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 from the 1983 Railway Jamboree NMRA national convention

Bill Taylor (left) and Moe Smith sell “arms length” raffle tickets at the 1983 Railway Jamboree NMRA national convention held in Winnipeg. Nick Andrusiak invented this gimmick, which is still being used at the WMRC’s annual AGM and banquet.

Frances Andrusiak, widow of longtime member Nick Andrusiak, sent us the great photos of Railway Jamboree, the 1983 NMRA national convention held in Winnipeg. Nick was one of the organizers of this convention, the only NMRA national convention ever to be held in Winnipeg.

Frances tells us that convention consumed the lives of the Andrusiak family for four years, starting from the time of the bid, which was held at the 1979 NMRA national convention in Calgary. The Andrusiak children had to have supper on a blanket on the kitchen floor many times when the executive planning committee was meeting at their home.

Winnipeg was one of the smallest cities to ask to hold an NMRA national convention. The WMRC, which had about 250 members at time, was one of the smallest clubs to organize a convention. They had an uphill battle to convince the NMRA executive to let them hold a convention.

Frances told us that the Winnipeg delegation had corned beef sandwiches flown in from Winnipeg and delivered to the convention just as their presentation was completing at lunch time. Small touches like that won the hearts and minds of the NMRA executive and helped the Winnipeg Delegation land the bid to hold the convention.

In 2008 Nick organized a reunion was a reunion on the 25th anniversary of the convention. It was planned as an informal lunch at the Winnipeg Convention Centre cafeteria but when the cafeteria staff heard they were coming they set up tables with white tablecloths and provided table service. The reunion was marred by the absence of Hilt Friesen, who while getting ready to attend the reunion, suffered a fatal stroke.

Francis has many more photos of the convention. We hope that she will share the rest of them with us soon!

Bill Norrie, Winnipeg’s mayor at the time, is seen getting pinned by convention chair Stafford Swain. Norrie was in crutches because he ran over his foot with a lawnmower.

Nick Andrusiak (left) and Bill Taylor are seen on a CN caboose. Convention attendees were given the opportunity to visit the CP yards and the CN Transcona shops during the convention. Due to security concerns this courtesy has long been abandoned by the railways. 

 

A photo montage ready for publication, possibly for The Lantern. Note that the photos were pasted on a grid sheet used for school publications. Nick Andrusiak was a High School Teacher. Hilt Friesen is shown on the photo on the lower left. Stafford Swain is shown on the photo next to him.

Winners of the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual photo and model contests

 

Felix Lesiuk received the award for best prototype photo from Marvin Fetch.

WMRC Secretary Marvin Fetch sure was kept busy handing out awards at the club’s AGM and banquet! Felix Lesiuk is seen winning the Nick Andrusiak Memorial award for best digital prototype photo. Luca Matyas won the Peter Abel Memorial award for photo special event. Barrie Creran won for structures for his model of a UGG grain elevator. He also won for best in show. Neil Carleton won The Lantern award and he also won first prize in the non-revenue category for his model of a crane. Congratulations to all of them!

Luca Matyas received the Peter Abel award for photo special event.

 

Barrie Creran received awards for structures and best in show.

 

Neil Carleton received The Lantern award and the award in the non-revenue model category.

 

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club presents annual awards at October meeting

WMRC president Bob Harrison presents the President's shield award to Marvin and Arlene Fetch at the club's October 2021 meeting. 

The WMRC presented three awards at their October 2021 meeting. The recipients were awarded on-line at the club's virtual AGM, which was held in May. This was the first time since then that the club was able to present the awards in person.

WMRC secretary Marvin Fetch and his wife Arlene were awarded the president's shield for their volunteer work for the club. WMRC Program Director Dave Downie won the Peter Abel Memorial Award Photo Special Event, and Felix Lesiuk won the Nick Andrusiak Memorial Award for best digital prototype photo.

                Felix Lesiuk won the Nick Andrusiak Memorial Award for best digital prototype photo.

    WMRC program director Dave Downie won the Peter Abel Memorial Award Photo Special Event.
 
