Winnipeg Model Railroad Club mourns passing of Norm Leathers

Norm Leathers is seen receiving the WMRC's President's shield award from President Larry Leavens. Norm won the award for his work in bringing the Gateway Western Railway to its permanent home at the Winnipeg Railway Museum.

Norm Leathers passed away at 5:00 AM today. On February 11 he suffered a cardiac episode and never recovered. 

Norm was a member of the club since its second meeting in October 1955 when he was still la teenager. Norm, being a stickler for accuracy in all things, always maintained that because he joined a month after the club’s first meeting that he was not a founding member. 

Norm served several positions during his nearly 70 years with the club, including secretary and one year as President in the early 2000’s. He was also a long term member of the Midwestern Rail Association, proprietors of the Winnipeg Railway Museum. In 2014 he was awarded the President’s shield, the WMRC’s highest award, for his work in bringing the Gateway Western to the Winnipeg Railway Museum.

Norm had a long and rewarding career as a science teacher, and he also served as a high school  audio technician. While earning his teaching degree he met fellow model railroader Nick Andrusiak, and they became lifelong friends.

Norm also was a jet fighter pilot for the RCAF. He was fond of telling the tale of when his commanding officer brought his young son to see a real jet fighter pilot, expecting some like John Wayne, and being so disappointed upon meeting Norm.

In his younger days, Norm was an avid cyclist. In the 70’s he took his sons Graham and Gord on a bike hike through the Rockies.

Norm’s model railroading passion was the Pennsylvania Railroad, and he constructed a beautiful, work class railroad that was the highlight of many layout hops for many conventions, including the NMRA’s national convention held in Winnipeg in 1983. 

If there ever was a person who epitomized the heart and soul of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club, it would’ve been Norm. It can be truly said without the slightest doubt that everybody loved Norm. He had a gentle way about him, and he was also very clever, with a mischievous sense of humour. His puns were the stuff of legend, and he could create them at a moments notice in a dizzying rapid fire succession. 

Norm loved model railroading, and he loved the WMRC. No one has been a member longer than him. He contributed to the club’s monthly model display well into his eighties, bringing models he was working on in 2019 and 2022. Even though his health was failing, he still came to a many meetings as he could, his last one being November of 2024. He was an enduring presence, a person whom we alway looked forward to seeing at every meeting, and he will be sorely missed.

Norm is seen cutting the cake for the club's 60th anniversary with Moe Smith, Dave Downey, and Roger Kiendl.

Although incapacitated with a recent hip injury, Norm, accompanied by Gary Stempnick, still managed to view the Canadian Pacific 2018 when it came to Winnipeg last summer. 

 

Exclusive photos of CN freight train carrying CN100's displays

Earlier this month our intrepid staff photographer Felix “scoop” Lesiuk caught a CN eastbound freight near Gregg, Manitoba that was hauling containers for CN's "A moving Celebration" commemorating CN's centennial to be held at The Forks from September 19th to 22nd.

If you plan to attend, why not also stop by the Winnipeg Railway Museum in the Via Rail Station for their railway days celebration on the 21st and the 22nd? They’re open from 10am to 5PM on both days. They’ll have displays from many railway related organizations, railway excursions, railway heritage museums and attractions from the rail industry from around the province.

Via’s Churchill train will be open for public viewing on Saturday. The WMRC’s Gateway Western Railway will also up and running at the museum. The Gateway has a public viewing just twice a year, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to see it!

Gateway Western Railway featured on Shaw TV series

Former WMRC President Larry Leavens is seen running a passenger train at a recent operating session at the Gateway Western Railway in the Winnipeg Railway Museum.

Shaw TV Winnipeg has started an exciting new series called Train Town, and the WMRC's Gateway Western Railway has been featured in the very first episode. The episode, which runs just under five minutes, is available for Shaw cable subscribers, but it is also available for viewing on You Tube.

The first episode features our own Gino Kost, the man who literally built the Gateway Western from the ground up, building and all, with a small group of dedicated volunteers from the WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum. 

This high quality, professionally produced episode is available for viewing by clicking here. 

Tuesday Nights are still Gateway Western Nights all summer long!

This handsome fellow is happily stapling some landscape material (and hopefully not his fingers) to the Gateway Western layout in the Winnipeg Railway Museum. Photo by Christopher Robinson.

Just a friendly reminder that although we're in the throes of summer, construction and operation of the Gateway Western will continue throughout the season. Tuesday nights are still Gateway nights, come rain or shine, and you're welcome to join in on the fun! Progress has been impressive on the largest group owned layout in the city, and it has been proven to be a solid attraction at the Winnipeg Railway Museum!

The Gateway Western Railway is located at the Winnipeg Railway Museum, which is on the second level of the Via Rail Station, 123 Main Street. The gang meets at 7:00PM every Tuesday.

