It’s time for the next installment in the Model Railroader Hall of Fame series. If you didn’t now, we’re creating a hall of fame for the 90th anniversary year of Model Railroader. In order to be nominated for the hall of fame, a nominee must have made a significant contribution to the model railroading hobby and must be no longer living. This is a list of the Model Railroader Hall of Fame July nominees, for previous nominees, visit Trains.com.
Keep in mind that voting is cumulative, so be sure to vote for months that you have missed.
Do you have a model railroader in mind who we may have overlooked? Send a letter or e-mail to the addresses listed in the front of Model Railroader magazine. All suggestions will be considered, but that does not guarantee they will be nominated.
Victor Roseman (1948-2024)
Victor Roseman, or Vic, was a skilled model railroader and historian. Having many credits in both books and articles, he often used the byline V.S. Roseman. This work, which spanned from detailing to operations, appeared regularly in various publications throughout the United States and Europe.
I personally enjoyed Vic’s many articles throughout the pages of Model Railroader regarding passenger and marine modeling.
Though Vic didn’t have a model railroad himself, he built many detailed dioramas that he photographed both indoors and outdoors.
he first work of Vic’s to show up in the pages of MR was in March 1977’s Trackside Photos, depicting a meet between an Alco RS2 and a Budd Rail Diesel Car. Since the photo was taken outdoors under natural light, I couldn’t tell if it was the model or the prototype.
Just three months later, he would earn his spot on the cover of the magazine featuring a Central RR of New Jersey F3.
Victor passed away on January 5, 2024, in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Dean Freytag (1924-2010)
Dean Freytag, well-known for being an early proponent of scratchbuilding steel mill structures from styrene, was an inspiration to many heavy industry modelers.
Dean was fascinated by the steel industry and taught himself the inner workings of the industry. Many of his scratchbuilt steel mill structures populated his South Ridge Lines HO scale layout. The layout was featured in the November 1980 issue of MR with an update in November 2003. With his knowledge, he assisted various manufacturers with new product research and development.
In addition to being a well-known modeler and clinician, Dean was also a prolific author. Throughout more than half a century, he wrote more than 50 articles and two books, The History, Making & Modeling Of Steel (Wm. K. Walthers Inc.) and The Cyclopedia Of Industrial Modeling (Plastruct). Both are still available after multiple reprints.
He shared his love of the hobby anyone who would listen.
Dean passed away on December 25, 2010 in Ashland, Ohio.
Harold H. Carstens (1925-2009)
Harold Carstens joined the staff of Railroad Model Craftsman as an associate editor in 1952. Affectionately known as “Hal,” he became the company’s president in 1962. He became well-known by many through this position.
Following his rise to the company presidency, Carstens went on to found several other magazines, including Creative Crafts, The Miniature Magazine, and Railfan. His first article was published in Railroad Model Craftsman while he was a student in high school.
Hal served as the president of the former Hobby Industry Association from 1970 to 1971 and was awarded the HIA’s Meritorious Award of Honor. He also received the NMRA’s Distinguished Service Award and was named a Pioneer of Model Railroading. In addition, he was a past president of the Train Collector’s Association Inc.
Former Kalmbach vice president Russ Larson remembered Carstens as “having a good sense of humor, but also being a good competitor and conducting his publishing house with integrity.”
Hal died on June 23, 2009.
Voting time!
Be sure to click here to vote on this month’s nominees. The inductees into the Hall of Fame will be announced in our January 2025 issue. Inductees will be based on cumulative votes, not per month.
Wow…we can’t vote on all three? Why – all three of these men are worthy of inclusion!!