your portal to more fun in scale model railroading
your portal to more fun in scale model railroading
(or by Last Name)
Compiled by Hal Carstens, carried on by Bob Gangwish, picked up by Frank Koch in 2015
Irvin R. Athearn.* CA. Athearn, Inc. Pioneer Mfr HO popularly priced plastic train equipment. Mfr O gauge freight car kits.
Joshua Lionel Cowen.(D) NJ. Founder Lionel Mfg. Co., later Lionel Corporation, makers of Lionel trains.
Alfred C. Gilbert. (D) CT. A. C. Gilbert co. Mfr. of Erector sets, later American Flyer trains. First president TMA.
George Hook.(D) CA. Central Valley Model Works, Mfr. trucks, craftsman type freight car kits. Treasurer of MRIA.
Albert C. Kalmbach. (D) WI. Founder Kalmbach Publishing Co., Publ. Model Railroader. Charter member NMRA.
Charles A. Penn, (D) NJ. Publisher Railroad Model Craftsman, Toy Trains, published first hobby trade mag., Active in early industry trade groups, HIAA.
Stephen Schaffan. (D) NJ. Founder Atlas Tool Co., creator of Atlas HO sectional Snap Track, plastic HO structures.
George Stock.(D) PA. George Stock Models. Model Retailer; Custom Loco Builder. Pioneer HO scale 1930s..
John Tyler. (D) NJ. Co-founder Mantua Metal Products Co., helped popularize HO scale. Early trade groups.
Gordon Varney. (D) IL. Varney Scale Models. Mfr. of HO popular loco and car kits 1936. Made O ga loco kit in 1946.
William K. Walthers. (D) WI. Model RR Mfr., est 1932. NMRA Charter member. Active in HIAA, MRR mfr. groups.
Carmen Webster Kelly. (D) NY. Model Railroad Equipment Corp. Model retailer. Promoted model railroading on TV. Active in trade associations.
Alexander, Edwin P (D). PA. Author 1930s-1960s. Magazines, books. Manufacturer, American Model Railroad Company. Early scale O Ga mfr. custom builder industrial models. Experimented with HO in 1920s. TCA Charter Member. Early tinplate collector. 1965 NMRA Distinguished Service Award.
Hugh Boutell (D). HO pioneer. First HO Bing layout in 1925. Modeler, 17/64" narrow gauge pioneer. Model railroad author.
Fred Chemidlin (D). President, Midlin Track. Created Midlin track system @1940, early easy to lay HO, OO track, popularizing the hobby. Active in early trade associations.
Frank Ellison. (D) LA. Builder of the Delta Lines, tinplate and later O scale. Author 1930s Model Builder (Lionel Magazine), later Model Railroader, Toy Trains, Railroad Model Craftsman. NMRA Honorary Life Member. Promoted model railroading in his articles.
James Dechert (D). MA. 1935: Inventor of the 2-Rail system which bears his name. Pioneer author.
Paul Egolf. (D) PA. Early O scale locomotive custom builder and conversionist of O gauge locomotives and other scale as. First scale loco kit of K4s.First ads in Model Maker 1927. Proposed 1/8" scale E Gauge.
William W. Haverly (D). KY. NMRA First national NMRA president 1935-1936. Service. NMRA Charter member
Fred W. Icken (D). NJ. President Icken Locomotive Works 1930s. Produced quality O scale locomotives. Active in early model railroad trade organizations.
William J. Lenoir (D). FL. NMRA Charter Member. Pioneer O Gauge Locomotive Mfr.
Charles A. Pittman (D). PA. President, Pittman Electrical Development Co. Created permag adapter for American Flyer HO Hudson loco, mfr. small DC permag motors (DC60, DC72) for HO, other small gauges. Scale and tinplate O gauge trolleys. Member HIAA, EMRRMA, TCA.
Edward A. Ravenscroft (D). IL. NMRA President 1944-1945. NMRA Treasurer: 1947-1950. Service. Forced through the NMRA Standards Program. NMRA Presidents Award. Benefactor to NMRA. NMRA Honorary Life Member. 1956 NMRA Presidents Award.
