With sad heart, I imform you of the passing of George Isaacs and Gary Kraus.
George was a MMR, and wrote several articles in MR. He practically invented ‘flywheel’ drive and all of his HO trolleys featured this(in the 50’s yet). He was a great promoter of the MTM’s streetcar line, and the new Mpls light rail system.
Gary was a board member of the Thousand Lakes Region of the NMRA, the Contest Director, and involved in the DM&IR historical Group. Gary changed railroads and scales several times(like many of us). He was a member of the Progress Valley Model Railroad Club, and was currently working on an N scale version of the SP Shasta Division in his basement.
Godspeed to these two modelers…
Jim Bernier
May they rest in peace. I fear in the coming years we’ll lose quite a few respected modelers as many of them are getting older.
Just got back from the funerals. George was taken to Ft Snelling Military cemetary via a special chartered LRV on the Hiawatha line. For the next hour, all LRV’s were to toot their horns as they passed Ft Snelling in honor of George. Quite the send-off!
Gary’s family chartered the Twin City Model Railroad Museum’s layout after the Mass, and served a lunchon there. They had an ‘O’ gauge cab forward with a freight train, and a ‘Daylight’ running for the event - Real Class! Got to meet about 30-40 old friends today.
Jim Bernier
With each one passing we lose evny more knowledge and experience and history. It would be in the best interest of all of us to learn what we can while we have them here.
I’m afraid with all this RTR stuff out there, great modelers will be a thing of the past. Most of the magazines are featuring layouts & not scratch building plans as in the past. When I started in HO you had to construct everything, including locomotives. It’s a changing hobby,& in my opinion not for the best
I am a new member looking forward to participating in future Forums…always sad to lose a fellow Railroader