R.I.P Earl Smallshaw

I was saddened to learn today that Earl Smallshaw passed away on January 3, 2014.

Smallshaw, 80, was a noted author of 32 articles on model railroading. He was one of the many who inspired me when I was starting out in the hobby.

Although his layout, the Middletown & Mystic Mines, was a coal hauler set in a time that didn't especially interest me--1925--I appreciated his modelling.

And who can forget his Miracle Chair Company? (Slogan: If it's a good chair, it's a miracle.) 

Smallshaw was also part of the Hartford Workshop, a small group of model railroaders who helped each other with their layouts. 

In his obituary, his involvement in the hobby was remembered this way: "Earl was best known for his love of model railroading. A skilled craftsman with painstaking attention to detail, he earned an international reputation as a master modeller whose work was the subject of numerous magazine articles and clinics on the art of model railroading. A life member of the National Model Railroad Association, Earl's layout drew visitors from around the country and overseas."

You can learn more about Smallshaw, and see more photos of his layout, on his website. See a video of the layout here. 

Photos from Earl Smallshaw's website.