Allan Lake Rice (D). PA. aka Eric LaNal. HO pioneer early 1930s. Promoting Hobby. Mfd. H. Owen HO kits with paper sides. Promotion. Author RMC, MR 1930s, 1960s. Pioneer in 2-rail HO. Consultant to several mfrs (Megow, Mantua). LaNal coupler inventor. Mfd in England. Manufacturer H. Owen HO Kits early 1930s. NMRA Distinguished Service Award 1962
John Allen (D). CA., Model Railroad Author, photographer, clinician. Promotion. Builder of the famous HO Gorre & Daphetid RR. 1974, 1982 NMRA Distinguished Service Award. Consultant to manfacturers. Allen was an inspiration for thousands of modelers in all scales with his artistic modeling technique.
Harry Bondurant (D). WI. NMRA Secretary 1935-1936.. Wisconsin. NMRA First Standards Committee, Service. NMRA Honorary Life Member. NMRA Charter Member. Model Railroader Board of Editors.
Elliott Donnelly (D). IL. Pioneer manufacturer, Scale Craft Model Trains, in O and OO setting a high standard for excellence starting in the 1930s using zamac die castings. Chicago, IL. 1975 NMRA Distinguished Service Award. NMRA Charter Member.
Huebenthal, R. E. (D), NY. Treasurer 1951-1960. NMRA President 1980-1982. NMRA Honorary Life Member. NMRA 1973 NMRA Distinguished Service Award. Heuebe devoted many years of effort as treasurer and president of NMRA and was active on many committees
Clarence Menteer. NV. Entered model field 1937 with Charles Voelckel,with Roundhouse Models, later Model Die Casting Co., pioneer HO kit mfr. with SP HO 0-6-0. Active in WCMRRA, HIAA, MRIA. MDC has produced tooling for Central Valley, Silver Streak, Cannonball, Ulrich, Cliff Line, Bowser, Walthers, Suydam, Varney, Lindsay.
Lawrence W. Sagle (D). MD. B&O Public Relations Dept., Author, magazine articles and books. Promoted hobby through shows, B&O Museum, etc., NMRA President 1943, NMRA Honorary Life Member. Promoted model railroading especially during bleak years of WW2.
William M. Schopp (D). NJ. Model railroad author from mid 1930s: Railroad Model Craftsman, Toy Trains, Model Railroader, others, foreign. Wrote over 1000 model railroad articles. Pseudonyms John Kemp, Bill Willmore, Layout Doctor. Consultant to mfrs. Custom loco builder; layout designer. Pioneer HOn3, HOn2, traction, and brass loco kitbashing.
William "Billi" Bowen. CO. NMRA charter member. President NMRA RMR 1956-1957. Designer-draftsman for Wm. K. Walthers. Designed Building of the Railroads display at 1939-1940 New York World Fair.O high rail in 1930, to HO in 1935.
Howell Day (D). NJ. Pioneer 1930s hobby shop retailer. Bought M. Dale Newton Ho kit line in 1950s marketed under red Ball trade name. Importer Japanese HO brass locomtives 1950s. Dunellen, NJ. Age 92 in 1996.
Bobbye Hall. TX. President, Hallmark Models. First MRIA woman President 1981. HIAA RR Div Big Wheel Award. HIAA Meritorious Award Honor 1978. Early Trade Orgs. Retailer, Brass locomotive and car importer, Wholesaler. In hobbies since post WW2. Now in her 80s. MRIA Hall of Fame 1996.
Victor Ketcham. OH. NMRA Pres 1940. Committees. NMRA legal staff. Many years of NMRA service.
