The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue. Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support St.Amant.
Showing posts with label Westworth United Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Westworth United Church. Show all posts
Thursday, 27 March 2014
Winners of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual model contest
The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual model contest was held on March 15 - 16, 2014 at the club's open house at Westworth United Church. There were 23 model entries from seven WMRC members.
I wish to thank all those who participated by entering their models in the contest.These are the contest results, including the medals earned, as determined by the scoring of the judges:
Diesel Locomotive
1st Place - Gino Kost - Silver - HO CB&Q SD30 564
Passenger Car
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Silver - HO L&N Pullman 8022
Freight Car
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - On2-1/2 H&LB Flat Car 8
2nd Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - On2-1/2 H&LB Flat Car 7
Honourable Mention - Ian Plett - HO Burlington Gondola load
Non-Revenue
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - On2-1/2 H&LB 9 MofW Car
Structures
1st Place - Suzanne Lemon - Gold - HO Don's Mower & Saw
2nd Place - Virginia Braun - Bronze - HO Hog House
3rd Place - Virginia Braun - Bronze - HO Hen House
Displays
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO House & Garage Display
2nd Place - Val Lemon - Gold - HO Old Barn & Yard Display
3rd Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO Tree to Forest Display
Honourable Mention - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO JH Murray & Son Display
Honourable Mention - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO Cast Boiler Display
Special Event
1st Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO S. Madisonville Extension
2nd Place - Ron Einarson - Gold - HO L&N Coal Dock
3rd Place - Larry Leavens - Silver - HO PTEX 21878 Potash Car
Honourable Mention - Virginia Braun - Bronze - HO Stake Truck
Honourable Mention - Ian Plett - Bronze - HO 89' Flat Car Pipe Load
Clark Summers Award
Ian Plett - HO 89' Flat Car w. pipe load
Kit Award
Ron Einarson - HO House & Garage
Tyro Award
Virginia Braun - HO Stake Truck & Cattle
Best in Show
Ron Einarson - Gold - HO Saw Pit Store
Saturday, 22 March 2014
Highlights from the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house
Saturday, 15 March 2014
The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house was a resounding success!
Wow, what a party! We all had a great time at our open house! We had tons of visitors, we sold a record number of hot dogs, and the canteen made a profit! CBWFT and the Winnipeg Free Press were there! There were also a few surprises to be had, such as Godfrey South's miniature live steam display, Jim Spiers multi - layered O gauge Lionel "1960's" display and Suzanne Lemon's Z scale layout - placed right in the middle of the Kildonan Short Lines modular railway's returning loop!
Thanks to everyone who showed up, and thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make this event at Westworth United Church great success! Thanks to the volunteers at St.Amant, who displayed all weekend. A portion of the proceeds from our show will go to support St.Amant.
Read More..
Thanks to everyone who showed up, and thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make this event at Westworth United Church great success! Thanks to the volunteers at St.Amant, who displayed all weekend. A portion of the proceeds from our show will go to support St.Amant.
The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house is today!
And we'll have lots of trains at the show, in at least three different gauges! Not only that, there will be a gallery of entries for our model and photo contests, model railroading clinics and much more!
The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue. Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support St.Amant.
Friday, 14 March 2014
The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house is tomorrow!
Notice the fine detailing of this model. It looks exactly like the real thing, right down to the weathered sides and the pitted metal on the roof!
The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue. Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support St.Amant.
Thursday, 13 March 2014
All sorts of gauges at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house!
At the WMRC, we're not just about HO Gauge! We have members who model everything from G to Z! At this year's open house you'll see at least three different gauges operating: O, HO and N! There will also be displays of our model and photo contests and model railroading clinics, so come on down this weekend and join in on the fun!
The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue. Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support St.Amant.
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Thanks to Forum Art Centre for promoting the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house!
The institute holds art classes, camps, workshops, studio time and forums to the public at their facility 120 Eugenie Street in St. Boniface. They welcome artists and would be artists of all skill levels from ages seven and up, and provides an opportunity to all of their students to exhibit their work at our art exhibitions.
If any model railroaders out here are thinking of painting a backdrop for their layout, this would be the place to learn how to paint it!
