John Allen, Dave Frary, Art Curren, Joe Fugate, John Olsen(Olson?), (not sure of his first name) Wagner (Eric? Scott? - wrote MRR’ing articles in Boys Life magazine and came up with the 4X8 layout that was my very first layout I started), Linn Wescott, Jim Kelly, Malcolm Furlow, Iain Rice and probably some others who don’t come to mind at the moment. (And yes, those are in no particular order). And that’s not counting several helpful and friendly LHS owners I’ve dealt with along the way…
Lane Stewert’s series of articles in the Gazette during the 1990’s
…and
Chris Walas, Bob Baxter and Don Gage (all local large scale guys) and Dave Fletcher (not so local Kiwi) who’s online classes taugh me all my scratchbuilding sorcery skills
Most of these guys have no fansites outside of the John Allen website already mentioned.
Honorable mention, the LHS owner (name unknown to me) who had a really detailed HO engine terminal in his shop window. Also, a neighbor (Mr Nichols?) who first showed me (and a bunch of other kids) what an operating HO layout was all about.
Regarding those last two, I was a preschooler at the time. The stick got bent early.
Art Curren - it’s taken a long time to realize that I can assemble a kit without major alterations and lightnig will not strike.
Don Reschenberg - his work on some of the project railroads, along with his illustrations throughout MR in the '60’s, really turned me on to the hobby, instead of just running trains.
Paul Larson, Linn Westcott, et al - the staff of MR from my first issue in January, 1960, really were a huge influence on me, and still are to this day[bow].