Nathan Polk (D). NJ. HIAA VP 1963-1964. Numerous HIAA committees. HIAA Meritorious Award of Honor 1968. In early '30s with brother Irwin, leased hobby store space in about 30 department stores. Early 1930s WOR radio program Junior Birdmen of the Air got many youths into model building. Introduced low priced brass rail to hobby about 1939, 99 cents for 99 ft. Got Stephen Schaffan of Atlas to make low cost HO switch kits. Involved in landmark Customs Tax case involving levies placed on scale models vs toys which were taxed much higher. Polk trade name Aristo Craft, imported train equipment from England, Germany, Italy, other European countries, Japan. Polk's Hobby Craft Stores. Active in industry fund raising activities for film promotion. Member HIAA, MRIA. (INDUSTRY). Nat died at age 83 ten days after receiving the NMRA Pioneers Award.
Linnaeus "Linn" Westcott (D). (Harriet), WI. Author, Editor Model Railroader, Model trains, Ships & the Sea, books. Publishing. NMRA Charter member. Developed electrical circuits for use in model railroading, notably route cab control in 1949, layout design. Clinician. NMRA Distinguished Service Award 1962. Died Sept. 8, 1980, died at age age 67.
Alan B. Armitage. CA. NMRA Honorary Life Member. Author and draftsman since 1930s Railroad Model Craftsman, Model Railroader. O gauge modeler.
Louis Barnett (D). NY. President International Model Products, New York, NY. Accountant for Ideal Model Aeroplane & Suply Co., 1925. By 1930 was handling foreign orders. Started International in 1930. First imported railroad items were a box cab B-B, trolley poles and pantographs in 1931. Pioneer importer of Japanese HO and O scale and toy trains. First known brass importer. During lean war years obtained surplus balsa from the war administration. Died Jan. 5, 1961, age 72.. MRIA Hall of Fame 2001.
Louis H. Hertz (D). NY. Pioneer toy train collector, often called the father of toy train collecting. Editor Miniature Railroading Magazine 1937, Model Railroaders Digest 1938, Electric Trains 1952. Author of many toy train, model hobby books. Authored Riding the Tinplate Rails series of 132 articles in Railroad Model Craftsman starting 1937. Created Polk catalogs. Died Jan. 1997.
Paul Mallery (D). AR.NMRA Secretary 1950-1951. Helped develop NMRA X2f Coupler: standard train set coupler but never NMRA standard coupler: Invention. Master Model Railroader 4. Magazine and book author. NMRA Distinguished Service Award 1978. NMRA Presidents Award 1980.
J. Harold Geissel (D). PA. For many years a draftsman of model railroad equipment, primarily in Model Railroader, of unsurpassed excellence whose work contributed to advancement of the hobby. A fastidious modeler, Harold worked in half inch scale, and was known as a clinician. He had previously received the NMRA President=s Award.
Lawrence Geiringer (D). PA. Started building structures to 3/8" scale in the mid 1930s, leading to creation of Roadside America, a miniature display of America covering a 24 hour cycle. Open to the public, the display has been seen by countless thousands and has appeared in many publications including Toy Trains and Railroad Model Craftsman.
A. Ballard Bradley (D). FL. Brad contributed much to the NMRA standards program making possible greater interchange of commercial model railroad equipment. He served on the standards committee and helped develop the NMRA standards gauge. He served as NMRA Midwest region president and as NMRA national president 1961-1963. He has received the NMRA President's Award and is an NMRA Honorary Life Member.
Whitney K. Towers (D). CA. Whit served as NMRA western VP 1958-1960, PCR president 1970-1971, and NMRA national president. He also served as NMRA Bulletin editor. He received the President=s Award twice, the NMRA Distinguished Service Award in 1965 and is an NMRA Honorary Life Member. Whit was a prolific author and is known for his HO Alturas & Lone Pine Railroad which was featured in a professionally produced motion picture, later offered in VHS.
Ward Kimball (D). CA. Train collector, retired Disney animator. 3 ft. narrow gauge railroad in rear yard. Donated much 3 ft. equipment to Perris RR Museum. Member TCA, TTOS. President TCA 1974-1975. TV railroad videos.
Märklin Brothers(9) (D). Germany. Only two of the 9 brothers carried on in the firm. Creators of the geometric sectional track sytem still used in train sets. Plus Frau Märklin (mother), Pioneer toy train mfrs. est 1892 or earlier. Company is still in business.
