In Memoriam

In Remembrance

Donald Meeker

Article courtesy of The Sunrise Herald

The model railroading community lost a talented modeler on April 1, 2024. I asked his close friend, Bill Johnson, to write a remembrance for the Herald. (ed.)

Don was active with the Sunrise Division when he lived in Aurora before moving to Castle Rock around the year 2000. His participation with the Sunrise Division’s modular layout added to the quality of our display. He built a “duck under” bridge that allowed for easier access into the layout. Also, his 100+ car coal train always got the crowd’s attention.

Don taught math at Aurora Hills Middle School. My son, Chris, was in his 8th grade math class. They both had an interest in model railroads so they formed a model railroad club. Meeting after school they built a 16 foot module. Most of the work was done by the students with Don’s help. The “Aurora Hills” module was displayed with the Sunrise layout for many years.

Don was the chairman of several National Narrow Gauge Conventions here in Denver. Some of his Denver conventions drew more attendance than the National NMRA conventions. Some may remember Don from the time that he worked in the Brass Department at the original Caboose Hobbies. There he shared his knowledge of railroads and the hobby with customers and fellow employees alike.

The Rocky Mountain Line (RML) was Don’s home layout. It was a freelanced model based on his favorite prototype, the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (CB&Q), which on his layout, extended into the Colorado mountains. He built 3 versions of his RML. All were beautiful layouts. One appeared in Railroad Model Craftsman and another in Great Model Railroads. Don’s sense of humor was evident on his layouts. The Moffat Tunnel was replaced by the “Muppet Tunnel” on Don’s railroad. Another example on his 1950 ’s era layout, was a small corner shop named IEKA with a blue and yellow sign in the window saying, “Watch us grow”. Of all of Don’s many talents perhaps his best was his ability to create beautiful and realistic scenery.

For anyone that has not seen Don’s layout suggest you may want to Google (RML model railroad). There you will find a few YouTube videos of his layout.

Beyond Don’s prowess as a modeler Don was a most decent person who always held his faith and family first. He was a quiet man, not one to shout out his own many accomplishments. However, he was always willing to share modeling skills with others. Those of us who knew him are better for it.

What a true blessing to have had him in our lives.

Bill Johnson