A lifelong railroad enthusiast and steam locomotive lover, he specialized in locomotive builder catalogs, paperweights, and the Norfolk & Western Railway. In 1973, he wrote “Norfolk & Western Steam, the last 25 years,” which went through six printings totaling 15,000 copies.
Ron started in the hobby business at Model Railroad Equipment Co. (known locally as “Ma Webster’s Train Store”) on 45th Street in New York. He worked there for a year before going into data processing. In 1988, he and his wife, Ellie, founded Ron’s Books as a second career.
He was an expert in brass modeling, a member of the Atlantic Trunk Lines in Stamford, Ct., and numerous railroad history organizations, including the N&W Historical Society, Seashore Trolley Museum, and Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, of which he served as treasurer of the New York Chapter.
His family, including his son, Lee, plans to continue to operate the business that took his name.
Sorry to hear about Ron. I was introduced to him by Tom Dressler in the days of yore. A very fine man with a very fine family — good people, you can’t beat ’em. I’ve had a personal and professional –as vendors of our Pocahontas Productions books — relationship with them for years. Along with Ken Miller, we offer our deepest sympathy to Ellie, Lee and the rest of his family.
Ron and his family have been so helpful to me in finding the railroad books that I have enjoyed reading over the years. My deepest sympathies to their family and friends.
We worked with Ron and family for many years expanding the hobby. On behalf of the D.Carleton Railbooks family we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences.
I hate that. I have a library stocked by Ron and his books.
Truly sad news. My sincere condolences to Ron’s family. He WILL be missed!
Good to hear Lee and the family will carrying on with the business, that’s a fine legacy for any man to be proud of!
I always appreciated seeing Ron at the Big E train show. Jim (as usual) is right. He was a good one. A good human, helpful, professional and smart.
We lost a Good One, here.
My sincere sympathies to Mr. Rosenberg’s family. I am just a few years older, and well remember the stops on many a Saturday journey as a teenager – Carmen (Ma) Webster’s Model Railroad Equipment Corporation and The Roundhouse on 45th Street, then Polk’s Model Craft Hobbies on 32nd and Fifth, Then Lionel at 15 East 26th Street, then the Gilbert Hall of Science at 23rd Street, and finally Madison Hardware at 110 East 23rd too see Carl and Lou. Couldn’t ask for a better time to be around, if you liked trains. I’m sure Mr. Rosenberg agreed.