 

 

Master Model Railroader Stafford Swain has passed away

Stafford Swain is seen to the right of Frank Gerry and Paul Ullrich at his home in Winnipeg in 2010 during the TLR regional convention. This was the last public display of his layout, which was taken down shortly after the convention.

We are very saddened to report that long time WMRC member and legendary model railroader Stafford Swain passed away on April 11. He was 73 years old.

Stafford was a Master Model Railroader (MMR #98),  former President of the WMRC, and past Chairman of the 1983 NMRA National convention held in Winnipeg. At the time, the 1983 convention was the most profitable in the history of the NMRA.

He's had over 80 articles published in magazines such as Model Railroader, Mainline Modeller and Railroad Model Craftsman.

Stafford had a huge impact on bringing down the cost of model railroading to all Canadians by working to eliminate the Federal Duty levied on imported model railroad supplies. Until Stafford won his argument with the Customs Canada, there was a 20% duty levied on all imported model railroad supplies.

Stafford was a loyal CN fan and a devoted member and co-founder of the Canadian National Railways Historical Association (formerly CN Lines SIG). Stafford did just about everything for the organization, including stuffing envelopes on a regular basis at Nick Andrusiak's place whenever another issue of CN Lines was fresh from the printers and ready to ship.

 A glowing tribute to Stafford and his many accomplishments has been published in Canadian Railway Modeller, Train 17, Track 3. You can also read about Stafford at WMRC member John Longhurst's Manitoba and Minnesota Subdivision blog at http://cprailmmsub.blogspot.com/

Nick Andrusiak honoured at Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's annual banquet

WMRC President Godfrey South presented Fran Andrusiak, who delivered a tribute to her late husband, Nick Andrusiak, at the WMRC’s annual banquet last month. 

The late, great Nick Andrusiak was honoured at the WMRC’s annual banquet and awards ceremony, which was held last month at the Canad Inn at Polo Park. The club created a special award for digital prototype railroad photography in his name. 

Nick’s widow, Fran Andrusiak, gave a moving tribute to her late husband at the banquet and presented the award named after Nick to its first recipient, WMRC secretary Cliff Davidson. 

Fran Andrusiak presented the very first Nick Andrusiak memorial award for digital prototype railroad photography to Cliff Davidson at the club’s annual banquet and awards ceremony.

Stafford Swain and CN

   Another view of Stafford Swain's spectacular layout. The clouds were digitally added by WMRC Blog Editor Paul Ullrich.

   Readers of this blog site might've noticed that on previous posts about Stafford Swain's layout, there have been nothing but CN motive power and rolling stock on the tracks. Stafford was a loyal CN fan and a devoted member of the Canadian National Railways Historical Association (formerly CN Lines SIG). Stafford did just about everything for that organization that he could, including stuffing envelopes  on a regular basis at Nick Andrusiak's place whenever another issue of CN Lines was fresh from the printers and ready to ship.

    Stafford was a virtual encyclopedia of anything related to CN. Several years ago, a local man purchased an old CN caboose, intending to renovate it as a cottage while keeping the exterior as close to prototype as he could. Someone suggested that he call Stafford. When he did, Stafford asked him what type of caboose it was. The man didn't know, so he started describing it to him.

     "Is that the one with the white windows?" Asked Stafford.

     The man said yes, and Stafford gave him about 20 minutes of the most intricate details describing the make, model and manufacturing of the caboose, all off the top of his head.

      That was Stafford. Knowledgeable, kind, and extremely generous with the wealth of information he possessed.

Remembering the NMRA's 1983 Railway Jamboree - Part four

This is a page from the Railway Jamboree '83 handbook and timetable, featuring the layouts of Marcel Blair, Jock Oliphant, MMR, Betty Jackson and Bruce Smith, and Stafford Swain, MMR.

By Dave Downie

   It has been 31 years since Railway Jamboree ended. It has been fun for me to look back but a big part of the convention is its legacy.