They will be holding a flea market on March 29 at the Centre from 10AM to 3PM. If you wish to volunteer, or donate some items for sale (perhaps even model railroad equipment) give them a call at 204-235-1069 or email at forumart@shaw.ca.
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
The making of a module (which you can see at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house)
By Suzanne Lemon
The module represents the rugged prairie and the ghost town of Bents, Saskatchewan. The grain elevator was scratch-built from styrene and the wood siding, air brush painted, decalled and heavily weathered with a variety of acrylic paint colours and other materials.
The scene also features an abandoned farmhouse, kit-bashed from a Branchline laser-cut kit which has also been hand painted and heavily weathered with different shades of acrylic craft paint. A floor was also scratch-built from strip wood for the structure and some weathered interior furnishings were placed inside, along with tattered blinds at the windows, made from thin strips of paper carefully cut and shredded with an X-Acto knife.
The tack shed, the horse and the rider on the hill comprise a Woodland Scenics white metal kit that was hand painted with a mix of acrylic and enamel paint. The paint was also used to simulate the rust on the tin roof.
The rails and ties of the abandoned track were painted with a mix of acrylic paint and Woodland Scenics enamel paint pens to simulate rust and heavy weathering from many years of exposure to the elements.
The scenery on the module was made using a Styrofoam board base that was cut to shape and layered to create hills. It was covered with plaster cloth and a layer of Hydrocal plaster. This was painted when dry and coated with a variety of Woodland Scenics turf and bush products to enhance the character of the prairie vegetation.
Recent additions to the project have included the long grass tufts to make the areas near the abandoned house and grain elevator appear overgrown. These items are also a Woodland Scenics product that was made from a synthetic material which has to be separated to the right thickness. Depending on your intent, each clump can be trimmed to the length that you desire. I glued them in place using Weldbond, as the thick consistency of this type of glue helps the tufts stay upright as they dry.
I will be building and adding on some small internal and external details for the elevator. In the near future you can observe the remnants of the loading door platform, the grain spout, the drive-in shed and the loading ramp. More weathered structures and vehicles will likely be added to the scene in the future as opportunities permit.
The actual photo that I took of Bents shows a creepy place with an abandoned general store that still contains shelves full of merchandise. There are also abandoned houses that still hold the furnishings. The details on the module are not exact copies, as some creative license was used. I hope to add more structures as a contextual component to the module.
You can view this module, which will be part of the Kildonan Short Lines modular railway, at the WMRC's open house, will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue. Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support St.Amant.
Monday, 10 March 2014
St. Amant to display at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual open house
The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's charity of choice is St.Amant. A portion of the proceeds of every show we hold is donated to St. Amant. We are pleased and honoured to announce that St.Amant will be displaying at our annual open house, which will be held this coming weekend.
St.Amant is a not-for-profit organization that offers a wide range of programs and services to support individuals and their families. They are a comprehensive resource for Manitobans with developmental disabilities, and autism.
St.Amant programs include a large residence for complex-care, more than 50 community sites and homes, the St.Amant Research Centre, the St.Amant School and River Road Child Care, a community child-care centre. They offer effective programs for children with autism and also for families who care for an individual with a developmental disability at home.
St.Amant strives to enhance the quality of life and self-determination for the thousands of individuals and families we serve each year. They are also a member of the Catholic Health Network. For more information on St.Amant, click here.
The Winnipeg Model Railroad open house will be held at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue, on Saturday, March 15 from 11:00AM to 4:00PM, and on Sunday, March 16 from 1:00PM to 5:00PM. Admission is by donation.
Saturday, 8 March 2014
The man with the Giraffe cars is coming to the WMRC's open house!
His layouts became more and more kid friendly after one open house, when club member John Longhurst asked him to watch is son while he made the rounds at the show. The kid didn't have anything to do, so Paul invited him to blow the whistle on one of his trains. The next thing he knew, he had a lineup of about a dozen kids waiting to do the same!
Paul's layout includes four operating dump cars that the kids can operate. It is the only layout in the show that is interactive. This surprises most of the parents, who often shoo away their children when they see them work the dump cars. Paul aways has to explain to the parents that operating the dump cars is not only allowed, but encouraged! (But for safety reasons, Paul is the only one allowed to run the trains)
The giraffe cars have always been a hit with children and adults alike. Paul started out with one, but through the years his long necked menagerie has grown to six cars! He's just added a car with a bobbing lion's head (but he keeps that lion at a safe distance from the giraffes).
