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I am very curious to know whether the name Joe Buderwitz rings a bell for any of you folks, especially those of you in your 70s, 80s and 90s.

Joe Buderwitz was a very highly regarded lawyer in White Plains, NY, and a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic O Gauge train collector and operator. He must have been a member of the TCA. I met him when I was a young lawyer in White Plains and also at the Westchester Toy and Train Show in White Plains back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I remember speaking to him about trains when he was a vendor at one of those train shows with beautiful top of the line Lionel Steam engines. He told me that he had appeared as an expert witness at trial to render opinions on the value of model trains and collections, and that he had once bought an antique locomotive for $25,000, which was astonishing to me.

Unfortunately, Joe died of a heart attack in his late 50s/early 60s. I feel like his early demise prevented us from developing a friendship.

If you happen to remember Joe Buderwitz, please post a reply and share what you remember about him. Arnold

 

Last edited by Arnold D. Cribari
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Arnold, didn't know him but knew Jim Madden that had a huge train collection. He lived only a few miles from me when we lived in the Bay Area. He died a few years ago. His daughter lives with her husband in the old house now. I went back three years ago to see Jim's layout one more time and talk to her about my good friend. His layout from the 40's and 50's is still upstairs and fully operational. In the late 40s and 50's he started buying Lionel trains after Christmas. They were very affordable after the holidays. Under his layout are boxes and boxes of unopened trains. We went through his stuff together. Just and example there was a big box of gooseneck street lights in their original boxes. Electronic sets from the late 40's. Name it, they were there. His layout has two electronic sets. She asked me what I wanted. I told her I always loved his City of Portland set. She gave me the set plus three extra cars. We talk on the phone often and I'm teaching her how to run the trains. 

Jim took me to my first TCA local meet in the 70's. He helped get me back into trains. I still miss him. Here's just few pictures of his collection and always unfinished layout. DonIMG_1862 2DSC_2790DSC_2736

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Last edited by scale rail
Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Don's above heart warming reply got me thinking that it might be good to morph this topic into one where we reminisce about a train collector and/or operator, no longer with us, that impacted us as model railroaders.

I was considering considering changing the title of this topic, but I don't know how to do that. Arnold

For me it was Owen Sturm:

When I got back into the hobby I met Owen at the first breakfast prior to the Allentown First Frost meet.  During the breakfast we got to talking and I mentioned how I was having problems getting some scenery just the way I liked it, specifically, the inside detailing of tunnels.  Fast forward several months to the Spring Thaw meet and he shows up with a CD he burned showing me the techniques and examples of what he had done on his layout.  This was totally unexpected as I only had met him ONE time previously and had NO communication with him since our initial conversation.   This lead to a friendship which ended far too soon.  He was a true gentleman and a class act and I miss him to this day.

-Greg

For me, my great friend, one of my mentors, and very well missed is Paul Arnone .....a dedicated NYC fan although his passion was 2 rail, he had an extensive collection of some of the finest prewar and postwar trains I’ve ever seen.....when my dad had his hobby shops and Lionel dealerships, we serviced all of Paul’s equipment......whenever Paul came to visit, he would bring coffee and donuts....it wasn’t just drop off trains and run, he loved hanging out in the service dept. and watching us work on his pieces...we’d spend hours pouring over pictures of NYC equipment, and applying those findings to his own stuff......when my son turned 5, Paul gave him a piece out of his collection, which my now adult son still cherishes....upon his passing, Paul left me a Lionel scale Commodore Vanderbilt. With a note he had written before he’d passed on....one of the greatest guys I ever knew.....sorely missed, but always here with me.....all I have to do is fire up that CV........Pat 

The guy l miss is the Marx collector, Tasker Brush.  Met him at the Wheaton train show when l never missed a month.  Really nice guy and my go-to guy for Marx questions.  We independently showed up at auctions, shows and conventions from York to Santa Clara.  He chaired the York Marx meet with John Fox, which continues.  He was a tremendous wealth of Marx knowledge that is a loss to this hobby.  

Really Nice Topic...

I remember alot of guys in the early 1970s that were in the Detroit Toledo Chapter of the TCA.  Floyd Scrace, Art McWood, many more helped inspire me on my quest to collect Lionel...  was really great time at the Meets...

 

Over past decade lost some friends who were always at my train parties and at Wild Bills Train shop in Detroit Area...  Elmer was a great train repair guy...  Wild Bill could always talk me into a Train...  Bert always was life of the party...  Victor was everyone's good friend...

I know alot of this forum remembers these guys and how they helped us enjoy this hobby over last 20plus years...  trips to York, hanging out in the hobby shop, local train meets...  good times will be missed...

 

Folks in the Southern California area will surely remember Ed Karper. He was one of the good guys gone too soon. When I  got back into O gauge around 1996, Ed was always at train shows, his tables and merchandise neatly displayed and the best part...he always had his signature candy dish filled with really good free candy!

