A while back I purchased a few models on eBay from the collection of John L. Oliver. Included in these was a hopper car lettered for Earl Benteler's Allegheny Railroad. Somehow John Oliver had come to possess one of Earl's cars and he had carefully made a cardboard box with a neatly typed label for this car.
Recently I happened upon another Allegheny car; a box car in rough shape, in a lot of assorted Mantua and Revell rolling stock. While I'll be able to use the other stock (I have rebuilt Mantua gondolas before) it was the box car that prompted the purchase. I probably have the Varney parts in my spares box to rebuild this car, which is my intention.
This lovely discovery launched a new search for information on Earl F. Benteler. Previous searching hadn't turned up much. This time I discovered, sadly, that he had died in 2021. See his obituary here, and note the comments regarding his modeling:
https://www.willigfuneralcremationservices.com/obituary/Earl-Benteler
On a happier note I discovered his most recent model railroad efforts, having added to the Allegheny name to create the "Greenock, Allegheny and Hell Bent Railroad". See photos here:
https://www.keystonedivision.org/photo_page_folder/gahb.html
And to answer the mystery of how John Oliver ended up with one of Earl Benteler's hoppers, see this ad from Model Railroader magazine, October 1963. It'd be neat to know if Earl still had a "Pan Handle Rusty Route" car of John's in his collection. Note the word "Greenock" in the listing:
And finally, here's Earl (wearing the hat) sharing a bittersweet moment with one of the greats, then-editor of MR, Linn Wescott, in February 1966.
I believe strongly that it is up to us today to honor the craftsmanship and passion of the previous generation of modelers, keeping that spirit alive by showcasing their work and, as we are able, to tell their stories. I never met Earl or John, but as a fellow modeler I feel a connection - even tenuously - to them through these models and the snippets of history available in print. Hopefully my efforts will inspire others to do the same with similar "fallen flags" and the men who built them.
Now how this box car ended up in Longview, Washington, where I once lived for a few years...that's another mystery. It may have something to do with one of Milt Moore's Gibraltar hoppers I found at a train show across the river in Rainier, Oregon...but that's a story for another time. I leave you with this image of the two Allegheny cars now reunited.
