As reported on Trains.com and ModelRailroader.com:

Bobbye Hall and Bruce Walthers, two well-known names in the model railroad industry, passed away this weekend.

Hall, 97, former owner of Hall’s Hobby House and Hallmark Models in Dallas, Texas, died on January 27.

Hall and her husband, Buddy, took a former ice cream parlor north of downtown Dallas and converted it into her hobby shop, which she operated for 55 years. She was the first woman to successfully work with Japanese model railroad manufacturers, and in 1967, started Hallmark Models, which offered an exclusive line of brass locomotives and cars of southwestern U.S. railroads imported from Japan and Korea. In 1996, Hall was inducted into the Model Railroad Industry Association’s Hall of Fame, and she received the National Model Railroad Association’s Pioneers of Model Railroading award in 1997. Hall’s autobiography, Tracks from Texas to Tokyo, was published in 2006.

Hall attended a book signing at CentraMod’s own Temple Model Train Show on September 16, 2006. She donated a signed copy to the club library.

Walthers, 87, Chairman of the Board and former President of Wm. K. Walthers, Inc., in Milwaukee, Wis., died on January 28.

In 1958, Walthers became president of the model railroad manufacturing firm his father, William K. (Bill), started 26 years earlier. Under Bruce’s leadership, Walthers became the largest distributor of model railroad products in the world. During his 60-year career, Bruce was a board member and president of both the Model Railroad Industry Association and the Hobby Industry Association (HIA). The HIAA awarded Bruce its highest honors, the Meritorious Award of Honor and Lifetime Membership in recognition of his years of service and contributions to the hobby. Bruce transferred the family business to his son, Philip, in 1984, but remained active in the company as Chairman of the Board.

Larry Hutchison reported on the show in the Temple Daily Telegram.

“There’s something nostalgic about being around trains,” Darrell Owen of Waco said Sunday afternoon.

It was his first venture to the Temple Model Train Show, now in its 24th year and held at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center.

“And it’s good to see all these kids here enjoying the things that have to do with the past. You wouldn’t think there’d be so many kids, but they seem to be really into it,” he said.

Surely there were lots of youngsters and their parents enjoying everything the vendors had to offer: everything from train tracks to depots, and from engines to the caboose.

Vendors were sure having a good day, according to Vivian Palachek of Mansfield.

“We’ve had a really good show. Lots of repeat customers from years past and people from Killeen have been here,” Mrs. Palachek said.

“We appreciate that.” She and her husband Charles were selling model cars and train sets to the folks crowding around their table.

“It’s been like this both days. The people here are so friendly and having the ‘Thomas (the Tank Train)’ people here has really brought in the kids.”

John Miskulin, set up at another table, was selling Thomas the Tank Train toys as fast as he could.

“These toys are getting the younger kids interested in railroading. But it started with a PBS TV show and it’s just mushroomed,” he said.

Robert Stinson reported on the renovation in the Temple Daily Telegram.

The old Moody Train Depot is getting spruced up with the help of an agreement struck in March between the city of Temple and a group of model railroaders.

The city agreed to lease the building, located on the grounds of the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum, to CentraMod (Central Texas Area Model Railroaders) for a dollar a year for 15 years, with the understanding that the group would put its building fund into renovation.

Work has begun on the initial stage of construction, which will focus on the exterior of the building.

According to Ed Neill, the depot will receive vinyl siding and trim, energy efficient windows that look like the originals, a new heating and air conditioning system, additional insulation and exterior doors.

Neill said the siding would match the look of the original structure.

“Due to the deterioration of the existing wood siding and trim, repainting would not provide a satisfactory appearance, nor would it be economical to repaint every few years,” he said.

A past president of the club, Neill said most of the group’s funding comes from its annual model train show, this year set for Sept. 16-17 at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center.

The group has been in the depot for nearly five years under a 2002 agreement with the city and the Temple Parks and Leisure Services Department. At that time, the club agreed to set up a museum and make their displays available for viewing by the public.