"Also, thanks to Bill Fraley for his article on Frank Titman. HO has John Allen and Allen McClelland, but Frank is our very own legend. Roy Hoffman"
Just wanted to make a few remarks about all the S scale modeling writings, photos and schematics' that have shown up in our magazine this past month. Model Railroader has Brooks Stover's MRR layout scenery building article in it, "How To Make Tree Covered Hills" as usual, it is another excellent Brook Stover MRR writing on how to make your model railroad look more prototypical. Next, I received my Dispatch and it is loaded with S scale Layouts, plus featuring the Southwest Michigan S Gauge Club's NMRA Award Winning S Scale module. Regarding the Frank Titman article; Anyone writing articles know you have no control over it after the editor gets it. The picture of Frank and I was quite large and I apologize for it being so. But otherwise, I grew up in S scale modeling as Frank being my "BIG BROTHER" and for that I'm very thankful. Frank went through some real emotional times with his loss of Florence (His first wife) where he sold most of his model railroad models and was done with model railroading. Then he met and married Laura, a very lovely lady who encouraged Frank to get back into model railroading that he moved so much. Where would we be without Frank's Lehigh Valley models, his great enthusiasm for S Gauge model railroading? Today, we still have Frank's Spiral Hill model railroad and while we still have Frank, his appearance has become mostly recluse at age 91, we still see him at our LVSG Meetings from time to time. No two ways about it! .... Frank was ingenious, [clever, resourceful, original, inventive, creative, and inspirational] and in most S Scale model railroad articles today you will see Frank's work in it somewhere. Next: In my November NMRA Magazine the five page SMSG Award Winning Module article is also featured and it does print S Scale in large letters. This article was done by Brooks Stover MRR and Gaylord Gill and I'm sure many other SMSG club members. I believe that NMRA magazine is mailed out to about 25,000 NMRA members. Next, I received my Nov/Sept. S Gaugian and see our good friend Bobby Werre's "Great Plains Northern Terminal Railroad" in it. It features five pages and also a pretty good description of Bob's models and layout. WOW! [Bob, in our Yahoo S Scale list, explained that he was surprised to hear about him being featured in the S Gaugian] and gave us a resume on how all this happened several years ago. (Bobby, wait until you get the bill from Don!) Aw! just kidding! Actually it is a very nice article. Congratulations! Last month Mary and I attended the Central Jersey S Scalers "Get together," sponsored by S Helper Service Don, Robin Thompson, Mike Ferraro and Jeff Wilson's Hoquat Hobbies. Folks, don't ever complain about there not being enough S gauge trains and accessories! There was so much stuff there to be sold, it was unimaginable. [Unreal!] Of course it was another great meet and possibly the last one. Please send s them an order or two, they need to move all that inventory! So now after writing this little piece, I'm brain dead, I'm sure I missed many others, if so, please forgive me! "S"incerely, Bill (Fraley)
