It is very sad indeed to hear that Neil has passed away. I did not know Neil - we never met, never spoke, never corresponded but he was a great inspiration to me.
Neil had a huge impact on my model railway/ railroading career due to an editorial piece that he wrote for one of the early issues of Model Railroader that I purchased.
Neil wrote in this particular editorial piece which was entitled "Do something" or "Build something" (sorry, I can't remember the precise title) not to wait until circumstances were ideal but to build something now and to learn from any mistakes that you happen to make along the way.
I had been planning my ideal model railway/ railroad (I am in the UK and have never visited the USA (yet) but I love North American railroads) for some years previously but I had never actually built anything. Neil's editorial piece really resonated with me. I did as he advised and started building. I still don't have the large layout of my dreams but I have built three small layouts (two UK, one US outline) as a direct result of reading and being inspired by his editorial all those years ago. I have enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you Neil, you inspired me and I am eternally grateful to you.
My condolences to all of Neil's family, friends and colleagues.
My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. I fondly remember viewing the MR issue previews while he was the Editor. God speed Neil.
Sorry to hear of this. I already lost a friend/work associate from COVID-19 a month ago.
Besougloff was editor of MR around the time I got back into the hobby after a long hiatus. Though I wasn't a subscriber, I did buy issues regularly. The Rod Stewart layout profile and the now-famous N Scale Salt Lake Route layout project (which has inspired many N scalers to build their own facsimile layouts) were all published under his tenure as editor. My heart goes out to the Kalmbach publishing family.
Condolences to his family, friends, and those who worked with him.
Jan
It's a sad time. Condolences to his family. A good man gone too soon.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I am saddened to hear that Niel has passed away far too soon. My condolences to all who knew and loved this man.
"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow." -Lin Yutang
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"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and colleagues at Kalmbach. He was an inspiration to many. I know I would have never been where I am in this hobby without his influence. May you rest in peace. God Bless.
John Collins
HowieLongLance Mindheim just posted on his FB page that Neil has passed away.
That's sad! Far too young! Condolences to his family, friends and work buddies.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Oh no. This is heartbreaking . Prayers for Neil's family , froends, and the Kalmbach staff.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I didn't know Neil personally, but I really think his guidance at the helm made MR a better magazine, and helped my modeling.
I liked the magazine he edited, and I'm very sorry his retirement south of the border was shorter than it should have been.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Truly sad to hear. My condolences also to the family.
Paul
Another heartbreak, condolences to his family and all that new him.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Really sad to hear, prayers for his family, loved ones, and the Kalmbach staff.
Ralph
Sad news indeed. My condolences to his family and his co-workers.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
This is sad to hear. My condolences go out to family, friends and co-workers as well.
That is sad news. My condolences to his family, friends and coworkers at Kalmbach.
Regards, Ed
HowieLong Lance Mindheim just posted on his FB page that Neil has passed away.
Lance Mindheim just posted on his FB page that Neil has passed away.
Hi everyone, I'm not usually on the MR board much, but I wanted to confirm that sadly, this is true. Early this morning he had a heart attack and could not be revived. I worked for Neil for many years on CTT and Garden Railways. All of us at Kalmbach are shocked by the news, given that the last update we'd had was that he had improved.
Rene
Rene Schweitzer
Classic Toy Trains/Garden Railways/Model Railroader
This terrible virus took my sister-in-law a while back. I hate this disease. Added prayers for Neil's recovery. Hang in there Neil.
Thoughts and prayers for Neil and his family as well as the Kalmbach staff.
That is good news to be sure. Being intubated for an extended period is quite an assault on its own sometimes. Hopefully, he will make a full recovery.
dknelsonProgress report: Neil was able to get out of bed and sit in a chair although he found that exhausting after so many days flat on his back in bed He still has a bad cough. With luck he'll be in a private room soon but there is still hospitalization in his future for a while. At least things are looking up
Thanks Dave,
That's good to hear. Sounds like this really hit him hard, but hopefully he is on the upswing now. Thanks for the update.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Progress report: Neil was able to get out of bed and sit in a chair although he found that exhausting after so many days flat on his back in bed
He still has a bad cough. With luck he'll be in a private room soon but there is still hospitalization in his future for a while. At least things are looking up
Dave Nelson
All the best for a speedy recovery.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
Neil, hang in there, my friend. You have a LOT of railroaders pulling and praying for you.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Best wishes for a quick recovery.