Gateway Western Railway closed until further notice

Tuesday nights are no longer Gateway nights for members of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club or the Winnipeg Railway Museum. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all operations at the Gateway have been suspended until further notice. The Winnipeg Railway Museum is also closed due to the pandemic.

The Gateway Western is almost as old as the WMRC itself. There have been several Gateway layouts in different locations for well over a half a century. The first one was on the main floor of Winnipeg's Union Station. That layout was torn down to make room for a larger bathroom for the station.

Its next incarnation was at Gooch's hobbies in its Sherbrook street location. This layout was taken apart and stored in a local warehouse when Gooch's hobbies moved their store to Portage Avenue.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum, the Gateway was once again resurrected and returned to its original location at Union Station. A tireless band of volunteers assembled an insulated, heated structure within the museum that houses what is now the largest permanent layout in the province.

When the health crisis has abated, the Gateway and the Winnipeg Railway Museum will reopen. Notices of the reopening will be posted on this site and on the club's Facebook page.

Gooch's Hobbies shutters doors after almost 90 years in business

We are saddened to report that Gooch's Hobbies, the oldest continuing hobby shop in Winnipeg, has gone out of business. Following a disagreement with their landlord over a lease proposal, the owners have decided to call it quits.

Many model railroaders and hobbyists in the city have fond memories of shopping at Gooch's at their former locations on Portage Avenue and on Sherbrook Street over the many decades they had been in business. Their most recent location saw a downsizing in their hobby side of the business, but it still was a fairly well stocked and convenient place to shop for model railroading equipment.

Sadly, this now leaves us with one less hobby shop in the area in an era where more and more hobby shops are disappearing all across North America. Goodbye, Gooch's! We're going to miss you!

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.