Originally Posted by SJC:
Ronald Reagan had trains in the White House.
A few pieces of President Reagan's collection are at the TCA Museum.
quote:So, wouldn't Raúl Juliá (Gomez Addams) and Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper) qualify??
It is, of course all just a matter of opinion. I'd keep the list separated by:
real, living people
real deceased people
fictional characters
Walt Disney
Rochester from the Jack Benny show. Most of you are probably too young to remember him. Also Tommy Manville in New Rochelle, NY. I saw his layout. it was standard gauge.
Gentlemen,
Not only did President Reagan have his own Silver American Flyer Standard Gauge Presidential Train that ran around the giant Christmas tree in the Whitehouse foyer, President Reagan liked traveling on the real Trains and often did. One of his favorite places to be by himself and think, was on US #1, the Presidential RR Car, which transported him more often than people might think, especially with the young agent on the boarding stairs.
PCRR/Dave
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I don't know if Rock & Roll's Bob Seger actually is a collecter or operator of toy trains but he mentions trains in a lot of his songs and uses train pictures on his album covers & music videos.
Legendary former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone is a Lionel guy. I recruited him into our O gauge club several years ago while working our kid's layout at a Worlds Greatest Hobby on Tour show here in Atlanta.
Unfortunately he dropped his membership after a year as his schedule didn't allow him to participate.
And with regard to Springsteen; his name comes up but I've never actually seen anything that would tend to substantiate his participation in the hobby. The Boss might possibly be an "urban legend" of sorts.
Curt
Was just reading the other thread re Roadside America's desperate need for funding to repair a leaky roof over their iconic display.
Wouldn't it be nice to have their gofundme need directed toward our celebrity hobbyists? Their agent(s) might even welcome a couple photo-op's as part of the 'oneofus' side of their lives......maybe?
As was indicated re Leo Mazzone, time may not always be as available for support of the hobby among the celebrities.......as the checkbook, perhaps.
Just a thought...
KD
Rick Green!
WHO?
That guy who always accompanied Red Green in the silent DIY vignettes, which usually involved duct tape.
We exchanged pleasantries at a train show earlier this year. He's into N.
Bruce
Question to Forum Member Funfactory prior response, sometime between 1957 to 1959, when Captain Kangaroo was broadcast at 8:00AM on CBS , I remember seeing a large Lionel train layout during the Christmas Season, just caught the trains and had to run all the way to the grade school, was this the train set that you referred too?
Ben
I would think that Marty and Bernie would be considered Celebrities. Marty did it best by claiming total ignorance of trains!
Best
Ray Marion
I think, I think I am, therefore I am, I think.
Rock musician Rod Stewart has a large HO scale layout and builds kits while on tour...
If I am correct,I believe former baseball great Mike Schmidt was into the hobby of model railroading and I remember former basketball great Wilt Chamberlain saying that Boston Celtics great Bill Russell had trains in his home as well.
Louis Marx. known for army trains, knew many military figures of WWII, including President Dwight Eisenhower, who had Marx trains running around his holiday tree in the White House. While I have heard of none, I suspect other well known military figures of the period had trains.
2railguy posted:Do any of these celebrities participate on the forum?
Can't believe that nobody has mentioned Dave Minarik, owner of Mercer Junction and frequent forum contributor.
He is the mighty drummer in the best band that you've never heard of - The Clarks. Google them - great stuff, appeared on Letterman, still together after 30 years, and just missed hitting it big.
We have a celebrity in our very midst:
https://ogrforum.com/member/oddisheru
Richard Unfried was on national TV every Sunday as organist at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Ca. He is also a highly regarded professor of Organ and mentor to many fine organists, who are playing all over the world.
Warren Buffet ... but O and the BNSF.
Bob
NAT KING COLE.
Bill Russell passed away today. He was into Lionel trains.
Stand up Philosopher and self made man. He was once on the Howdy Dooty Show. Sang in the State Show at Bryce Canyon. Lecturer at Little Big Horn Battlefield. Dug fossils in the Badlands. Has a sh.. kickin set up in his vacation home in Omaha.
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Johhny Cash did a commercial for Lionel.
@juniata guy posted:Legendary former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone is a Lionel guy. I recruited him into our O gauge club several years ago while working our kid's layout at a Worlds Greatest Hobby on Tour show here in Atlanta.
My buddy played for Leo when he managed the Durham Bulls. I'll have to ask him if Leo was out of the closet, as a train guy that is.
Wow, what a great thread, I think OGR’s Rich Melvin should be included in the Stars line up as he’s produced so many famous videos, one to mention, the former Marty Fitzhenry, a star in my mind as he was a great ambassador of our favorite hobby, also Rich was the famous engineer of The 765 Steam Locomotive, and by the way, Johnny Cash had a nice model railroad in his beautiful home in Hendersonville Tennessee. Happy Railroading Everyone
Thank you Alan Rogers for your kind reference to me. In your avatar, are you sitting in the Sacramento Museum’s 4294 cab forward?