The WMRC's open house will be held on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March16 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue. Times are from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, and from 1:00PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. Admission is by donation. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support St.Amant.
Friday, 7 March 2014
A preview of a Kildonan Short Lines module premiering at the WMRC's open house
The No.1 Northern Division will also be displaying their modular railway at the show. There will be displays of the submissions for the model and photo contests, and "how-to" clinics about model railroading. We'll also have a canteen serving refreshments. Of course, the man with the giraffe cars will be there with his portable Lionel layout. Kids (and adults) are always welcome to operate the dump cars on his layout!
The WMRC open house will be held at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue. The hours are from 11:00AM to 4:00PM on Saturday, March 15, and from 1:00PM to 5:00PM on Sunday. March 16. The entrance for the show will be at the side door on the west side of the church, but access for the handicapped (including an elevator) is available through the front door.
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Kildonan Short Lines modular group debuts at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house
Our good friends from the No. 1 Northern Division will also have its modular layout operating at the show. When they displayed at last year's Manitoba Mega Train Show, they had the largest layout in the building!
Of course, the man with the giraffe cars (also known as blog editor Paul Ullrich) will have his portable Lionel layout up and running at the show. Paul's layout is definitely hands on! The kids (and the adults) are always welcome to come over to the layout and play with all of the operating dump cars.
There will also be displays of the club's model and photo contests, some "how to" clinics about model railroading, a canteen serving refreshments, old train magazines for sale and a few more surprises!
The hours are from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, and from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday. Please note that the entrance for the show is on the west side of the church, although the main entrance of the church and the elevator will still be accessible for our handicapped visitors.
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Ten days to go before the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's open house!
The WMRC blog site will be going full tilt for the next ten days. We will be posting every day, and every post will feature something exciting and unique about our upcoming show.
Our next meeting is on Friday, March 14, at 7:30 PM at Westworth United Church. But there will be no program, as we'll be setting up for the show, which starts the next day. However, we will need volunteers to help with the set up and to assist those with displays that need to be brought down into the gym. So please come out to the meeting and lend a hand!
We'll also have a sign-up sheet for those who can help at the admissions table when the show is open to the public. We'll also have a WMRC modelling table. If anyone would like to show the public their modelling skills, the sign-up sheets for the modelling will be at the head table during the meeting.
We're accepting submissions for the model and the photo contests at the meeting on Friday night only at the meeting. Submissions will NOT be accepted on Saturday morning. If you were awarded trophies last year, please return them on Friday night as well.
During the show, the entrance will not be through the main door of the church, but through the side door on the west side of the building. However, the main entrance and the elevator to the basement will still be available for the handicapped.
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Next meeting: Friday, February 14 at 7:30 P.M.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Our February meeting features a presentation by WMRC Vice President Dave Downie. Dave has been very busy digitizing hundreds of 35mm slides and prints that he's taken over the years. He's collected the best of the lot from the past 40 years and he'll be showcasing them at the meeting.Dave's name is certainly familiar with the followers of this blog, for he is the author of the very popular four part series about the 1983 NMRA national convention, "Railway Jamboree", which was held in Winnipeg. Part four will be posted later this week.
Dave has been rail fanning all of his life. Rumour has it that he started rail fanning even before he could walk! Tales have been told of how his mother used to wheel his baby carriage up the Arlington Street bridge. Dave, dressed in a T-shirt bearing the CP Rail crest and a grey and maroon baby bonnet with yellow trim, would stand on his tip toes in the baby carriage and lean over the railing, taking pictures of passing locomotives with his Kodak Brownie box camera!
We won't be seeing any of those pictures on Friday night, as he hasn't digitized them yet. But he will take us all the way back to the swinging 70's, so there will be plenty of vintage photos of first and second generation diesel motive power to be seen!
The meeting starts at 7:30 P.M. at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue. Not a member? No problem! Visitors are always welcome!
Monday, 13 January 2014
Godfrey South's presentation at our January meeting was a hit!
Godfrey South, one of our newest but most active members, delivered a remarkable presentation at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's meeting, which was held On January 10, 2013 at Westworth United Church.