   Winnipeg was a “small market” and not close to any other major population centre, yet the organizing committee had successfully marketed the city as a magnificent city with three percent of all MMRs at the time (Jock Oliphant MMR#15, Stafford Swain MMR#98 and Moe Smith MMR#100). They were smart enough to market the convention as one where you could see and do everything. This was not something that was feasible in other cities. We were also smart enough to market the train show to the general public as a once in a lifetime experience. We succeeded on all counts.

   At the time, the convention was the most profitable in the history of the NMRA. These profits were largely retained by the TLR, which underwrote the original bid. The WMRC did get a small disbursement to acknowledge the support of its members. Since the Winnipeg convention, the NMRA has rewritten the terms of its contract with host committees to reduce windfall profits like we had in 1983.

   Winnipeg's bid and organization structure became a template for other conventions. Nick Andrusaik's Handbook and Time Table was a huge success with everything well laid out and small enough that it fit in your pocket. This format is still used thirty years later.

   Stafford Swain had assembled an organization that was committed to success and put petty differences aside. Throughout the convention, our guests continued to compliment their hosts acknowledging that we  were “Friendly Manitoba”. New friendships sprouted within the committee and we saw a new influx of people into the WMRC with some of these still members today.

Time changes and people move on. Stafford Swain, Nick Andrusiak and Hilt Friesen turned their attention to creating the CN Lines SIG (now the Canadian National Railways Historical Association).  Mid Western Rail morphed into the Winnipeg Railway Museum and the Vintage Locomotive Society finally got their own line to run on. Bill Taylor and Peter Abel had a dream that is continuing to unfold as the Assiniboine Valley Railway. The WMRC lost its meeting room and layout in Union Station and we have relocated several times. We presently meet at Westworth United Church. 

   Since 1983 the club's library has grown with the addition of hundreds of videos. Our annual model contest has morphed into a annual spring show. The club created The Great Canadian Train Show, an annual fall show and flea market, to further promote the hobby. The club no longer operates Great Canadian Train Show. As of 2013, we have partnered with the Manitoba Mega Train Show.

   More recently, the club has has acquired a new location for a new version of the Gateway Western at the Winnipeg Railway Museum within 50 feet of Duffy, who has been patiently waiting for us for all this time.

   But the saddest and most unfortunate thing to occur since 1983 has been the many friends who have passed away. They contributed to the convention's success just as they contributed to the WMRC. Unfortunately, there are far too many to mention here.

   Oh......one last thing. That plant that grew from the seed planted in 1975-1976 is still growing almost 40 years later!

Remembering the NMRA's 1983 national convention in Winnipeg

2013 marked the 30th anniversary of the greatest achievement of Winnipeg's model railroading community, when the NMRA held their national convention in the city. WMRC Vice-President Dave Downie has written a four part history of the making of this convention. This series of articles was originally published in The Lantern, the official publication of the WMRC. All four parts of this series will be reprinted in this blog, courtesy of Dave Downie and Lantern Editor Robert Weaver.

Railway Jamboree 30 Years Later - Part One
By Dave Downey

   In July of 1983, Winnipeg was the site of the NMRA's National Convention. People travelled from all over the World to see everything that Winnipeg had to offer. This story is a tribute to a small group of WMRC members led by Stafford Swain, Nick Andrusiak, Hilt Friesen and Wolfgang von Thuelen who staged one of the most successful and profitable conventions in NMRA history.

   The WMRC and many of its members has had a long association with the NMRA and the TLR (Thousand Lakes Region) and the city had hosted many successful regional conventions. When word was received that Calgary had been awarded the 1979 NMRA National Convention the seed was planted! The logic was: “Winnipeg is Canada's Railway Capital and is home of many of the country's finest layouts. Why can't we host a National?” The seed needed to germinate.

   In reality, it wasn't easy. NMRA National Conventions are awarded 4 years in advance and putting together a bid to host a convention typically takes at least a year. You are looking at forming a committee that will work together for 5 years. When the idea was first mentioned at the WMRC during the 1975-76 season, there were a lot of objections with many members asking if Winnipeg was too small. Undaunted, Stafford secured the 1978 TLR regional convention for Winnipeg. His logic was simple. If Winnipeg could host a  regional convention with 120 delegates over 3 days, why couldn't it host a national convention with a few more (like 12 to 15 times that) in a week? Needless to say, the 1978 convention was a great success and Stafford had his template and his organizing committee. The seed was germinating!

