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.