Hi! I'm new to the forum and hopefully this is the appropriate place to post on this site. My name is Laura (Bria Brass at shows) and I'm the daughter of Bob Brass (Balls of Brass, Brass Buyer's Guide), who passed away in 2009 when I was a teenager. It's Father's Day and I'm feeling sentimental, and I'm hoping that perhaps some of you might have stories or impressions of him that you would be willing to share with me. I'm aware that he was a bit... prickly, so you won't be surprising me with that information! Thank you in advance for anything you're willing to share.
Laura,
I knew both your mom and dad aka John and Toby Winston rather well when they lived in Dickeyville, MD....matter of fact I was his first customer and purchased the very first loco he sold in 1976....Sunset N&W 4-8-2. True he was a piece of work as was your mom and John was indeed an acquired taste.....but he knew his products quite well and believed in what he was selling. Tack on honesty and good ethics as well. I believed he loved being ornary, but anyone who knew brass could see through this rather easily. Basically, John was a good guy and I liked him very much. He was also the very first vendor to sign up for my Great Scale Model Train Show, and Brass Expo which I co-founded in late 1982 and 1995 respectively. John remained a dealer there until the move to Montana. There will be negative things said about him, but brush them aside as they are from folks who did not know him.
In all fairness, I only knew him in the model railroad world.
HZ
Hi, Laura.
I knew your father through the model trains. I had purchased brass items from him several times and always had decent dealings. He was straight and honest with me and had good stuff. He was very knowlegable as Howard has stated. He did have a reputation as you said of being prickly and idiot intolerant and had no difficulty telling you what he felt about you or your opinions be it model trains or the world in general. I never found that to be a problem though.
I never heard what happened to BofB or him and I'm sorry for your loss. Hope something here makes you better understand him and appreciate him.
oldline1
BriaBrassHi! I'm new to the forum and hopefully this is the appropriate place to post on this site. My name is Laura (Bria Brass at shows) and I'm the daughter of Bob Brass (Balls of Brass, Brass Buyer's Guide),
Hi Laura!
Welcome to the forums!!
Your father sounds like he was an interesting and honest man. That says a lot. I look forward to hearing more about him.
I will also say congratulations to you for following in his footsteps!
I am not a brass collector, although I do have a couple of inexpensive Alco switchers made by Alco which I will upgrade and paint eventually. However, my favourite brass pieces are my scratchbuilt HOn30 brass critters, one of which is pictured in my avatar. I started with an N scale Bachmann 4-4-0 with the motor in the tender and an engine from a Life Like generator. It has twelve wheel power pick-up.
The second one under construction:
I'm sure that they are of value only to me.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
If you want stories about pop, there were many and many I was witness to. Once in 1984 when our train show was at the rather rustic Howard County Fairgrounds, the rain was quite heavy that day and John just made a huge sale....thus offering to help carry the brass choo choos to the customer's van. I was just coming back from lunch and fell witness to his act of gallantry. Of course the van became stuck in the mud. Says John to the customer...."OK, I'll push and you give it the gas" I mentioned to your pop that I did not think it to be a great idea, but of course he ignored me. "OK, now step on it hard !" Whirrrrrrr, splatt. The only thing I could see not completely covered in mud were the whites of his eyes. Pop then gave me a funny look. I don't know if he went home to change as in an hour he was all cleaned up and not a happy camper. There are many more stories about John Winston, as as previously mentioned, but not a one negative about his honesty and code of ethics.
Did you come to the shows with mom and pop? Somehow I do not remember you.
I think I misspelled your mom's name in last post. Toba? John's collection of brass was top notch and please dispell any possible misgivings or seller's remorse, it was sold to man and firm of impeccable credentials and ethics. If you want more stories, I have many.....and remember the work he did in his monthly guide. Sure he sold subcriptions, but what this guide did for the brass industry at the time was quite helpful and needed.
More stories if you want them....