Achievements & Awards

This year’s recipient is Tim Horton. Tim is the current 7th Division Assistant Superintendent. He has gone to great lengths to share his knowledge by authoring books on his beloved railway and presenting numerous clinics at the RMMBC in-person meets. His knowledge and modelling of BC Rail is extensive.

Congratulations Tim!

This year’s recipient been active in the 7th division for many years and he has always gone to great lengths to share his knowledge. He has presented many clinics. Beginning as far back as our days at Oakridge and extending to recent PNR conventions and the RMMBC in-person and virtual meets. His web page contains an enormous quantity of information to assist his fellow modellers and he is always extremely generous with his time and advice. He has written for several modelling magazines to share his expertise.

This year’s recipient been has been involved with the hobby and NMRA’s PNR’s 7^th Division for many years. He has given numerous clinics, quite often on leading-edge technology topics. He is continually” pushing the envelope” as they say. He has written various article for the model press and for the past 6 years has been the chairman of the Railway Modellers Meet of BC, bringing all facets together for a first class, well received and well organized meet.

Good morning, everyone. It is once again my pleasure and honour to present the Ross Heriot Memorial Gold Spike award for 2025.

 This award, first established in 1968, is typically presented annually to an individual or individuals within the PNR 7th Division who have made a significant contribution to the division and its membership. It is a testament to their unselfish devotion of time and effort to further the aims of the NMRA, the PNR, and the hobby of Model Railroading, by providing assistance and service to all model railroaders within the division.

I would like to express my gratitude to those who provided nominations for this year’s nominee for consideration. I have received several letters supporting this year’s nominee. A list of the previous recipients of this award can be found on the 7th Division website.

This year’s recipient is an active member of the division for many years.

This year’s recipient began his editorship of the Bulletin Board in March/April 2020, Volume #34 Issue 2, and continues to serve as Editor. Time flies, and the recently published March/April 2025 Volume #39 Issue 2 marks Rob’s fifth year as Editor. Throughout the past five years, we have enjoyed his efforts to keep us informed and up-to-date with the Division’s activities through an attractive and professional-looking newsletter. In doing so, he has done an outstanding job of keeping the membership informed.

 His dedication to producing a high-quality, informative, and engaging newsletter has been unwavering. Rob England’s contributions as Editor have been instrumental in keeping the membership well-informed and connected. His efforts in generating content and encouraging contributions from others demonstrate a commitment that goes above and beyond. Perhaps with this little bit of recognition, he will be motivated to produce many more editions.

 Rob’s efforts as Editor, including generating content on his own and cajoling and encouraging others to contribute, warrant recognition. His contributions are entirely consistent with the intent of the Ross Heriot Memorial Gold Spike Award, particularly because the benefit to the membership far exceeds any that Rob receives personally.

The 7th Division is most grateful for Rob England’s editorship and the time and effort he has extended on our behalf. I hope you will all join me in thanking and acknowledging our current Bulletin Board editor, Rob England, as the 2025 recipient of the Ross Heriot Memorial Gold Spike Award. 

It is again my pleasure and honor to be able to present a Ross Heriot Memorial Gold Spike award for 2024.

In a recent issue of the Bulletin Board publication, I shared a copy of a remembrance about Ross written by his friend the late Spike Brown.

My collection of nominees has now run out, I am sure that there are many individuals who have assisted their fellow members over many years but are not known to me… So I would encourage you think of those who have served faithfully, and send me a letter or e-mail recognizing their achievements, contributions, and involvement in activities that support the objectives and members of the 7th Division. There is a list of the previous recipients of this award on the 7th Division Web Page.

I would thank those who supplied nominations who is a new nominee for consideration for this year’s award. I have gratefully received letters supporting this year’s nominee. This year’s recipient has been an active member of the division for. Among his many contributions to the 7th Division, some particular highlights come to mind:

He was the editor of the Bulletin Board during his almost five years of service, he did an outstanding job of keeping our membership informed. He modernized the publication and produced a professional looking publication that remains a credit to our organization invariably went the extra miles to photograph and report first hand on events and he continually presented ideas to enhance our enjoyment of model railroading. His creativity, energy, and enthusiasm resulted in a consistently interesting and informative periodical. He was active at all the Vancouver Train Expo events, with his camera, taking pictures to publish in the Bulletin. Serving as the Editor of the Bulletin Board for five years is surely a contribution of great benefit to the Division and is worthy of recognition. The 7th Division is grateful for John’ Stevenson’s editorship and the time and effort he has extended on our behalf

I do hope you will all join me in thanking and acknowledging our past Bulletin Board editor – John Stevenson as the 2024 recipient of the Ross Heriot Memorial Gold Spike award. !! Unfortunately, John could not be present today so I will arrange to get this plaque to him ASAP.