A sleek Burlington Zephyr runs through a snow tunnel on the Gateway Western.

The WMRC section crew gang is keeping everything running smoothly at the Gateway!

Rapid transit proposal puts Winnipeg Railway Museum and Gateway Western in jeopardy

By Paul Ullrich,
WMRC Social Media Executive

Winnipeg city council is in the throes of rapid transit fever, and the Winnipeg Railway Museum and the Gateway Western Railway might be their victims.

According to an article written by Bartley Kives, posted on the CBC Online News Digest on June 10, Winnipeg Transit has an agreement in place with CN Rail that will allow the city make use of tracks One and Two, where the museum is currently located. Winnipeg Transit engineer David Patman is quoted as stating that the museum would be relocated to somewhere else in the station or in the Forks. 

The most difficult task any non-profit model railroad or rail fan organization has to deal with is a location, and the more stuff you have, the harder it is to find a place. And the Winnipeg Railway Museum has the most stuff of all. However, this is not going to happen overnight. A study will be made of this proposal, which is expected to be completed in 2018.

We just lost the Selkirk Model Railroad Association because the new owners of the building they were occupying raised their rent so high that they couldn't afford to stay there anymore. The Winnipeg Railway Museum was originally the Midwest Rail Society, and they were the caretakers of the Countess of Dufferin, and other pieces of equipment that you now see in the museum. The main goal of the society was to establish a museum for this equipment, and they succeeded in finding a home at Union Station.

But they're there only by the good graces of Via Rail, and that may end soon. Relocation plans sound vague, at the very least. That's a lot of equipment to move! Who's going pay for it? Where is it all going to go? And what about the Gateway Western, which is housed in its own structure inside the museum itself?

This week, Winnipeggers watched in shock as the money grubbing Ganeffs at Manitoba Hydro more than quadrupled the price of a parcel of land they owned that was earmarked for a rapid transit corridor. Winnipeggers then watched in horror as city council caved into Hydro's demands and paid that grossly inflated price with hardly a protest.

Union Station is certainly under utilized. Only Via Rail's Canadian and the Churchill train operate out of the station. The museum, which is now housed in an unheated stall on tracks one and two, would certainly benefit from a new location. If there's enough taxpayer money around to pay a publicly owned utility an outrageous price for land, there certainly should be enough left over to assist the Winnipeg Railway Museum when they're forced to move.

More memories of the Gateway Western during Doors Open Winnipeg

This little guy is so determined to get a better view of the trains at the Gateway Western that he grabbed a nearby Via Rail step! All photos by Dave Downie.

By Dave Downie

Attendance at the Winnipeg Railway Museum during Doors Open Winnipeg surpassed last year's  and both the WMRC and the museum were very pleased with the amount of money raised during the event. 


I talked to a model railroader from Toronto who was in town for the Liberal convention. His name was Peter and he had visited the museum Tuesday after arriving in Winnipeg and wanted to see the layout in action during the weekend. I had seen him standing observing the action without moving for 10 minutes. When I introduced myself, he indicated that he thought quite highly of the layout and had a lot of questions about the WMRC. He had read the WMRC blog and felt he knew a lot about us already.


"They look as if they're really having fun", he said. I agreed and said that some of the participants hardly knew each other before today and that the event would help everyone get to know each other better. I reminded Peter that model railroading is supposed to be fun and that is what the WMRC is all about.

A CP passenger train rounds the bend on the Gateway Western during Doors Open Winnipeg.

These kids are mesmerized by the train action going on at the Gateway!

Norm Leathers' layout featured on Shaw TV

Norm Leathers shows visitor Glenn Klassen his Pennsylvania Railroad layout.

The second video produced by Shaw TV features Norm Leathers' Pennsylvania Railroad layout. Norm has long been the backbone of the club. He first became a member of the WMRC in 1957.  He has recently served as president of the club in the 2009-2010 season. He was awarded the president's shield in 2014 for his efforts in bringing the WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum together to rebuild the Gateway Western in the museum.

Before his long and distinguished career as an educator, he was a pilot for the RCAF. This year he celebrated his 80th birthday. Long may he and his railroad run!

You can view the video of Norm's layout by clicking here. 

Some more new images of the Gateway Western Railway

 Suzanne Lemon's 'Northlander' approaches the future snow shed area of the mountain scene

We still have some more images to share of the remarkable progress the team at the Gateway Western has made in the past few months. Even WMRC President Larry Leavens, who had been away for a few weeks, was amazed at how much work had been accomplished lately.

More photos will be coming in shortly, and we'll post them as soon as we get them. For those who want to join in on the fun, Tuesday nights are Gateway nights! The gang meets at 7:00 PM at the Winnipeg Railway Museum, located at the Via Rail Station at 123 Main Street. No experience necessary! All that's required is a willingness to participate.

