I try to keep up with postings on the Forums but had anyone noted the death of famous model railroader Godfrey Humann, whose O scale South Shasta Lines was often written up in the magazines and was open to tours for many years? (He also collected antique tractors and had live steam.) He had been in this hobby for many many decades. His layout made the cover of MR more than once.
http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_12279952
http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_12198660
Dave Nelson
That’s too bad, although at least he did have a very long life. His RR was one of my favorites, especially back in my O scale days.
I can’t say that the news of Mr Humann’s death is a surprise - death being the only guarantee we have in life. I will say that I was lucky enough to see the South Shasta Lines and to tell him how much his earliest work had molded my earliest model railroading interest. His Pit River Bridge was a Model Railroader cover story, while RMC featured his huge model of Gerber’s SP engine house. By the time I met him, the Gerber Engine House was nothing but some foundations in the grass alongside the (pre-UP) Southern Pacific mainline.
Mr Humann was a fine gentleman. Happily, his work and influence will live on. RIP.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
That is unfortunate… My daughter and I visitied the layout and the farm equipment last May. I had to carry my daughter through the layout room as she was too small to see most anything. He was a true gentleman. RIP
Donald Ruddick
Hello,
All of us at Model Railroader were saddened to learn of Godfrey Humann’s passing. Recently he’d written a layout story and sent in an updated track plan that will appear in the July issue (We usually work about three months ahead). We didn’t learn of his death until a couple days before the issue went to press.
Dana Kawala
Associate editor