M. Dale Newton (D). OR. 1930s. Founder of Red Ball car line, HO printed side car kit manufacturer, wood bodies, lead castings made on Ludlow machine, Large line of soft lead truck kits. Later sold to Howell Day.
Edward Van Leer. NY. NMRA President 1951-1952. NMRA Honorary Life Member. 1970 NMRA Presidents Award. Master Model Railroader 2.
Bob Bast (D). OH. NMRA Office Manager 1949-1975. NMRA Honorary Life Member.
Karl Busch. CA. NMRA PCR President 1957-1958. Made many of the early NMRA model trophies. NMRA Presidents Award 1962.
Leighton Keiling (D). CA. NMRA PCR President 1954-1956. NMRA National President 1959-1960. NMRA Honorary Life Member.
Kenneth Mortimer. IN. NMRA MWR President 1961. NMRA Executive VP 1967-1969. NMRA President 1969-1971. NMRA Honorary Life Member. Magazine author. NMRA President=s Award: 1961, NMRA Presidents Award:
John Armstrong (D). MD. Model Railroad Railroader. Author. NMRA Distinguished Service Award 1968. Known for his layout design work.
James E. Trott (D). OH. NMRA Bulletin Cartoonist. NMRA President=s Award 1968.
William Clouser (D). MO. O gauge trolley manufacturer, clinician, author. 1994 O Scale Hall of Fame.
David E. (Gene) Colburn (D). PA. NMRA Eastern VP 1965-1967. NMRA Executive VP 1969-1971. NMRA President 1971-1973. NMRA Honorary Life Member. NMRA Presidents Award 1974.
Dale Edwards. OR Co-inventor of the Kadee coupler. Co-founder with twin brother Keith of Kadee Quality Products and Micro Trains Lines. Continued with Kadee when company was divided (ca 1992). NMRA Distinguished Service Award 1992. MRIA HALL OF FAME 1996.
Keith Edwards. OR Co-inventor of the Kadee coupler. Co-founder with twin brother Dale of Kadee Quality Products and Micro Trains Lines. Continued with Micro Trains when company was divided (ca 1992). MRIA President 1975-1977. NMRA Distinguished Service Award 1992. MRIA HALL OF FAME 1996.
Cliff Grandt (D - 2002). CA On3 manufacturer. Tool & Die man. MRIA HALL OF FAME 1996.
Dean Freytag (D). Besides NMRA activity, is a pioneer in the modeling of larger industries; many of which have appeared as magazine articles and some of which have been made available in kit form. Dean has served as NMRA Central VicePresident 1973-1975. In addition to being an author, Dean has been honored with the NMRA Distinguished Service Award, a two time NMRA Presidents Award recipient in 1975 and 1982. He has also served as an NMRA Contest Judge.
Jack Work (D). (Canadian) died several years ago. His early work in modeling defined the state of the model railroad art in the early 1960's. He showed us how to make cold castings, individual board car and structure sides with Strathmore board and more that could be listed with research. In addition, Jack Work shared the hobby with thousands of modelers through his many how-to articles in the model railroad magazines.
Kenneth Stroup (D). Industry pioneer, started the Model Railroad Specialty Company in 1915 in Jackson, Michigan. He manufactured Sampson HO streamlined passenger cars and diesel locos. Stroup sold his business in 1949, joined LMB Models of Cleveland, and was later with Marcraft Distributors, an LMB affiliate. Ken was active in the NMRA Thousand Lakes Region. Ken was later a member of the San Diego MRRC. Ken was a true pioneer in the hobby and industry.
Harold H. Carstens (D). NJ President Carstens Pubications, Inc., Publisher Railroad Model Craftsman and Railfan & Railroad. Holds NMRA Distinguished Service Award 1962, Past President Hobby Industry Association 1971-1972, Model Railroad Industry Association 1977-1978, Train Collectors Association 1964-1965. NMRA Life Member. Member NMRA Museum Committee. Editor, Author, HO, train collector. Secretary, Eastern MRR Manufacturers 1956-1962. HIAA Meritorious Award of Honor 1979. HIAA MRR Division Big Wheel Award 1987. NMRA Model RR Man of the Year Award 1989. MRIA HALL OF FAME 1996. Listed in Who's Who in America. Train collection has been displayed in Williamsburg; Trenton State Museum, and National Geographic Hall, Washington.