   At the 1979 Calgary convention, Stafford presented the bid laid out as a solid business plan with a budget and answers to every possible question or contingency. Winnipeg was competing against Indianapolis, Indiana and we had one big advantage.....Indy had hosted a National in 1963 whereas Winnipeg was looking to host its first. By the end of the meeting, Stafford and his team had secured the 1983 National (the NMRA's 48th National is better known as Railway Jamboree '83) and the real work was to begin. It was time to water and fertilize the plant!

  In part two, Dave Downie will cover the work that the Railway Jamboree'83 committee and countless volunteers performed before Winnipeg could welcome the World.

Nick Andrusiak: A tribute

Nick is seen here in 2005 with his lovely wife Frances at a Thanksgiving supper at WMRC member Marcel Blair's cottage near Lac Du Bonnet. Photo by Morgan Turney.  

   A memorial service for long time Winnipeg Model Railroad Club, NMRA and CNRHA member Nick Andrusiak was held today at the Louis Riel School Division Legacy Centre in Winnipeg. The service's theme was a fall supper, for Nick loved Manitoba's long tradition of fall suppers.
 
   The Legacy Centre (which was formerly the Norberry School Gym) was packed. Nick had many friends, not only from his ties with the model railroading community, but also from his long career as a teacher.

   Nick's daughter gave an excellent power point presentation on the life and times of her father. She worked it from her iPad, which the tech-savvy Nick would've approved of. Several people, including long time WMRC and NMRA member Norm Leathers (who knew Nick since their University days) gave personal tributes and several amusing anecdotes about Nick.

   Nick was a Past President of the WMRC. He was a tireless volunteer for every organization to which he belonged. His house was always a hub of activity for every newsletter, bulletin, and publication that these clubs put out. Although he was an avid rail fan and model railroader, he didn't have a layout himself. When someone asked him why he would join a model railroad club when he didn't have a layout, his reply was "it's because model railroaders are neat".

   Nick also worked behind the scenes for every club he joined. If you received a copy of The Lantern, CN Lines, or The Fusee through the mail, it was often Nick's own personal collection of stamps that brought the issue to your door. When Hilt Friesen and Bill Taylor were Presidents of the WMRC, Nick was the ghost writer for the President's message that appeared in every issue of The Lantern during their tenure.

    Nick was also the club's "parliamentarian". He knew the club's constitution backwards and forwards, and he could answer any question and settle any dispute regarding it's rules and regulations.

   When WMRC Webmaster Paul Ullrich was the Convention Director for the 2010 TLR Convention in Winnipeg, Nick came to his rescue by piggy backing that convention with the CNRHA convention, making it the best attended TLR convention in over a decade.

    There were two Nicks - one was the hale and hearty, larger than life man with the big, booming voice. The other was the wheelchair bound man whose voice was reduced to a whisper. Those who knew him long enough loved and admired both of them. His debilitating ailment might've immobilized him, but it never slowed him down. Throughout his entire life, he never stopped volunteering, contributing, creating or giving.

     Long time WMRC members will fondly recall when Nick was one of the auctioneers at the club's annual auction.  Whenever a box of junky snap-track was on the block, Nick always rose to the occasion and rallied the members with a stirring pitch for the forlorn track. Bellowing from the top of his lungs with a voice that could be heard clear as a bell from his home town of Middlebro, he'd shout, "Ladies and gentlemen, the rails of this track is not made of nickel silver, or tin, or copper, but GENUINE BRASS!"

    It got to be such a familiar routine that several members of the club would say it along with him!

     These are just a few samples of the stories and memories of our dear friend Nick. If you have any other stories and memories that you'd like to share, please send them to Frances Andrusiak at f.andrusiak@shaw.ca