeting, there was virtually no publicity for the event (not even a mention on their own website).

    The day after the WMRC's December meeting,  the news was posted on this blog site and on the WMRC's Facebook page. The FB notice got 500 views in just a few hours! Watching the numbers come in was like watching the gas gauge at the pump turn while you're filling up your car! This shows not only the power of social media, but of the interest in the AVR itself!

    We sent our top investigative reporter out to the AVR open house to cover the event last Sunday. As you can see by the photographic evidence, it was business as usual at the AVR! They had steady and respectable crowds on both days, and they're hoping for the same this coming weekend.

    And they'll certainly get that! Another FB post about the AVR on the WMRC's Facebook page has garnered over 4000 views and 50 shares! AVR President Len LaRue was on CBC Radio One's noon program on Wednesday, They gave him a full ten minutes to promote the event! He was also on the CBC 24 Hours supper time news show that night, and the evenwas also promoted on the noon hour radio news on boxing day.

    Riding the AVR at Christmas has become an important Winnipeg traditions for many Winnipeg families. Although the lights aren't up and there are no evening runs, people still want to ride the trains through the forest! And there's still plenty of deers to see while you're enjoying the ride!

Great news! Due to popular demand, the Assiniboine Valley Railway will be holding two open houses this month! There will be no Christmas lights, but you can ride the trains all you want! They'll be holding their open houses on the weekends of December 20-21 and December 27-28 from 1PM to 4PM.

   To a lot of people, it just wouldn't be Christmas without a ride on the AVR, and we're very pleased to announce the return of this cherished annual event. Just remember to dress warmly! The weather promises to be milder than it was last winter, but it's not going to be as mild as depicted in this image, taken by WMRC member John Longhurst!

   This image, taken by our good friend and WMRC member John Longhurst, now only serves as a sad reminder of what was a wonderful part of Winnipeg's Christmas season that is no more.

     For the second year in a row, the AVR will not be having their Christmas light display. This is because of a lack of resources, manpower, and most significantly, the absence of AVR founder Bill Taylor.

     Bill was the Christmas light master of the AVR. There were 100,000 lights on display, which was TEN TIMES the amount Chevy Chase had on his house in the classic movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". As the AVR was on his property, he had more time than others to string these lights. He was also the only one who knew the proper electrical schematics for wiring them all together (It's safe to assume that you don't just plug in 100,000 light into an ordinary 110 volt socket, even when they're LEDs).

    It's been a tough year for the AVR, but they managed to hold their usual monthly open houses in 2014. But they weren't able to hold their annual "Dinner Train". Hopefully, the lights will be up again for Christmas in 2015.

The Assiniboine Valley Railway will hold their last public open house for the 2014 season this weekend on Saturday, October 11 and Sunday October 12. The weather looks promising, so either day might be a great day to ride the AVR for one last time this year! There will be no dinner train this year, and the trains will not be running for the holiday season.

The hours are from 11:00 to 5:00 on Saturday, and from 1:00 to 5:00 on Sunday. It's only two bucks for a ride, and kids under three ride for free! A 12 ride pass is available for $20, which is good at any AVR event.

It's also the Thanksgiving day weekend, but if you have Thanksgiving dinner on Monday, you can ride the trains on Saturday or Sunday, or on both days! What could make for a better long weekend than that?

The AVR is located 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park. There will be signs posted on the road. For more information please visit their new website at http://assiniboinevalleyrailway.org/blog/

WinNtrak, seen here at last year's Manitoba Mega Train Show, will be displaying at the Forks next weekend.

Next weekend's model railroad events has gotten better with our good friends at WinNtrak, who will be displaying at the Forks Market on September 12, 13 and 14. Please note that their website was down last week, but it's up and running again. They'll be displaying from 9:00AM to 9:00PM on all three days. You can reach their website by clicking here: http://winntrak.com/

You can round out your model railroading weekend by visiting the Assiniboine Valley Railway, who will be having their monthly open house next weekend. The hours are from 11AM to 5PM on Saturday, and from 1AM to 5PM on Sunday. Rides are two bucks per person, but kids under three can ride for free! Find them here at http://assiniboinevalleyrailway.org/blog/ and remember that this is their new website. Don't go to their old one, which is still up. They're easy to find, at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, just west of Assiniboine Park. Look for the signs!

It's pretty easy to get from The Forks to the AVR. You can even do it by bike, going straight down Wellington Crescent for most of the way!