H. Lee Riley. (D) DE, Bachmann Industries design engineer. Worked for Pro Custom Hobbies and Associated Hobby Manufacturers during the 1970's and 1980's. Joined Bachmann in late 1980's and was instrumental in developing new products and expanding the Bachmann line. Helped develop the "big hauler" large scale train set, developed large scale line including logging, industrial and historic locomotives and rolling stock. During 1990's, developed the On30 line extending model railroading to the "Christmas Village" products, and then to the narrow gauge fraternity. NMRA Distinguished Service Award. MRIA HALL OF FAME 2004.
Lynn Lunde. Founded Magnuson Models in 1970's with husband Bob. Sold Magnuson Models to Walthers and worked as marketing manager for four years. Founded (with husband Bob) Design Preservation Models in 1985. Board of Trustees of MRIA 1988. MRIA President 1991. DPM line was sold to Woodland Scenics in early 1990's and worked for WS for several years developing the DPM line. In mid-1990's, started Lunde Studio to build exhibition layouts for industry members, and home layouts for individuals. NMRA Model RR (wo)Man of the year 1992. MRIA HALL OF FAME 2004.
Robert Lunde. Founded Magnuson Models in 1970's with wife Lynn. Sold Magnuson Models to Walthers and worked developing new products for four years. Founded (with wife Lynn) Design Preservation Models in 1985. Board of Trustees of MRIA 1988. MRIA President 1991. DPM line was sold to Woodland Scenics in early 1990's and worked for WS for several years developing the DPM line. In mid-1990's, started Lunde Studio to build exhibition layouts for industry members, and home layouts for individuals.
2005 NMRA PIONEERS
Brown, Robert W., MMR, HLM CA [2005] started Finelines magazine in 1964 and merged it into the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette in 1975. He remains as Editor of that magazine, has earned his MMR, and was awarded a HLM in 2010.
Wagner, Richard M. (D). OH [2005] Manufacturer of trolley kits, drives, and parts. Owner and Technical Editor of Trolley Talk.
E.J. Quimby (D). Cdr, USNR (Ret.). Pioneer 1929 in 1/2 inch scale interurbans indoor and outdoor. Member NYSME. 1915 motorman on North Jersey Rapid Transit, Morse Telegraph Club, Veteran Wireless Operator Assoc., Society of Wireless Pioneers, Radio Club of America. Co-founder of Branford Electric Ry. Museum. A founder of the Electric Railroaders Association. Merchant marine wirelss operator 1920s. Installed the calliope on the Delta Queen. Author of magazine articles and books on electric railways. Died Nov. 8, 1981, age 87
M.D. (Mel) Thornburgh (D). O gauge locomotive builder. Writer. 1930s. Started with B&O in 1919. Built first elec. powered locomotive 1923. Helped organize Cincinnati Model Railway Club.
George Sellios. Creator of Fine Scale Models, manufacturer of extra detailed craftsman style kits in HO. Author known for his detailed HO layout.
Glen Brazelton (D). bought a small hobby shop after World War II and founded Cabose Hobbies in Denver, now one of the largest shops in the U. S. A. Died at age 99 in 2005.
Fred Hamilton. Active in Model Railroad Industry Association. Narrow gauge modeler. Former advertising manager Kalmbach Publishing Co. Also was employed as general manager for Northwest Short Line. Offered consulting services to MRIA and MRD. Narrow gauge enthusiast.