Godfrey showed how he and a group of dedicated rail fans resurrected a two foot narrow gauge industrial rail line in his native Britain. The group rebuilt a beautiful steam engine from what was literally a pile of rusty scrap metal. Godfrey, who is a blacksmith by trade, was heavily involved in re-tooling many missing parts.
The presentation not only included many images documenting the rebuilding of the engine from start to finish, but also included a video of the engine all fired up and rolling down the track!
The second presentation was by WMRC Secretary Cliff Davidson, titled "Cliff's Western Canadian Adventures", which documented his trip to Calgary last year. Cliff, who knows rural Saskatchewan like the back of his hand, took us way off the Trans Canada Highway and into a rarely seen land where grain elevators still exist.
There are quite a few of these prairie giants around. Some are abandoned, but many still serving their communities. Some are standing next to former rail lines that were torn up long ago. Cliff took several images of trains passing them by that were hauling nothing but oil tankers, a sure sign of the times.
Below are several images from Godfrey's excellent presentation. Good work, Godfrey!
Read More..
Godfrey showed how he and a group of dedicated rail fans resurrected a two foot narrow gauge industrial rail line in his native Britain. The group rebuilt a beautiful steam engine from what was literally a pile of rusty scrap metal. Godfrey, who is a blacksmith by trade, was heavily involved in re-tooling many missing parts.
The presentation not only included many images documenting the rebuilding of the engine from start to finish, but also included a video of the engine all fired up and rolling down the track!
The second presentation was by WMRC Secretary Cliff Davidson, titled "Cliff's Western Canadian Adventures", which documented his trip to Calgary last year. Cliff, who knows rural Saskatchewan like the back of his hand, took us way off the Trans Canada Highway and into a rarely seen land where grain elevators still exist.
There are quite a few of these prairie giants around. Some are abandoned, but many still serving their communities. Some are standing next to former rail lines that were torn up long ago. Cliff took several images of trains passing them by that were hauling nothing but oil tankers, a sure sign of the times.
Below are several images from Godfrey's excellent presentation. Good work, Godfrey!
This is what they started with. Can you imagine building a locomotive from this?
Progress was slow but steady. It's really coming together now!
It's almost finished! All it needs now is a good paint job.
Success! A beautiful restoration job, and well worth the effort!
Monday, 23 December 2013
A Winnipeg Model Railroad Club Christmas Story
By Paul Ullrich, WMRC Blog Editor
A homeless man visited one of our meetings on a chilly December night. He came into the church right after I did. He was a slender man in his early thirties, with dark brown shoulder length hair and a full beard. He wasn't wearing a winter coat, but was dressed in over a half dozen sweaters and scarves. I watched him as he took most of them off and put them in a neat pile on the floor, leaving on two sweaters. One of those sweaters almost came down to his knees.
It was -20 outside. He obviously came in to warm himself up, and I certainly wasn't going to deny him that. I asked him to take off his shoes, as the church wanted to keep the wooden gym floor from being marred by wet winter boots. He nodded and smiled at me. He smiled as many homeless men do, keeping his mouth closed to hide what few deteriorating teeth he had left.
He took off his shoes and followed me into the gym. As I was the one who let him in, I kept an eye on him in case there was any trouble. But as it turned out, I didn't need to do that. He walked quietly around the gym, observing people setting up their displays and clinics.
As quiet as he was, you couldn't help but notice that he smelled bad. He reeked so badly that he parted groups of people like Moses parting the Red Sea whenever he came near. When he lifted his arm, it was enough make your eyes water.
He sat down right in front when the business meeting was called. He listened intently to the proceedings, paying more attention than most of the members. It was as if he was so starved for human contact that even something as boring as a club business meeting was somehow sustaining him.
After the business meeting, he had our usual break. That December was the first year that we had our annual Christmas hot dog dinner. A homeless man is most often a hungry man. There were people all around him eating hot dogs, and he didn't have a dime to his name to pay for one. Morgan, our president at the time, took pity and brought a him a plate brimming with food.
"Thanks, man!" He said, as he took the plate. Those were the only two words he spoke to anyone that night.
After the break, he walked about the gym, silently viewing the clinics and the displays with genuine interest. He sat down in front again for the evening presentation, never taking his eyes off the screen. When the meeting was over, he went back to the church foyer, put his many layers of sweaters back on, and left without saying a word.
