In memoriam

[Anonymous]

hello. my name is allison and i am ralph browns granddaughter. i'm coming here today to ask for some help from you all. we are planning a memorial for my grandfather in late september here in the midwest. i was wondering if anybody could let me know how i might track down some of his trains. i would love to have pictures and or stories to share at the memorial of his work, as it was his passion and life. if you have any information on any of his trains please contact me at the following e-mail address:[e-mail]

any help is greatly appreciated..

 thank you

          allie

 

ps. he never lived in georgia

[GearDrivenSteam]

Isn't that unique? I was almost certain it was not either, as I think I remembered the Mr. Brown I was familiar with passing sometime ago......when I saw this, I had to question my memory. Well, looks there were two Ralph Browns with unusually cool hobbies.

[Rene Schweitzer]

Checked with Marc, and he didn't think they could be the same person. So close. . .

[GearDrivenSteam]

Thanks. Daddy passed in '98....and I THOUGHT Mr. Brown was older than Daddy. I might have been wrong. I'm sure Ralph Brown isn't an unpopular name, I just thought it was funny that two would be into model railroading.

[Rene Schweitzer]

I'm not sure, though it's possible. I forwarded this thread to Marc Horovitz in case he knows.

[GearDrivenSteam]

Rene, my father worked at the Post Office in Macon, Georgia with a man named Ralph Brown for a long time. Mr. Brown had an O scale empire in his basement that we used to go see. Surely this isn't the same person?

[Rene Schweitzer]

Ralph Brown, founder of American Standard Car Co. passed away on Friday, May
11, at age 78, after a brief illness.
 
Ralph started American Standard Car Co. in 1976 as a logical step up from
his O scale custom passenger car building business. His numerous kits were
cast in urethane with plastic, metal and wood details. Most kits were
patterned after famous heavyweight passenger trains of the '20s and '30s.
 
In the early '80s, Ralph added the Great Trains line of large scale (1:32
scale, gauge 1) passenger cars and diesel locomotives to his line. They
included a powered plastic F40PH with matching heritage or Superliner
passenger cars, F7 A and B units (cast resin), and urethane, metal and wood
heavyweight passenger cars that were assembled and painted by Ralph. He
produced a train set in 1:32 that was sold during one Christmas by Marshall
Field & Co. in Chicago.
 
In the '90s, Ralph sold most of the lines and retired to Grand Junction,
Colorado. He continued to custom-build O and large scale trains for
customers. Several of his trains are displayed at various museums and
colleges, mainly in the Midwest, where Ralph grew up and attended school.
 
Ralph is survived by his wife of 54 years, Delores, a daughter, and numerous
grandchildren.