Lee L. Blyler (D). President Ambroid Inc, Howe & French. Mfr model cements and wood craftsman Ambroid car kits, notably 1 in 5000 series.(Evylyn). Weymouth, MA. Cape Coral, FL.Past Pres. HIAA Ambroid Inc. (Howe & French), mfrs of Ambroid cement, Ambroid HO freight car kits. Past Pres. HIAA 1967-1968. HIAA Meritorious Award of Honor 1972. HIAA Lifetime member. Chemical engineer, Princeton University. Active in protecting hobby industry from threat of glue banning during glue sniffing craze of 1960s.
Robert Chait. Miami, Florida, Has served as contest chairman and is Master Model Railroader No. 43. Bob has pioneered in the collecting of HO freight cars of all kinds, representing the changes which have occurred over the past 75 or so years from paper and wood cars and crude lead castings to the latest in ready-to-run. Hardly a week doesn't go by in which I don't hear from Chait as to some new acquisition. He still enjoys finding old paper and card sides and scratch building wood cars using those sides. He is an accomplished craftsman and has even faked up NMRA convention cars for several conventions that did not have convention cars, among them 1971 London.
William L. Withuhn. Smithsonian Institution,Washington, D.C. Bill is (was) Curator of Transportation at the huge Smithsonian museum in the District of Columbia. His occupation has been to home collect many off patent models of early railroad locomotives and cars dating back to the very infancy of railroading almost before model railroading became a hobby. Samples of the pieces he has found and saved are shown in "150 Years of Train Models" and date back to 1846. Withuhn is also an expert on real railroads.
Charles B. (Connie) Miller (D) President of the Testor Corp., in Rockford, Illinois. Testor is well-known as a manufacturer of model glues and paints, and importers of model hobby kits and tools. Mr. Miller helped developed the horse radish additive for tube glues, which eliminated the glue-sniffing problem in 1960s. At the time there was much talk of banning tube glues to prevent sniffing, which could have been a disaster for the model building hobbies.
Mr. Miller was President of the Hobby Industry Association in 1954-1955, and received the HIAA Meritorious Award of Honor in 1968. Mr. Miller died on November 25, 1993. His son, Charles, succeeded his as president of Testor, and another son, David, currently serves in that capacity.
His daughter, Susan St, James, best known as the wife of TV’s Macmillan & Wife series, was present at the banquet to receive her father’s award. David Miller was also present, along with his wife and two sons.
Louis J. Redman (D). Charter member and a founder of the Train Collectors Association. He held many posts in TCA and was known as "Mr. Toy Trains". Mr. Redman’s daughter, Carol Redman McGinnis, was present at the banquet and received the award on behalf of her late father.
Jim Conway. Jim is a founder of Con-Cor Models and began manufacturing model railroad kits in the mid 1960s. Also during that time, Jim moved into the importation and production of N scale locomotives, rolling stock, and structures, and was responsible for the finest N scale locos available at that time, the Alco PA1 and the New York Central Hudson. It is very possible that without Jim’s dedication and involvement, N scale would not have reached the prominence it has today in the model railroad community.
Jim founded JMC Hobby Distributors in Chicago, a full-line model railroad distributor, and became a manufacturer and importer of HO locos, rolling stock, and structures as well as his extensive N scale line. Jim moved to Arizona some years ago, and from there, he has imported and sold a series of excellent models in HO and N, including the Pioneer Zephyr, the UP M10000, the Galloping Goose, and the North Shore Electroliner.
Leo and Ruth Campbell (D). Leo is well known as the long-time owner of Campbell Scale Models. Along with his wife, Ruth, Leo set the standard in the 1960s and 1970s for high-quality but affordable craftsman kits in HO. While most of the structures were wood-based, Leo also was an early user of styrene detail parts. He also manufactured the Weston line of HO metal figures for many years.
Bernd Lenz. Bernd is the father of DCC command control, and gave a great gift to the hobby through the donation of his DCC patents to the NMRA. He continues to operate the highly regarded Lenz Elektronik GMBH in Germany.
W. Allen McClelland. Allen introduced modern model railroad operations and layout design to the hobby, having originated or popularized such practices as prototype freelancing, the “beyond the basement” concept, freight car forwarding systems, command control, walkaround control, “good enough” construction and detailing, and many of the other precepts upon which the modern hobby is based.
