Former Railfan & Railroad editor Jim Boyd (1941-2010)

[charlie6017]

Courtesy of Railfan & Railroad's Website.......

http://railfan.com/rf_railnews.php

It is with deep sadness that we report that Jim Boyd has passed away. Jim started with Carstens Publications working on Flying Models and later Railroad Model Craftsman. Jim served as editor of Railfan & Railroad from the magazine's inception in 1974 until 1998, and continued as Editor Emeritus and author of the popular Camera Bag column until his passing. We'll pass along details as they become available.

Charlie

(Please feel free to move to proper forum)

[Otto Vondrak]

It was a sad start to the new year in northern New Jersey when the news broke about the passing of Jim Boyd on December 31. He was 69.

It’s been a dozen years since he retired as the founding editor of Railfan & Railroad. In that post he was larger than life, perhaps the best-known railfan in the world. And I used the term "railfan" because at a time when railroad publishing was more business-like and issues of Trains magazine carried ads from the likes of EMD and Union Pacific while its masterful editor David P. Morgan wrote about gross-tons per train-mile, Jim was loudly "proud to be a RAILFAN!" He made everyone around him proud be be a railfan, too.

http://railfan.com/extraboard/rf_extra_feb2011.php

[Gilbert B Norman]

Jim was co-founder, along with Mike Schafer, of the North Western Illinois Chapter of NRHS during 1969. I have been a Member of that chapter since 1970 and had occasion to know Jim during that era.

Rest in Peace.

[Otto Vondrak]

From Mike Schafer:

There will be another memorial service and a "Celebration of the Life of Jim Boyd" on Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Post House (former post office turned community center) on Galena Avenue near the arch in downtown Dixon, Illinois. The event will begin at 1 p.m. and last the afternoon, with a memorial service followed by commentary by various friends of Jim's and possible slide presentations. At the end of the afternoon, there is expected to be a procession to Oakdale Cemetery to "plant" Jim's cremains. This will be followed by a dinner break, and then at 7:30 p.m. the North Western Illinois Chapter-National Railway Historical Society -- which normally meets in Rockford -- will hold its regular monthly meeting at the Post House in Dixon. Boyd-related shows are planned. Jim Boyd and I launched the chapter back in 1969.