This year’s recipient has been an active member of the division for over eight years. Among his many contributions to the 7th Division, some particular highlights come to mind:

This year’s recipient stepped up to serve as the 7th Division Superintendent in 2016 on the retirement of Russ Watson. From then until his retirement from the Superintendent’s position in November 2021 and his subsequent assumption of, and retirement from, the Assistant Superintendent’s position in late 2022 he accomplished much. Acting as a gentle elder statesman and motivator he has served the 7th Division actively and very well.

He was instrumental in transitioning the 7th Division’s annual meet from its traditional format as a combined public train show and modellers’ meet to the current format as the Railway Modellers Meet of British Columbia, an event dedicated to modelling, and the Vancouver Train Expo, a public train show. Both events have benefited from this reorganization and are better than they previously were. The transition required the creation of a separate legal entity, Lower Mainland Train Expo Society, and the sorting out of the financial relationship between the 7th Division and the new Society, to which John played a key role. John served actively on the Vancouver Train Expo Organizing Committee and the RMMBC committee as the liaison between the two organizations and the division. He continues to play an important role providing guidance to the Organizing Committee.

In his letter of nomination Tom Lundgren wrote: “As the Leader of Vancouver Train Expo I wish to express my great appreciation for John’s interest and active assistance in support of the public train show.”

John’s contributions are clearly consistent with the criteria for the Gold Spike Award.

I do hope you will all join me in thanking and acknowledging our past superintendent John Martin as the 2023 recipient of the Ross Heriot Memorial Gold Spike award.

She has been an active member of the division for several years. Among her many contributions to the 7h division some particular contributions come to mind:

She has served both on the Trains and “Railway Modellers Meet of British Columbia” Organizing committees for several years.

This person is an active member of the Coldslap Free-mo Club, participating in public displays for their layout and being an ambassador for our hobby.

This year we honour a prototype modeler who enjoys sharing the story of his prototype, the British Columbia Railway and its predecessor the Pacific Great Eastern railway. He was one of the early members of the short-lived BC Rail Historical &Technical Society and co-chair of the committees that organized three conventions related to the railway including the P.G.E 100th anniversary convention held in Squamish 2012

His research has led to his publishing seven books on the history of the railway. He is always ready to share his interest in the railway by presenting clinics at meets and has shared modeling information in 14 articles published in the model railroad press. He is a member of a group of BC Rail modelers that presents their models and share their knowledge of the railway at most local Model Railroad Shows. He has a blog on his model railway ( https://bcrdawsonsub.ca/ ) where he shares the Railways history and includes modeling tips on creating detailed prototypical models.

It is my pleasure to present the 2025 Heritage Award to Timothy Horton.

Our 2024 recipient has been an active railfan and model railroader for much of his life. His passion for the prototype has lead him to be an integral part of the Canadian National Railways Historical Association (CNRHA, formerly CN Lines SIG) since its inception in 1989. He has acted as passenger car editor and editor in chief of CN Lines magazine, and has been Chairman of the CNRHA since 2012.

He was the editor of the “Across the Canadian Shield” book published by the CNRHA and has had numerous articles published on CN subjects in many publications. He has presented clinics and helped organize both regional and national conventions.

This modeler has a particular interest in the steam era on CN, with a particular interest in CN’s Vancouver Island and BC mountain mainline operations. He has a wealth of prototype and modeling knowledge and freely shares it with people both in person and in his writing.

This year’s recipient has been associated with the Revelstoke Railway Museum for over 30 years. He is the author of six books on the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Revelstoke Division and has researched far and wide to collect the data for these books. The books are available through the Revelstoke Railway Museum’s website and all proceeds go to the museum. Doug has also been an active member of the group of modellers that have built a model railroad in the museum to show visitors some of the highlights of the Division. Last but not least he has been very active in the storage and sorting of the Ferrier Collection of CPR drawings that were donated to the 7th Division and are now being held by the Revelstoke Railway Museum. (Note: when the drawings are completely sorted and catalogued they will be sent to the Canadian Pacific Historical Association to be scanned and returned to the museum for safe storage. The scans will be available online for members of the 7th Division to access.)

It was my pleasure to present Doug Mayer with this year’s award.

On September 25 at the Victoria Model Railroad show, Ken Rutherford had the pleasure of presenting the 2022 Heritage Award to Robert Turner of Protection Island.

The award is presented to a member (or members) in the Division who has/have contributed significantly to the preservation of railroad history within the Province of British Columbia.

The first Heritage award went to Ken Rutherford and Rick Lord, a joint award.