For over 40 years, Allen has traveled the world in support of model railroading and the NMRA. Articles and photos of the famous Virginian & Ohio R.R. have appeared in Railroad Model Craftsman, Model Railroader, Scale Rails, and the Bulletin, and many other publications. Allen and the V&O have also been featured in several full-length videos showing the railroad and introducing generations of model railroaders to his concepts and his exceptional modeling. In his spare time, Allen served as Mid Central Region President and Trustee, as well as in a number of other NMRA offices and positions.
Max Gray (D). Max Gray founded Champion Decals in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1940. This was at a time when there were almost no pre-lettered models available, and the builder had to hand-letter his cars and locos. Max later relocated the business to California, then in 1963 he sold the business to Richard Meyer, who moved it to Minot, N.D. Most of us are very familiar with Champ, but we may not associate its founding with Max Gray.
Max pioneered not only in decals but also printed car sides with an emphasis on the colorful private-owner refrigerator cars. But he is perhaps best known as one of the early importers of outstanding HO and O scale brass locomotives and cars, which he began in 1951, under the name Perfection Scale Models.
Max’s models were built by KTM, with whom he had an exclusive production arrangement for many years. Max imported beautiful O and HO scale steam and diesel locomotives and rolling stock for many years. Levon Kemalyan of Kemtron and U.S. Hobbies later acquired parts of this line.
Max Gray, one of the real pioneers of the brass-importing business that has contributed so much to the hobby of scale model railroading, died in his mid-50s in 1966.
Lou (D) and Sol Kramer. Lou and Sol Kramer were the founders of Life-Like Products, one of the giants of the model railroad industry through its high-growth years of the 1950s-1990s.
As teenagers, Lou and Sol started their first business with $40 they borrowed from their mother and named their enterprise Burd Model Airplanes.
After the end of World War II, they set up Wholesale Hobby Distribution Co. and Kramer Brothers Hobbies. Sol and Lou sold model cars and fishing tackle, and they entered the Christmas garden supply business through their Life-Like line, which produced artificial grass, trees, and mountains for trains. The hobby business boomed in the 1950s, and the Kramer brothers made the best of it.
Lou and Sol dyed sawdust for imitation grass on the roof of a building they owned on Barre Street in Baltimore. One of Life-Like’s most famous products, lichen, was imported from Norway. After a fire destroyed the Barre Street building, the Kramers rented one floor at 1600 Union Ave. and later bought the stone structure. They employed many local people to make the little trees and grass mats. The business continued to grow, and the Kramers ran it until selling it to Walthers in 2000.
Lou Kramer passed away in 2003. As of the time of this award in 2011, Sol Kramer was enjoying retirement at age 94.
Bruce Walthers (D). William K. Walthers was one of the hobby’s best-known pioneers and, for model railroaders, along with A.C. Kalmbach, made Milwaukee the center of the hobby in the U.S. for many years. His son, Bruce, began his 60-plus years of service to the hobby in the mid-1930s when he helped his dad during school holidays and over summer vacations for the princely sum of 20 cents an hour.
In 1937, Bruce began his studies of accounting and business at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. After graduation, he spent three years on active duty with the Navy in the Pacific. When he came back home in 1946, he went to work full time for Walthers.
The post-war years were among the most challenging the company faced. Walthers began selling their line directly to hobby shops, thus laying the groundwork for their wholesale operations. Even so, Bill was ready to fold the company when the Athearn line of undecorated plastic models was introduced. The ensuing demand for Walthers decals soared, along with sales of paint and detail parts. The influx of cash allowed Bill to retire gracefully as he turned over the reins to Bruce.
The advent of slot cars caused problems with model railroad product distribution. Under Bruce’s leadership, the company became the first full-time wholesaler dedicated to model railroad products. This set the pace for the next 20 years. In the early 1980s, Bruce took advantage of an import program to offer a wide selection of models from around the world.