The model railroading season really starts to heat up in September! We start off first with the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's first meeting in our new location at the Charleswood Legion, located at 6003 Roblin Boulevard. The meeting will be held in the tank room in the basement of the hall on September 12, and starts at 7:30. The door on the west side of the building provides the best access. Hope to see you all there! You can't miss the building - it's got a tank in front of it!

The next day the Assiniboine Valley Railway holds its monthly open house on September 13 and also on September 14. The hours are from 11 to 5 on Saturday, and from 1 to 5 on Sunday. Rides are $2 per person. Kids under 3 ride for free!

The weekend after that is the Winnipeg Railway Museum's Railway days! The hours are from 10 to 5 on September 20 and 21. Admission is by donation. The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club will be out there in full force, operating the Gateway Western Railway in its own separate structure within the museum. That itself would be worth the price of admission, but there's so much more to see!

Following that is the Manitoba Mega Train Show on September 27 and 28 at the CanLan Ice Sports Complex on 1871 Ellice Avenue. The WMRC is partnered with this event. We'll have members all over the place setting up the 7.5" scale train, working the admissions desk, displaying and selling all sorts of neat model railroading stuff at the vendor's tables! Admission is $5, Children ages 3-12 $3, and kids 2 and under get in for free! Hours are from 9 to 5 on both days.

    Could we see Rod Stewart riding on the AVR this weekend? Who knows?

   Everyone knows that Rod Stewart is not only a legendary world class rocker, but he's also a model railroader! In the model railroading community, he's almost as famous as Ron Einarson or John Longhurst!

   Tonight  Rod will be in concert along with Carlos Santana at the MTS Centre. This man commands large crowds wherever he performs in concert. When he's not performing, he lives year round in Hawaii. So why would he pick this weekend to perform in this mosquito ridden backwater?

   There can be only one answer - he must've heard about the AVR's open house this weekend! Maybe he read this blog for the information!

   We don't know for sure if he's going to be there, but the only way to find out is to go there yourself! It looks like it's going to be a wonderful weekend for riding the trains! The hours for the open house are from 11:00 to 5:00 on Saturday, and from 1:00 to 5:00 on Sunday. It costs a measly two bucks a ride, and kids under three can ride for free. A 12 ride rail pass is available for $20, which is good at any AVR event.

   The Assiniboine Valley Railway is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, right next to Assiniboine Park. If you see Rod there, remember that you read it first right here! But even if he isn't there, you're guaranteed a great time riding the rails!

   Please not the the AVR has a new website, which you can reach by clicking here. 

Clear your schedule! Cancel all your appointments! Tell your secretary (Oops! Make that "personal assistant" - we strive to be politically correct on this site) to hold all your calls! The Assiniboine Valley Railway will be holding an open house on the weekend of August 9th and 10th!

Please note that they have a new website, and a schedule of events, which you can access here. It has also been posted on myWinnipeg.com. The hours for the open house on Saturday is from 11:00AM to 5:00PM. The hours on Sunday are from 1:00PM to 5:00PM. It costs $2.00 to ride the rails, and it's worth every penny! Children under three years old can ride fro free. A 12 ride rail pass is available for $20, which is good at any AVR event.

The Assiniboine Valley Railway is located at 3001 Roblin Boulevard, right next to Assiniboine Park.

  The Assiniboine Valley Railway's Christmas light display has been cancelled this year. The group is seeking volunteers to help set up their annual Christmas light display for 2014.

   The AVR has always had a small but dedicated number of members who always assisted Bill Taylor in putting up his truly spectacular Christmas Light display, which had over 100,000 lights. It was no exaggeration that his display put Chevy Chase's work in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to shame!

    But Bill's untimely passing in August has left a nearly irreplaceable gap in the group. Although his team of volunteers worked tirelessly along side of him, Bill did the Lion's share of the work, mostly because he lived there. Every spare minute he had before the holidays were spent stringing lights, replacing bulbs, and chasing away the squirrels who mistook the knobby LED bulbs for acorns!

   This is not just a rail fan or a model railroad thing. This Christmas display was cherished by all Winnipeggers of all faiths. Thousands of people came every year to see the lights. The possible demise of this annual event even made CBC, CTV and Global news!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-christmas-train-ride-light-display-cancelled-1.2251848?cmp=rss

http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg-holiday-tradition-put-on-hold-for-one-year-1.1514942

http://globalnews.ca/news/924609/popular-charleswood-christmas-display-cancelled/

If you can help out for next year, please contact the Assiniboine Valley Railway by going to their website at: http://www.swedenfreezer.com/avr/