I look forward to the tribute mentioned above by OGR! I trust it will be substantial. In reading the many posts here of how Richard Kughn was the key turning point for O scale, it really demonstrates his importance. I always liked the post war trains, but I really wanted modern trains I saw up the street from my apartment on the Norfolk Southern mainline. I couldnt get that NS Dash-8 quick enough when Lionel offered it! The miles on the Susquehanna and NS Dash-8s were many! Running many hours on my apartment floor pulling eagerly awaited scale hoppers and boxcars and tank cars by the new Lionel under Mr. Kughn. Those first attempts to produce modern equipment have now been distanced by unimaginable realism of today. And while the Dash-8's get much deserved rest these days, they never leave my collection, and occasionally come out to recall those first fun years of something new and different in O scale. The Kughn era rolling stock still runs often in my freight consists. I recall the feeling back then of these cars filling a huge gap in the hobby. Each new prototypical car was like a cool drink of water in a dry desert of modern O scale trains.
OGR, please give Mr. Kughn the greatest of tribute articles. I see that it is common opinion that this man changed course for the O Gauge hobby. He certainly did for me, putting away the HO forever. He sparked untold developments that exceeded our imaginations back in those early years of this new era of O gauge.
Others like Mike Wolf, Atlas O, Williams, took the ball and ran with it in different directions. Williams created the first Amtrak Genesis locos which are still a favorite of mine. MTH went into production of amazing products as if a buffet of nearly anything we could want, and Atlas O created detailed models and products not offered by others. I believe, Mr. Kughn was the spark that set all of this in motion.