Bruce followed his father’s example by turning the company’s day-to-day operations over to son Phil in 1984. But he remained as chairman of the board and played key roles in Walthers’ transition to the electronic age, their continued growth as a manufacturer and distributor, and the acquisition of Life-Like Products in 2005.
Bruce lived to see Walthers attain the distinction of serving the hobby for 75 years. He died in January of their anniversary year, 2007. He is among the most deserving recipients in the long history of the prestigious Pioneers of Model Railroading Award.
Levon Kemalyan (D), 1907-1976 Levon was the owner of U.S. Hobbies, importer of O scale and HO brass locomotives and rolling stock made mostly by KTM in Japan; and Kemtron, a manufacturer and importer of an extensive line of high-quality kits, parts, lost-wax castings, and many other model railroad supplies. In addition to a line of highly detailed zinc parts, bodies, frames, and other castings, Levon pioneered the use of lost-wax castings to produce the finely detailed parts that became the hallmark of super-detailed cars and locomotives.
Levon’s familiarity with brass and zinc engraving and etching was a direct result of his work with Fresno Photo-Engraving, founded in 1903 by A. F. Kemalyan and carried on by Levon from 1929 until late 1962. Any well-detailed kit or ready-to-run model you see today owes its quality in part to the work of Levon Kemalyan.
Levon left us in 1976, but the mark he made on the hobby of scale model railroading is alive and well.
John Anderson (D) 1925-2000 John was the owner of Cal-Scale, a California-based manufacturer of accurate, highly detailed HO plastic and lost-wax brass detail parts for steam and diesel locomotives and freight cars.
In 1959, John, along with Bruce Bechtold and Harry Parker, founded Associated Brass Products and sold detail parts under the Cal-Scale brand. Bruce had worked for Kemtron and has been credited with “putting Kemtron on the map.” John was introduced to Bruce by another famous modeler, Oscar Neubert, and John, Bruce, and Harry decided to forge ahead on their own.
John was a master die maker, while Bruce was an experienced pattern maker, and Harry supervised the plant. John and Bruce sold Cal-Scale to Bowser Manufacturing in Pennsylvania. The foundry was sold to a California company that does not produce modeling parts.
Lewis English (D), 1925-2000 Lew was the proprietor of Bowser Manufacturing, a manufacturer and importer of everything model railroading that is still thriving as this is written in 2012.
In 1961 Lew and his wife, Shirlee, purchased the company name and several steam locomotive kits from Bowser, which had been founded by Bill Bowser back in 1948, and moved the operation into their basement in Pennsylvania. Over the decades, they added other stellar hobby names to the Bowser roster: Penn Line’s PRR steam and GG1 kits, Pennsylvania Scale Models trolleys, the tooling to make Pittman’s line of electric motors and O scale Brill trolley, Selley detail parts, some Varney tooling, including the Casey Jones, Old Lady, Dockside, and plastic Aerotrain, Cal-Scale, Carl Locomotive Works and Arbour Models steam loco kits, Stewart Hobbies diesels and rolling stock – you can imagine where we’d be today without these acquisitions, not to mention the myriad Bowser models that have debuted along with the acquisitions!
Sons Lewis K. Jr. and Lee joined the company in 1976. Lew Jr. took over the office management and wholesale operations and built it to the 70 model railroad lines now in their inventory. Lee managed the production department.
Lew died in 2012 at age 93, but as this is written, his wife and Bowser co-founder Shirlee and their son Lee, now Bowser’s CEO, carry on the remarkable tradition established long ago by the English family.
Rollin Lobaugh (D)- Lobaugh Locomotive Models
Bob Rands - Railcraft, Switchcraft, and Micro Engineering Track
2015 NMRA Pioneers
Eberhard Richter - Founder of LGB
Wolfgang Richter - Founder of LGB
2022 NMRA Pioneers
Bob Phelps (D) 1937-2022 - Prooduct Design Engineer, PECO, 1064-2022 - A modeler of USA prototype railroads, Bob worked to improve the appearance, utility, and reliability of model track in many scales. Among his many contributions are the PECO Code 70 and Code 83 HO track lines.
(D) = Deceased