As I was driving home, it suddenly hit me.
A thin man, in his early thirties.
Long, dark, shoulder length hair and a full beard.
In a church.
I din't know why I didn't see it before, but at that moment I realized that he bore a remarkable resemblance to someone whose birthday we were about to celebrate on the 25th of December.
Could it be?
Nah.
But could it?
I contacted Morgan the next day. He said that after the meeting, he drove around the neighbourhood looking for the man, but he was nowhere to be found. It was if he'd vanished into thin air!
Westworth United Church, where we had our meeting, is in a suburban area of Winnipeg far from downtown. It's not on any main road, and the area is seldom, if ever, frequented the homeless.
Oh, boy.
The man who was pictured hanging on a cross in the very church we were in once said, "Whatever you did to the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
I hope we did all right by him.
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
It's Klinic Karnival time at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club!
Some call it a "Three-Ring Circus." Others call it "Under The Big Top" or "The Greatest Show on Earth!" That, along with the annual WMRC Christmas Dinner, will make for an exciting evening on Friday, December 13th, starting at 7:30 PM! Admission is FREE to members and non-members alike!
We have so much for you to see this year. You can wander from 'ring-to-ring' and see and learn how to do many things related to model railroading.
The list includes:
Making Custom Switch Stands
Working with Styrene
Modelling Peeling Paint
Easy Layout Design Techniques
Z-scale Modelling
Applying Wet and Dry Decals
Wood Weathering
Freight Car Maintenance
Making Realistic Trees
Model Weathering Using Chalks
DCC Stationary Decoders.
And on top of all of that, it's the annual WMRC Christmas Dinner night, too! There'll be hot dogs and drinks and fun for all!
Please bring a non-perishable food item for the Christmas Cheer Board again this year. Last year we donated a record 26 items to the Board! See you on Friday, December 13, at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue!
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Welcome to the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club!
The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club was founded in 1955 by a group of about 50 charter members. The original clubroom was located at the CPR station on Higgins Avenue in the company's old Rules Room. From there, the club moved to the Manitoba Clinic for a few years until around 1968 when it moved to the Veterans Room at the CNR station on Main Street. Club membership had grown to over 125 members. The WMRC met there until 1995 when VIA Rail Canada took over the CN station and the Veterans Room became unavailable. The Club shifted to several different locations until 2005 when it moved to its present location at the Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue (at Lanark Street) in River Heights.
Purpose
The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club is a non-profit incorporated club with a purpose to promote the interest, knowledge, operation and enjoyment of all scale railway modelling and related photography. It is a voluntary organization governed by an elected executive with members-in-good-standing holding voting privileges. Elections occur during the April meeting. The Club welcomes guests interested in model railroading and associated interests to its meetings with the aim of helping them enjoy themselves so much that they'll want to come back. Regardless of your skill level or area of interest, there is something for everybody. The club emphasizes education and entertainment, so you'll learn a great deal, meet new friends and have fun!
Club Newsletter
The Club publishes an informative monthly newsletter called The Lantern which is produced by the Lantern editor. A PDF version is available to members who are on-line. A limited number of printed copies are available for pick up at our monthly meetings.
Club Meetings
Club meetings are held on the second Friday evening of each month beginning at 19:30 hours (7:30pm) from September to May. Meetings begin with a short business session followed by one or two programs as set out by the Program Director. Programs can range from a slide show presentation about prototype railways, to clinics given by members to show how different aspects of the hobby can be accomplished through certain techniques and skills.
Monthly Model Display
The club offers a model display at each meeting where members can bring in a model they are working on and display it for others to see. This is a display, and not a competition. A prize of a gift certificate from a local hobby shop is awarded at random. This display is run by members of the #1 Northern Division of the National Model Railroad Association.
50-50 Prize Draw
The Club offers a 50-50 prize draw during each meeting where members and guests can purchase tickets to win half of the collection.
Canteen
A Club canteen is available during each meeting where coffee, soft drinks and donuts are available for purchase.
The Harvey Walker Memorial Library
The Club has an extensive library where members-in-good-standing can take out books and train DVDs from the many hundreds on file.
