Check out this great Pennsylvania Railroad Auto boxcar modelled by Richard Mikolayenko

Long time WMRC member Richard Mikolayenko submitted this great model of a Pennsylvania Railroad auto car for our monthly model display at the club's October meeting. This model hearkens back to the days when everything was transported by boxcars, including automobiles. 

Richard converted the couplers, weathered the sliding doors and replaced the plastic wheels with steel wheels. He added a Ford Lotus and an Audi sedan, which are cars too modern to ever have been transported by an automobile boxcar, but we'll overlook that because they're so cool!
 

Norm Leathers is alive and well and is still a very active model railroader

 Norm Leathers is the WMRC’s longest standing member. He joined the club shortly after it was formed in 1955, and has held many positions in the club, including President. He turned 86 this month. He still attends meetings on a regular basis and he is still a very active model railroader.

He recently brought in a model he has been working on for the club’s monthly model display. Norm, who exclusively models the Pennsylvania Railroad, displayed a Pennsylvania E-44 electric engine. It consisted of a Hallmark unpaired brass body and a chassis whose running qualities he didn’t like.

Bachmann had marketed an E-33 locomotive which was a much better runner.  Norm modified the body of the Hallmark model and the chassis of the Bachmann model so that they could be joined together to make a much better running locomotive. He installed a Digitrax decoder and had former WMRC member John Morris paint and decal it.

Long may your E-44 run, and long may your run, Norm!

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. 

Winnipeg Model Railroad Club layouts featured on Shaw TV

The club's gateway Western Railway has been featured on Shaw TV's Go! program.

We are delighted to report that Shaw TV Winnipeg has featured three of our club's layouts on their Go! program, which is available to subscribers of Shaw TV. The program was broadcast yesterday at 7:00PM, and will be broadcast today at 7:00AM, 10:00AM, at noon and at 7:00PM.

Three segments were done by Shaw TV's reporter/producer Kevin Hirschfield. He covered the club's Gateway Western layout at the Winnipeg Railway Museum, Norm Leather's Pennsylvania Railroad layout, and Lloyd Smith's massive home layout.

These are very high quality videos with excellent production standards, and they serve as the perfect showcase to promote our upcoming open house, which will be held on April 2nd and 3rd  at the Charleswood Legion, 6003 Roblin Boulevard, from 11AM to 4PM.

If you missed the program, or if you don't subscribe to Shaw cable, they've been posted on You Tube. During the next few days, we'll be posting their links, starting with the Gateway Western, which you can view by clicking here. 

Much thanks to Shaw TV's Kevin Hirschfeld, and to Morgan Turney for coordinating the taping of the video segments, and especially to WMRC's public relations director Margaret Ullrich, for alerting Shaw TV and other media outlets about our upcoming show!

The Aerotrain rides again on Norm Leathers layout at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's spring layout hop

   Long time WMRC member Norm Leathers graciously opened his home to club members and shared his passion for everything about the Pennsylvania Railroad at this spring's layout hop. Norm has a wonderful layout which also winds its way through a tunnel to the adjoining rec room. It's always fun to watch the trains go by in the next room!

   Norm also got out his model of the Pennsylvania railroad's Aerotrain and ran it around his layout. The Aerotrain was the railroad's gallant but mistaken attempt to get more people to ride the train again in the late 1950's when passenger traffic was waning. The car-like engine resembled a 1958 Oldsmobile, and the passenger cars were made from shells of inner city buses. The lightweight passenger shells were its downfall, as they made for a very uncomfortable ride.

   However, it looked very cool, and has been a favorite of Pennsylvania model railroaders and rail fans alike - as long as they didn't have to ride in one! An Aerotrain engine is on display at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Norm visited the museum and had a picture of himself taken beside the Aerotrain. Now that's a real rail fan!

Another shot of the Aerotrain as it zips through the Pennsylvania countryside on Norm's layout.

Norm Leathers, standing at the far right,  discusses the construction and design of his layout with Glenn Klassen as a conventional steam engine rounds a sweeping curve.