trendy train model

   The Gateway Western Railway is housed in its own structure at the Winnipeg Railway Museum, built by volunteers from the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club and the Winnipeg Railway Museum. This photo was taken by John Longhurst, which he used in his blog, the CP Rail Manitoba and Minnesota Subdivision, which featured a post about the Gateway Western.

The WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum will once again be participating in Doors Open Winnipeg this weekend. The Gateway Western Railway, which is a joint effort between the WMRC and the museum, will be operating trains as part of the Winnipeg Railway Museum�s contribution to the event from 11 to 5 on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31. Admission to the museum this weekend is free (although donations will always be cheerfully accepted) and there's plenty of parking available nearby at The Forks. The city is offering two free hours of metered street parking, and free street parking all day on Sunday. 

The museum is located on tracks 1 and 2 on the upper level of the Via Rail Station, which is located at 123 Main Street.

 For more information on Doors Open Winnipeg, go to http://www.doorsopenwinnipeg.ca/

For more information about the Winnipeg Railway Museum, go to:
http://www.wpgrailwaymuseum.com/

     CN's east yards in the 70's. Quite a difference compared to 2015!

   It's been 25 years - an entire generation - since The Forks opened to the public, changing what was once CN's bustling downtown rail yard into Winnipeg's premiere meeting place. The Forks is now home to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Winnipeg Goldeyes, The Winnipeg Children's Museum, and dozens of shops that are housed in some of CN's structures.

     WMRC member John Longhurst takes a nostalgic and informative look back at the CN donwtown east yard in an article he wrote for his blog, The CP Rail Manitoba and Minnesota Division. Long time WMRC members will recall fondly when we used to meet in the basement of the Via Rail station when the CN yards were still in operation. Later, we held meetings in the Children's Museum after The Forks was established. Now we're back at The Forks, operating the Gateway Western layout in the Winnipeg Railway Museum!

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!

Heads up, fellow model railroaders and rail fans! The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club is holding their monthly meeting tonight at 7:30 PM at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Avenue in Winnipeg. After our business meeting, we'll have a presentation on the Prairie Dog Central's recent visit to The Forks and the Via Rail station. Of course, there will be the usual fellowship and camaraderie among members old and new, and guests! Guests are always welcome at our meetings, so come on down and see what you've been missing!

There's nothing much on TV tonight anyway. On PBS, you've got Shakespeare's Henry V (spoiler alert - he wins the battle of Agincourt). Sharknado is also on, but there are no trains to be seen in the movie! There's no trains in Henry V either, but that's because it takes place in the early 15th century. So why not come on down and join in on the fun! After the meeting, we'll head out for some pizza at Santa Lucia !