It's fitting, somehow, that in attempting to pay tribute to Dave Morgan, I find myself struggling for words.
You didn't appreciate Mr. Morgan's unique take on the industry the first few times you read him; you had to review the same prose months or even years later. You had to compare the personal sentiments expressed in one of the many two-page vignettes he penned over the years, vs. the inisghts offered in his monthly editorials, vs. the narratives of his own experiences, which covered a huge breadth of subject matter.
His stewardship of Trains paralelled, for the most part, the long and slow decline of the industry's once-dominant position that, to borrow a "Morganism", "took most of the goodies out of the Guide". Yet throughout this period, David P. Morgan somehow managed to convey the message that the basic strengths of this industry would allow it to endure and, eventually, rise again and prosper.
Dave's retirement from a position for which he was so perfectly suited came as a suprise, and I suppose a lot of us guessed he wasn't going to be around too much longer. It's to be hoped that his insight allowed him to foresee how the industry would come roaring back.
When "outsiders" ask me why I find the railroad scene so intriguing, I often compare a few hours at Altoona or Cumberland to a visit to the mountains or the seacoast -- the view, the opportunity to reflect, puts other things in perspective. I think Dave Morgan would understand that simile .... perfectly.
