Showing posts with label Norm Leathers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norm Leathers. Show all posts
Monday, 11 May 2015
The Aerotrain rides again on Norm Leathers layout at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's spring layout hop
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.
Saturday, 11 April 2015
The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club celebrates 60 years with a birthday bash
Suzanne Lemon, Morgan Turney, Frances South and James South all take turns posing with "Duffy" the WMRC's mascot from the 1983 NMRA Railway Jamboree Convention. Duffy has been residing in a fire engine at the Winnipeg Railway Museum, but he was able to make it out to the Charleswood Legion to help us celebrate our 60th anniversary. 
From left to right: Our three most senior members, Moe Smith, Norm leathers, and Roger Kendl have the honour of cutting the club's special 60th. anniversary cake while WMRC Vice President Dave Downie watches.
WMRC Junior member James South hams it up in front of the cake, while WMRC Treasurer Gary Stempnick enjoys one of the first slices. It was a Jeannie's cake, from Winnipeg's famous Jeannie's Bakery. It had that special Jeannie's cookie base, of course!
Wasn't that a party! Everyone had a great time celebrating the WMRC's 60's Anniversary at our last meeting. Besides the wonderful cake and the special guest appearance of our old mascot Duffy, we also were treated to a trip down memory lane with a presentation featuring vintage images from the club's rich history. It was great to see so many old faces again (which weren't so old when the photos were taken) and have the chance to relive some of the club's greatest moments of the past six decades! Here's to 60 more years of great model railroading and fellowship!
Saturday, 10 May 2014
Norm Leathers wins President's shield at WMRC banquet
Norm, who is a member of both organizations, spearheaded the project and was able to successfully bring the two groups together to work on this project. This not only involved building the railway, but constructing a building within the museum to house it!
The Gateway has always been the club's jewel in the crown, and it was the main reason that many members have joined the club. Unfortunately, it was dismantled in June of 2010 and was sitting in a warehouse until Norm and the dedicated crew from both the WMRC and the museum rolled up their sleeves and started working last year on giving it a new home.
Norm's been a member of the WMRC since 1957, and had held numerous positions in the club. No one deserves this award more than him! Congratulations, Norm! You've earned it!
Monday, 24 March 2014
Gateway Western construction costs comes in under budget
At our last meeting, WMRC Past President Norm Leathers reported that construction of the Gateway Western has come in about ten percent under budget!
Congratulations to Gino Kost and his hard working crew! Not only did they build a great structure for the Gateway Western, but he's saved the WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum money as well! Considering the cost overruns the City of Winnipeg has had building their new police station, Mayor Sam Katz should hire Gino and the gang to finish the job!
Much work still needs to be done, but the trains are running on the gateway. Keep in mind that if you wish to run trains on the Gateway, you must be a member of the WMRC and the Winnipeg Railway Museum. A combined annual membership like that will cost you a total of $55, and considering what you get in return, it's a very small price to pay.
Most model railroad clubs in other cities with operating layouts charge far more than that. Plus, you'll get the all the benefits that come to belonging to both organizations!
Volunteers are still needed on Tuesday evenings, but they're into the fun part of building the model railroad! Tuesday is going to be a fairly mild night, and there's nothing good on TV that night anyway (we checked) so why not come on down? The crew meets at 7:00 PM at the museum, which is on the second level of the Via Rail station at 123 Main Street.
Thursday, 31 October 2013
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
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