new design train model

Thomas the Tank Engine will be at the Prairie Dog Central Railway on August 16, 17, 23 and 24. All of the rides are already sold out for this weekend,  but there are still a few tickets left, mostly for early morning and late afternoon for next weekend on both Saturday and Sunday. Out of a total of 44 separate excursions, there are still tickets available for twelve of them. These tickets must be ordered on-line through Ticket Web. You cannot order tickets for these excursions though the Prairie Dog central's ticket office. You can reach the site by clicking here. You may also purchase tickets over the phone by calling 1-888-222-6608.

On the site, a few of the trips listed say that some tickets for a few of the rides for this weekend may be available on site, but why take the risk of disappointing some youngsters when you can be guaranteed a ticket on-line for the following week?

For more information about A Day Out with Thomas, click here. 

   If there's any such thing as a Winnipeg tradition, then Gooch's Bicycle and Hobby Shop certainly fits the bill! They've been in business since 1927 and has had four generations of the Gooch family running the store.

   Veteran model railroaders have seen their shop move from Portage Avenue to Sherbrook Street and back to Portage Avenue again. Their present location is at 1046 Portage Avenue, by Garfield Street.

   They're now located in what used to be a video store - now there's a business trend that's come and gone! But the demand for bicycles and hobbies supplies goes on and on!

    This weekend they're holding their 13th annual open house. There will be plenty to see, including a few stalwarts from the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club holding demonstrations. Our friends from WinNtrak will also be there, as well as representatives from the Manitoba Rocketry Group, the International Plastic Modeller's Society. There will also be a Meccano display, a model shipbuilders display, an ho sectional layout, and an HO Thomas the Tank Engine layout for the kiddies.

    Whew! That's quite a show! And it's free!

    Hours are from 10:00 to 5:00 on Saturday, and from 12:00 to 4:00 on Sunday. Call 204-956-6571 for more details or email gooch@mymts.net.