17 August 2004 Railway Scenes Beautify Winnipeg - The owner of a modest, 90-year-old white house in the North End figured it would be the perfect canvas to do his part to help beautify his neighbourhood. When his "crummy" home was due for a fresh coat, Joe Petrash threw aside the dull, white paint and instead opted for an elaborate mural covering the entire exterior of the 1 1/2 storey structure and garage.   "I thought I would maybe get the North End shaped up a bit," said the retired Canadian Pacific Railway engineer. "It might give people some ideas."   To bring his vision to life, Petrash hired Richard Manoakeesick, an instructor at a not-for-profit youth art centre in Winnipeg's core called Graffiti Art Programming Inc.   Three weeks later, CP Rail locomotives - both diesel and steam - adorned three sides of the house, which has been in Petrash's family for five decades. A train scene was an obvious choice.   "It was the best job in the world," Petrash said. "I loved it. I should have paid CPR."   The mural also depicts a picturesque landscape Petrash adored from afar as the train snaked through northwest Ontario at sunset.   His neighbours get a kick out of having a painting of a moose, eagles, mallard ducks and soaring trees just outside their window.   "They come and say, Thank you", Petrash said.   Stranger Stop BY   Winnipeg-born Petrash - who retired after 37 years once he became the "No. 1 pool engineer in Thunder Bay" - said strangers stop by or peer through their car windows to check out his unusual home.   Petrash didn't reveal how much the mural cost but said he was willing to pay the extra fees for a more original paint job.   At first, area-residents were a little shocked when the bright-blue primer went up, Manoakeesick said.   "Everyone was wondering, What is this old man up to?" the 29-year-old joked. "Not a lot of people are willing to take that risk, to take that step to make a change. I'm grateful and happy."   Manoakeesick spray-painted the background then completed the more detailed work by hand, offering a positive type of graffiti in a neighborhood better known for its crime.   "People are just trying to get away from that," said Manoakeesick, who has completed several similar, commercial projects in the North End but never someone's home. "It helps to look at the pictures and people's work. It gets your mind off the stuff that we face every day."   Petrash might not be stopping with the exterior. He's playing with the idea of a Western mural indoors. Meanwhile, he hopes his unique version of a community service will spread within the neighbourhood.