trendy train model

   This image, taken by our good friend Steve Boyko for his blog, "Confessions of a Train Geek" shows the GWWD RS-23 switching tank cars outside their yard on Dawson Road in the rain. The switcher was built in 1960 by MLW and purchased by the GWWD in 1985 from Devco.

    January's WMRC meeting features a special presentation about the Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway given by Mark Perry. The GWWD is a unique short line owned by the City Of Winnipeg. It is a 167 kilometer long line that runs from St. Boniface to Shoal Lake, which is the source of Winnipeg's water supply. It was built 100 years ago to assist in the construction of the aqueduct running from Shoal Lake to Winnipeg.

     The railway has been the subject of a book by our good friend Peter Lacey of the Winnipeg Railway Museum. An article in Trains magazine was written about the railway by former WMRC member Jeff Keddy for their March 2013 issue.

    Many of our members will fondly remember passenger service on the line, and the many excursion trains that ran on the weekends until 1982. They ran a special excursion train of the very last time in 1983 for the attendants of Railway Jamboree '83, the 1983 NMRA national convention that was held in Winnipeg.

     The meeting is on Friday, January 9 at 7:30 at the Charleswood Legion at 6003 Roblin Boulevard.
Guests are always welcome!

   Neil Carlton displays weathering techniques to Bob King and Val Lemon at the Klinic Karnival held at the WMRC's December meeting. 

    One of the more interesting clinics held at the WMRC's Klinic Karnival in December was member Neil Carlton's demonstration on various weathering techniques. Neil is a master of many weathering methods. His detailing is admirably meticulous, and he employs many unique methods to weather his models. Note the special gloves he wears (we should all be that neat).

    He also used makeup sponges to apply various shades of pastels onto his models (yes, he buys them all by himself at the makeup counter). Using these wedge-shaped sponges gives him extraordinary control over the application of the pastels. These versatile sponges can also be used to "pick up" over-applications of pastels on the models much better than a brush.

    Thanks for the great tip about these wonderful sponges, Neil! But if you want to try them out, don't steal them from you wife! Go to the store and buy them yourself, just like Neil does! 

  

    Member Godfrey South proudly displays the WMRC he just bought at December's meeting. He bought five of them - one for every member of the family!

    We do have a number of extra shirts that were ordered, and they will be available on a first come, first sold basis. These high quality shirts, with a spiffy logo designed by WMRC blog editor Paul Ullrich, are selling for just $15!

     Our next meeting is on Friday, January 9 at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard. The meeting starts 7:30 PM. If you didn't order a T-shirt, but still want to buy one, please get there early!

     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!

    We are pleased to announce that our good friends at the Manitoba Mega Train Show have a new location for 2015. They're moving to Red River Exhibition Park, which is a much larger venue than their previous location at the CanLan Ice Sports complex.

      Some had doubts that a train show would even be able to fill a space as large as the indoor soccer pitch at CanLan, but the Manitoba Mega train Show has been a victim of its own success! They've packed that venue for the past three years, with attendance increasing dramatically every year!

       The WMRC is partnered with Mega Train, and we receive a portion of the revenues from this event, which is an important revenue source for the club.

     The new venue not only has much more room than the old one, but it has plenty of free parking for everyone! Hope to see you all there in September!