Our family is grieving the passing of my grandson (age 25). When he was 9, I took him to Sacramento and he sat in that same engineer’s seat. I had previously let him climb into a couple cabs of the small steam locomotives on display at Griffith Park's Travel Town, explaining the main controls as I understood them.
A museum official was standing in the left cab corner of 4294 with two other visitors. My grandson grabbed a handle and said “look Poppie, I’m going to change the direction with the Johnson Bar.”
The museum guy came over and asked, “does that kid really know what a Johnson Bar does?”
“I’m afraid so,” I answered.
“I have docents on staff here that wouldn’t know what a Johnson Bar is,” he replied. 
Rod Stewart and this guy!!!
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@Hot Water posted:Might also depend on who you consider a "celebrity".
Yeah, I'd think of people who are famous for something outside the hobby.
I was once told that a group of people walked into a men's room at model train event and there was Tony Koester standing next to Neil Young (yes, that Neil Young) and all they could say was, "Hey, that's Tony Koester," while completely ignoring a legend of rock and roll.
Tony confirmed with me that he was at an NMRA event and he was walking up to the NMRA president and entourage and they were snickering. Turns out, Shaquile O'Niel was walking right behind him. The NMRA president then said this was the only place where someone would ID Shaq as, "the tall guy walking behind Tony Koester".
@OddIsHeRU posted:... Our family is grieving the passing of my grandson (age 25). When he was 9, I took him to Sacramento and he sat in that same engineer’s seat. ...
Very sorry for your family's loss, Richard. That's a tough one.
@colorado hirailer posted:... President Dwight Eisenhower I suspect other well known military figures of the period had trains.
Not of that period but, former Secretary of Defense and Director of CIA Robert Gates states in his book that he "tinkers" with model trains. And mentioned retired JSOC General McChrystal.
@NYC Fan posted:Joe DiMaggio and Roy Campanella were into Lionel O gauge.
I herd a guy named Skip is big into o guage trains! He used to set up the Christmas displays at Bear Mountain as well as the Marklin "Swiss Air" display at bear mountain as well!
@OddIsHeRU posted:Thank you Alan Rogers for your kind reference to me. In your avatar, are you sitting in the Sacramento Museum’s 4294 cab forward?
Our family is grieving the passing of my grandson (age 25). When he was 9, I took him to Sacramento and he sat in that same engineer’s seat. I had previously let him climb into a couple cabs of the small steam locomotives on display at Griffith Park's Travel Town, explaining the main controls as I understood them.
A museum official was standing in the left cab corner of 4294 with two other visitors. My grandson grabbed a handle and said “look Poppie, I’m going to change the direction with the Johnson Bar.”
The museum guy came over and asked, “does that kid really know what a Johnson Bar does?”
“I’m afraid so,” I answered.
“I have docents on staff here that wouldn’t know what a Johnson Bar is,” he replied.
I wish there were words that would help ease the pain of your loss that I could offer, all I can offer is my prayers and any kind of healing energy I can send to you and your loved ones. I am glad that you have good memories of him and special times shared, that is important
phil klopp - a celebrity in my opinion
Tom Mccomas
Dwight D. Eisenhower, had Marx trains around a tree 🎄 in the White House, that l understand was a gift from Louis Marx, who l also understand knew many military officers , and was famous for "Army Trains".
Celtics Legend Bill Russell .RIP.. was one of us
These celebrities were mentioned, but to add some information, Rod Stewart's layout was featured on the cover of Model Railroader a couple years ago. It is amazing. Incredible detail. He crafts all his own buildings, among other things. P51 mentioned it, and the MR article discussed that during his tours, Rod frequently has a separate room in his suite of hotel rooms devoted to being a "workshop" for whatever railroad items he's working on. Apparently the hobby provides a helpful "pressure relief" for him.
Another very famous rocker who was mentioned and who's big into model trains is Phil Collins, multi Grammy winning composer, frontman, lead singer and drummer with the band Genesis. There was an article about his train hobby somewhere as well - may have also been in MR.
Don't think Roger Daltrey, frontman from The Who, has been mentioned yet. He and some others are responsible for opening the Ashford International Model Railway Education Centre in Bethersden, England, which has a number of display railroads as well as memorabilia from the early days of railroading in England.
@Rich in NOVA posted:Don't think Roger Daltrey, frontman from The Who, has been mentioned yet...
Forum member Roger Wasson was mentioned as being an engine builder at Petty Enterprises by former racer and broadcaster Kyle Petty in his recent biography. The craftsmanship on display in the layout photos Roger has posted here could be a large part of the reason Richard Petty has won all those races over the years.
Brad
I believe every member of this forum is a celebrity in his / her own right as they put themselves out in public offering advice, well wishes, kind words etc. to folks they do not know personally.
The folks outside the hobby who have made a name for themselves are no different than you or I as each of us has made a solid contribution to society in some manner.