I only knew Ed by being a customer of his. He was one of the most patient and kindly guys I've ever met. Always willing to help a novice with accurate information. He new alot about postwar trains and could provide valuable context on all things Lionel. I never knew if he had a home layout, but I imagine he did. 

He was always known to be fair and honest in his train dealings and had the friendship and respect of all who knew him.  When I go to train meets these days I miss stopping by Ed's tables and saying hello and getting a free piece of candy...

John

 

 

Super O Bob posted:

Really Nice Topic...

I remember alot of guys in the early 1970s that were in the Detroit Toledo Chapter of the TCA.  Floyd Scrace, Art McWood, many more helped inspire me on my quest to collect Lionel...  was really great time at the Meets...

 

Over past decade lost some friends who were always at my train parties and at Wild Bills Train shop in Detroit Area...  Elmer was a great train repair guy...  Wild Bill could always talk me into a Train...  Bert always was life of the party...  Victor was everyone's good friend...

I know alot of this forum remembers these guys and how they helped us enjoy this hobby over last 20plus years...  trips to York, hanging out in the hobby shop, local train meets...  good times will be missed...

 

Thank you, Bob, for sharing the above with us. I've posted many Forum topics the past 2 years, but I now feel that this one is my best.  It was inspired by my reminiscing about Joe Buderwitz, who I didn't get to know well because I was in awe of him: a great lawyer and train collector and operator, with great charisma.

Speaking of great train repair guys, what would people like me do without them?  IMO, they are the best among us. Arnold

John Meyncke posted:

Folks in the Southern California area will surely remember Ed Karper. He was one of the good guys gone too soon. When I  got back into O gauge around 1996, Ed was always at train shows, his tables and merchandise neatly displayed and the best part...he always had his signature candy dish filled with really good free candy!

I only knew Ed by being a customer of his. He was one of the most patient and kindly guys I've ever met. Always willing to help a novice with accurate information. He new alot about postwar trains and could provide valuable context on all things Lionel. I never knew if he had a home layout, but I imagine he did. 

He was always known to be fair and honest in his train dealings and had the friendship and respect of all who knew him.  When I go to train meets these days I miss stopping by Ed's tables and saying hello and getting a free piece of candy...

John

 

 

What a delightful man.

Arnold

Here's another delightful man who inspired me, and is no longer with us, that I never even met: Bruce Manson from Pennsylvania.

I'm sure many of you folks knew Bruce Manson through the TCA and possibly this Forum, with his AF trains and layout. I only knew him through the McComas and Tuoy Pennsylvania Suite video. I especially liked the "Red Light District" on his layout, the way he described it, and all of his charming and witty remarks about his trains and other collectible toys on that video. Arnold

I'd have to say Boyd Mason. He ran the Hazlet Train Stop in Hazlet NJ, a Lionel Service Station. I think he had at least one of everything Lionel ever made. He was a real character. A pro golfer bought the entire collection upon his demise; sorry, can't remember the name, but y'all will easily recall.

Boyd taught me how to repair trains when I was 22 or so. He'd pay me in trains, and would often have me tag along to meets in north Jersey. He helped me not only learn about how to repair them, but also gave good guidance on what to buy and not buy based on condition that a) mattered and b) didn't matter.

Had to think about this one for a few minutes, but then it hit me. Back in 1969 the NMRA national convention was in Minneapolis. I was eight. My dad saw something in the newspaper about some layouts being open for public viewing. There was one in particular that really captivated me.

Earl Rymerson was a Flyer guy, but more than that, he was a showman. The layout wasn't huge, it filled half the basement of his small house, leaving room for an upright piano and some standing room for guests. The layout was very busy, with all kinds of things to look at. He had these really cool curved bridges, that caught my eye.

After running the trains for a while, he would play the piano and have a sing along, as he frequently hosted scout groups. He also kept a photo album, full of Polaroids that he took of all his visitors. I only when there a few times, but he made a lasting impression on me.

Not long after he passed, about 20 years ago now, his son had the local train group, of which I was a member, over for one last showing. I brought with me one of the Polaroids that Earl had given me. The album was still there, and I was able to locate the matching picture.

Arnold, thanks for making me clean out the cobwebs from that corner of my brain.

Hank Schmidt, owner of a train shop in Santa Clara, CA, was the one - for me and others as well - who provided focus on the collecting (and then operating) part of the hobby back in '72.  Hank brought me into the TCA and TTOS way back in 1972.

His train shop was a marvel - it was open only a few hours each day as he had a "regular" job with Lockheed in Sunnyvale.  The coffee was always on and there were always a few, if not many, TrainHeads in the shop.

I remember at a local TCA meet bringing a few of the "extras" of my early train buying to sell.  Well, it was my first time as a seller so I had no idea of pricing, etc.  Hank took pity and bought a few things from me - and those trains ended up in his shop at a "list" price less than what he paid me at the meet.       A terrific train guy that I will never forget.

He was the president of the local TCA  and TTOS while I knew him.  Unfortunately, Hank passed in the late '70s.  A permanent loss to our hobby.  He was the standard of friendship and affability.

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