Model Railroading > Hal Carstens 1925-2009

The hobby industry lost a true giant yesterday with the passing of Hal Carstens. Hal joined the staff of Railroad Model Craftsman in 1952, became editor in 1954 and president of the company in 1962.

Hal served as president of various organizations, including Hobbies Industries of America, the Model Railroad Industry Association, FRiends of the New Jersey Railroad & Transportation Museum and the Train Collectors Association. He also served in various capacities with the Photographic Society of America, Hobby Industry Association and the Wagner College Board of Trustees.

It was his leadership of Carstens Publications where he will be missed the most. The business has always been more of a family, and Hal was our patriarch. I wouldn't be able to thank him enough for the opportunities he has given me in the publishing business.

To say we're going to miss Hal is obvious. But while we'll miss him as our leader and boss, and miss him as one of the hobby industry's premier promoters, we'll miss him most as a friend.

Please keep Phyllis and the rest of the Carstens family in your thoughts and prayers.

Steve Barry
Railfan & Railroad

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Hal,

Thank you for helping me get into the hobby. My first train magazine was an issue of RMC that my brother bought me along with a bunch of sturdy HO equipment back in the olden days.. I remember poring thru the RMC and finding a whole new world of cool stuff to get inspired about.

Our prayers and condolences to his family, and to all those in his publishing family. He has left a legacy not to be forgotten.

Best Regards,
Harry Wong

Some friends and I had the luck to have dinner with Hal Carstens in Dallas earlier this month. We were in Dallas for the Lone Star Region of the NMRA convention. We met Hal at the hotel watering hole and invited him to join us for dinner.

He was a delight, and regaled us with tales of the early years of the NMRA. He also talked about his Susquehanna Northern. He also gave me some suggestions on improving my "12 years' living with DCC" clinic.

He was the speaker at the banquet. We all enjoyed his slides and photos of the past years of Model Railroading and the hobby association. One slide in particular showed Bobby Hall as a much younger woman along with Carmen ?. Oh, and the slides of Hal as a young man in the military.

He showed his sense of humor. We were honored to meet him, enjoy dinner with him and hear his speech at the convention.

Oh, he liked a Martini. Lucious Beebe would be proud!

He will be missed.

Steve Barkley

His was a iconic name and another legend has left us lacking.
R.I.P.
TAH