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John Grams (1933 – 2011)
So long, John. You were a wonderful man. Rest in peace.
You were a great inspiration to many of us. Rest in peace, my friend.
What a wonderful article celebrating a unique and interesting man. Thanks for sharing.
I have the book called “Building a Better Toy Train Layout” that Dr Grams co-authored with Dick Christianson. It is an excellent read. He was someone I always wanted to meet but never got to.
Hello, Dick!
I was very sorry to learn of John’s passing, but just wanted you to know that I appreciated your fine tribute to him. I still fondly remember those evenings in your basement when your layout was in its formative stages, and I will always remember John’s humor, willingness to assist and share, and his extensive knowledge of the toy trains he loved, My sincere sympathies to you, his longtime friend, and to his family and many other friends.
Allan Miller
Editor-in-Chief
O Gauge Railroading magazine
I have read the beginners guide to repairing Lionel trains several times by Ray Plumber. A great book. I have also read all a number of the downloadable articles that he authored. All very informative. It is going to be harder and harder to find people that are this knowledgeable about the classic stuff. Cherish their contributions and try to soak up all of their knowledge when you get the opportunity!
Dear Mr. Christianson,
I am certain you have no intention of calling attention to yourself, but that is one of the most beautifully-written, loving tributes (published in a public place) that I have ever read.
Thanks.
the hobby has truly lost a great one. Thanks for all the great articles Ray!
Dick, what a sincere expression of friendship, gratitude, and fondness for John Grams. And what a wonderfully complete person he was! Thanks for letting the rest of us get to know him.
Hello, Allan and CTT readers:
Thanks for your kind words of condolences. I’m especially pleased that you’ve recognized that what I wrote about John was from the heart. We are blessed in our lives when we find a friend who shares our values and our interests. They are rare, but John was that to me. I treasure the memories of him and the knowledge he so willingly and generously shared with me and with CTT’s readers. And Allan, I’m pleased you remember the man as I do.
There were three articles which discussed the layout:
“CTT’s Club Layout” in the Nov 2002 issue.
“10 Tips for a better layout” in the March 2005 issue (This was based on the book “Build a Better Toy Train Layout” by Dick and John, that used their layout to explore layout building).
And a humor piece, “Laugh Tracks,” from the July 2008 issue. This focused on many of the funny scenes that they built into the layout.
A lovely tribute, and some of us like myself probably had no idea about the academic side of his life, and especially his interest in Jazz, which I also love. I am sure I would have enjoyed listening to his show. In what issues are the layout you build together covered?
To my surprise! The two men , I read most, were the same man. I love train wiring and years ago, I was given an article on how wire O27 switches with fixed voltage, at that time, a new and wonderful way to fix O27. Years passed and I soon learned to use fixed voltage on almost everything. My sources an atricle from CTT. , a book “How To Traditional Wire” and finally "How To Improve Your Layout, ALL WRITTEN BY THE SAME GREAT GUY - RAIL PLUMBER A.K.A. Ray L. Plumber _ You Will Be Missed
I am sorry to learn of this great loss. I have had many hours of enjoyment from reading this man’s work and have learned much from it as well. We are so fortunate to have this collection of his material in print. Thank you, Dr. Grams, and thank you, Dick, for sharing with us the rest of the story.
Great piece.He led many different lives, all with great success.