 Morgan Turney's TH&B lash-up hauls high revenue lumber through the 'flats'

 Larry Leavens powers his SD40-2 DW&P locomotive around the lower level of the layout

Brent Tingey (left) and Larry Leavens pilot their trains on the Gateway Western layout

The Gateway Western landscaping shows impressive progress

Suzanne Lemon's GM Demonstrator MP15AC takes the lower curve around the mountain.

By Morgan Turney 

It was the last Tuesday Gateway night before the New Year, so we put the scenery supplies and track laying equipment away and decided to run some trains. The Gateway is progressing nicely and the final bit of track work on the upper yard is ready to install. The scenery on the mountain area is progressing and the town scene is about ready to begin taking shape.

The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's HO scale Gateway Western Railway is located in the Winnipeg Railway Museum in the VIA station, 123 Main street, at The Forks.

 Gary Stempnick's CN Budd car runs a short haul passenger service around the layout.

 The rugged Canadian Shield mountains contain lots of wildlife including this black bear who has just come out of his cave.

 WMRC President Larry Leavens tunes-up a locomotive at the work bench.

 A CP steamer runs the route around the mountain.

Kids just love the Gateway Western Railway!

The absolute best thing about running trains on the Gateway Western is watching the kid's reactions! Just look at this youngster in the image -  every model railroader knows how he feels, and all of us remember being that age when we were watching and dreaming about trains! If there was anything that made all of the efforts to build the Gateway (not to mention the building that houses it) is the look on this kid's face!

The Gateway Western Railway is house is a joint effort between the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club and the Winnipeg Railway Museum. The museum is located on the second level of the Via Rail station on 123 Main Street. For a complete schedule of their hours of operation, please click here.  

 Here's another wonderful shot of a youngster watching the trains run on the Gateway, courtesy of our crack photographer, Morgan Turney. Looks like our own Cliff Davidson is in the reflection!

 Here's a great scene of the rail action on the Gateway taken during Railway Days in September.

 

Making scenery at the Gateway Western Railway

    WMRC Program Director Morgan Turney took these images of Aaron Woloshyn laying some scenery at the gateway Western. He's using the modeller's best friend, the Topside Creeper, which is available from Micro-Mark. For a big layout like the Gateway, the Topside Creeper is an indispensable tool for getting into those hard to reach spots!

     Tuesday nights are now, still, and always will be Gateway nights. It's a great opportunity for fun, fellowship, and working on the railroad! The crew meets around 7:00 PM at the Winnipeg Railway Museum, located on the second level of the Via Rail station at 123 Main Street.

    Aaron Woloshyn is seen from the outside window of the Gateway, working on the landscaping.

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's Gateway Western Railway featured at the Winnipeg Railway Museum during Doors Open Winnipeg this weekend

   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/

Back by popular demand: The Gateway Western layout plan

    One of our loyal readers asked us if we could re-post the layout plan of the Gateway Western. Your wish is our command! Post for the Gateway Western have proven to be extremely popular on this blog site, and on our Facebook page as well.

     To further meet this demand, we have put in a Gateway Western index on this site. Scroll down the page and you'll find it on the right hand side. All of the posts about the Gateway Western are there! All you have to do is click on one of the links, and you're there!

More progress on the Gateway Western!

    WMRC member Ian Plett took these images of a recent session at the Gateway Western Railway, located in its own structure inside the Winnipeg Railway Museum. As you can see, significant progress is being made on what is going to be the most spectacular model railway in the city!

     The Winnipeg Railway Museum is located on the second level of the Via Rail Station at 123 Main Street. Tuesday Nights are always Gateway nights! That's when the gang gets together around 7:00PM for some modelling, train running, and some good old camaraderie!

   Morgan Turney, completely undisturbed by the pair chatting behind him, concentrates fully on the modelling project at hand. The man is in the zone!

The Gateway Western Railway meets tonight at the Winnipeg Railway Museum

   Tuesday nights are Gateway nights, and the WMRC's layout over at the Winnipeg Railway Museum is coming along just great! We're getting into some might fine landscaping which is making the layout really come alive! Dave Downie, our Vice-President, sent along these images to us to show the remarkable progress they're making on the layout!

    The gang meets tonight at 7:00 PM at the Winnipeg Railway Museum, located on the second level of the Via Rail Station at 123 Main Street. It's really cold outside, but the Gateway is housed in it's own heated building within the museum!

     Former WMRC President Suzanne Lemon modeled this lovely lake for the Gateway Western.

Photos of the original Gateway Western in the 70's and 80's

    Mark Perry, who is one of the WMRC's Facebook friends, has shared these wonderful photos of the original Gateway Western Railway on the club's FB page.

