I received an N scale three bay hopper lettered for the B&O from the estate of a modeler who passed away recently.
It never escapes me in this hobby that we truly are like a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow, leaving all our work to the next generation of modelers by way of yard sales, auctions and inheritances. There it will be appreciated as it is or painted over and added to a layout full of other treasures, where it will quickly disappear into anonymity. Who can tell if my Ambroid Russell Plow didn't grace Bill McClannahan's layout...or Linn Westcott's?...John Allen's?...Frank Ellison's? (Stop it...your blank stare is making me feel older than my years.) That most of those names are no longer recognized in modeling circles speaks volumes about making our mark on this world, their layouts and work in the hobby having long been tossed into the dust bin of history.
Ours is an odd little hobby that can consume so much in time and resources if we're not careful, the ultimate cost being relationships with one's family and God. Never forget that your work as a modeler is less than one generation away from being a forgotten box lot of train stuff at the local thrift store.
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