'Klinic Karnaval'
Once a year the Club conducts a series of modelling 'stations' where those attending the meeting can roam from table-to-table and see other fellow modellers performing different aspects of the hobby. Each clinic is meant as a teaching tool to show others how to perform many of the skills used in the hobby.
Home Layout Tours
From time-to-time, arrangements are made for WMRC members to visit some of the many home basement layouts of other members.
NMRA Canada
Winnipeg is in the Thousand Lakes Region (TLR) of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) and operates within the No.1 Northern Division of the TLR. Although the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club is not part of the NMRA, the majority of No. 1 Northern Division members are also members of the WMRC.
When the No. 1 Northern Division was reorganized in 2008 with its own board separate from the WMRC, it was decided that it would be counterproductive to compete with the WMRC and hold its own monthly meetings. The WMRC co-operates with the NMRA in every way and the No.1 Northern Division has a presence at all club meetings. Members of the WMRC have always been encouraged to join the NMRA to partake in the many benefits it has to offer.
About every 10 years, the Spring TLR Convention is held in Canada, usually in Winnipeg. The last TLR meet was in May 2010. The No. 1 Northern Division currently runs the WMRC's monthly model display.
When the No. 1 Northern Division was reorganized in 2008 with its own board separate from the WMRC, it was decided that it would be counterproductive to compete with the WMRC and hold its own monthly meetings. The WMRC co-operates with the NMRA in every way and the No.1 Northern Division has a presence at all club meetings. Members of the WMRC have always been encouraged to join the NMRA to partake in the many benefits it has to offer.
About every 10 years, the Spring TLR Convention is held in Canada, usually in Winnipeg. The last TLR meet was in May 2010. The No. 1 Northern Division currently runs the WMRC's monthly model display.
For more information about the NMRA, go to: http://www.nmra.org/
For more information about NMRA Canada, go to: http://nmracanada.ca/
For more information about the TLR, go to: http://www.thousandlakesregion.org/
For more information about the No. 1 Northern Division, go to: http://pullrich.wix.com/numberonenorthern
Annual Open House
In April, the Club hosts its Annual WMRC Open House which features a model and photo contest that is open to members-in-good-standing who wish to enter their models and/or photos in the Club contests. Several model and photo categories are available to enter and trophies and model certificates are awarded to each class.
Annual Banquet and AGM
In May, the Club hosts its Annual Banquet and Annual General Meeting where model and photo contest winners are honoured for their achievements in the contests. This is also the meeting where next years' club officers and directors are installed for the following years' activities.
Operating Groups
Over the years, several operating groups sprung up from the WMRC including the HO scale Gateway Western Railroad (about 1957) and an HO scale modular club called the Winnipeg Modular Railway (circa 1986). The modular railway was active in many shopping malls around the city, finally ending up at the Eaton's store in downtown Winnipeg. In 2002 the club was disbanded for lack of a new home when the Eaton's store was closed and demolished to make room for the new MTS Center hockey arena.
The HO scale Gateway Western Railroad, a more permanent layout at the time, began operations around 1957 when construction began in the then CNR station on Main Street. It was located just off the north rotunda area behind a large glass window where thousands of rail travellers passed by and viewed it on their way to catch the train. When VIA Rail Canada took over the CN station in 1996, the Gateway was told to move out to make room for a public washroom area to be built in the space.
From there, construction began on a modular Gateway Western that became operational in 1998 for the Spring WMRC Open House, held at the Winnipeg Children's Museum at The Forks. The Gateway modules were owned by individual members who built it to a high degree of finish and displayed it at train shows and exhibitions.
From there, construction began on a modular Gateway Western that became operational in 1998 for the Spring WMRC Open House, held at the Winnipeg Children's Museum at The Forks. The Gateway modules were owned by individual members who built it to a high degree of finish and displayed it at train shows and exhibitions.
In 2000, the group disbanded and sold the layout to another WMRC member who stored it in his basement. In 2004, Gooch's Bicycles and Hobbies offered the WMRC space in their store to set up a model railroad. The Club bought back the Gateway and erected it in the basement of Gooch's where it attracted many new members to the WMRC. In 2010 Gooch's moved their store and the Gateway Western Railroad was put into storage. In partnership with the Winnipeg Railway Museum, the Gateway Western was resurrected in the museum in its own heated structure in 2013.
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