   The first Gateway Western was in its own room on the main floor of Winnipeg's Union Station, long before Via Rail took the building over. It was a landmark for decades until the club was forced to demolish it to make way for a new bathroom.

   Since then, it has been revived first as a modular group, then as a permanent display at Gooch's Hobbies, and no finally back to its original place (albeit one floor above) back at the station in the Winnipeg Railway Museum!

    The image above was taken in the 70's.  Bob Whitehouse is seen on the left, bending over the layout as Lindsey Fuller looks on.

    The image below was taken in the 80's. Jim Jenkins is seen in the back, while Dave Kyliuk switches out one of the industry tracks on the layout.

Assiniboine Valley Railway open house, Winnipeg Railway Museum's Railway Days and the Manitoba Mega Train Show showcased this month

The model railroading season really starts to heat up in September! We start off first with the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's first meeting in our new location at the Charleswood Legion, located at 6003 Roblin Boulevard. The meeting will be held in the tank room in the basement of the hall on September 12, and starts at 7:30. The door on the west side of the building provides the best access. Hope to see you all there! You can't miss the building - it's got a tank in front of it!

The next day the Assiniboine Valley Railway holds its monthly open house on September 13 and also on September 14. The hours are from 11 to 5 on Saturday, and from 1 to 5 on Sunday. Rides are $2 per person. Kids under 3 ride for free!

The weekend after that is the Winnipeg Railway Museum's Railway days! The hours are from 10 to 5 on September 20 and 21. Admission is by donation. The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club will be out there in full force, operating the Gateway Western Railway in its own separate structure within the museum. That itself would be worth the price of admission, but there's so much more to see!

Following that is the Manitoba Mega Train Show on September 27 and 28 at the CanLan Ice Sports Complex on 1871 Ellice Avenue. The WMRC is partnered with this event. We'll have members all over the place setting up the 7.5" scale train, working the admissions desk, displaying and selling all sorts of neat model railroading stuff at the vendor's tables! Admission is $5, Children ages 3-12 $3, and kids 2 and under get in for free! Hours are from 9 to 5 on both days.

Model railroading: The greying of our hobby

              Are the meetings at your local model railroading club beginning to look like this?

   There's no doubt about it - model railroading needs more younger members! The greying of our hobby has been happening for a long time, and it's epidemic all across the country. We saw it coming in the 80's and 90's when we saw the younger generation's fascination with video games.

    The baby boomers were the last generation to fully embrace the hobby, mostly because they grew up with model railroads. Attendance in the WMRC spiked and thrived in the 80's when boomers such as Larry Leavens and Ron Einarson joined the club. These members were in their 30'swhen they joined, and they continue to make important contributions to the club. But now these boomers are in their 60's, and there are very few younger members joining. Membership has been declining in every model railroading club.

   Mind you, there's still a lot of life in the old codgers. The rebuilding of the Gateway Western, which included building a vary large structure to house the railway, was mostly done by members of the WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum who were in their 60's, and even in their 70's!

    The WMRC has younger members, such as Ian Plett and Suzanne Lemon, who have done wonders for the club. Their enthusiasm has truly revitalized and inspired us. We need more just like them!

    Attendance the Manitoba Mega Train Show and the WMRC's spring open house has showed us that interest in model railroading is still very strong. We get many young families in to view the trains. But they're not joining!

   Our only hope for survival is to have more younger members. But where are we going to get them?

More images from Train Days at Portage la Prairie

The model railroad season was supposed to be officially over after the WMRC's annual banquet, but with Train Days at Portage La Prairie and the showcase of the Winnipeg Railway Museum and the Gateway Western at Doors Open Winnipeg last weekend, there's still plenty of great model railroading action to be viewed in Manitoba. We still have a few more images to share from Train Days in Portage la Prairie. Enjoy!

 Here's a nice view of two freight trains meeting on the Portage la Prairie Model Railroad Club's modular layout. it's almost like the real thing happening right outside of their door! 

Our own Margaret Loewen crafted this beautiful winter scene for the club's modular layout.

The club also has a very nice Lionel layout on display! This nice lady slowed the train down just enough for the photographer to take this image.

 Who let these guys in? That's what happens when you don't charge admission!

More images from the Gateway Western at Doors Open Winnipeg

Dave Downie sure was busy last Sunday! He took lots of great photos of all the people viewing the WMRC's Gateway Western at the Winnipeg Railway Museum during Doors Open Winnipeg. The best photos he took by far were the ones of the kids watching the trins. Dave suggested the theme for these images should be, "Remember the first time you saw a model railroad?" Check out the youngster investigating a helix (probably for the first time).

Someone handed this young lady the remote control, and she's having the time of her life!

Check out the expression on this young fellows face! He's totally mesmerized!

This girl is in train heaven, and she doesn't want to leave!