James D. Hediger

We miss you! You were one of my favorite MR staff. I learned so much from you.

John Armstrong
Hinckley Southern RR

A wonderful man that we shared a background as a shop teacher, having skills to do most anything. I appreciated his common sense and how to approach to the model railroading hobby and I followed him for many years. Down to earth and humble was how Jim presented himself to the world, always ready to help someone. He will be missed.

as a life long,train/rail enthusiast,i never had the pleasure of meeting,Mr.hediger.But love trains,as most teens,do.i do not have a layout,now,but collecting trains,for an evantual layout,depicting,the metro-north,harlem line.May the family be blessed by almighty God,at this somber moment.!

In modelling and in life, strive for perfection, but accept that perfection is a journey, not a destination.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I only knew Jim through his writing on model railroading. His willingness to share his knowledge, along with little pieces of his life made his written work interesting & entertaining, no matter the topic.

I was so sorry to hear of Jim's passing. He was always one of my favorite authors and personalities at Model Railroader. When my family and I came to Kalmbach to visit, he was our guide through the offices. My son treasures the engineer hat Jim autographed for him and the letter he received from Jim when he attained his Eagle Scout. My dad, son and I always made sure to stop and say "hi" to Jim if we were at Trainfest. Jim may not have remembered our names but he did remember our faces and was always willing to spend some time talking with us, as well as any one else he encountered.

Jim's grace, knowledge and humor will be greatly missed. He one one of the last of a dying breed of modelers who truly understood that Model Railroading is fun. Clear block ahead and highball! Rest in Peace.

I remember when Jim joined MR in 1972. I almost ran into him as I left a presentation at an NMRA Convention. The 'Hi' he gave me without missing a beat made me feel as if we'd known each other for years. I've missed his byline since his retirement. My condolences to his family and friends. Jim's contributions to the hobby were as important as many of our greatest!

I am truly sad to hear of Jim's passing. I have enjoyed his articles in MR since he first started there. I especially enjoyed the videos he made with David Popp about his time with MR. My favorite video was the one about the oscilloscope. He was most knowledgeable and innovative. He should be at the top of the list for MR's Hall of Fame.

John Armstrong

He was one of the major factors that kept me involved in the hobby, through years of career changes in location from coast to coast and 14 different layouts. I appreciated his down to earth and practical way of writing. He and I shared our "Industrial Arts" teaching background, which is a fine preparation to building and designing layouts. He was a pioneer and will be missed.

Ed Padgett

I met Jim in the 70´s at a convention. We got to talking and I asked how he came to work for Kahmbach. He said he was reading the masthead in Model Railroad and realized many of the staff members had been there "forever". So he contacted them and started a new career. I served on the WISE board and Trainfest Committee as well. Yes, I also have some ho cars he crafted. It was a pleasure working with Jim.

My prayers are with his family and those that ever worked and "played" with him. James will certainly be missed.

When I started working at the same publishing company where Jim worked, he was one of the first people to welcome me. He was always generous with his time, a patient teacher and kind to all. Jim will be greatly missed, and my thoughts are with his family and many friends.

Jim had a profound influence on my modeling when I got serious about it in the late 1970s. I enjoyed his "Paint Shop" articles in Model Railroader as well as all the articles about his Ohio Southern RR. I met him several times at various NMRA conventions and he was always gracious. A proud moment came in 2007 when he graced my layout with a visit during the NMRA convention that year. I thank you for your friendship, and may you rest in peace.

I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the friends and family of Jim.

I was a big fan of Jim's Ohio Southern model railroad, and I was deeply influenced by his work. My favorite article about his layout was in the July 1978 issue of Model Railroader, and I have read it countless times. I am a retired Locomotive Engineer and I was really impressed how he captured the look of a real railroad by the way his towns were laid out and how he described a "Ride over the Ohio Southern" which was very well written and captured a trip very well. I have purchased two or three of these issues as I am constantly looking at it. I also enjoyed his other works as well, he had a great way to write and presented his topics in a easy to understand way.

I hope you all are able to find peace and comfort as you begin and work your way through the healing process.

My model railroad is graced with a model that I bought from Jim at an NMRA event some years ago. We had a very nice chat about how I was using his turnaround staging design in my basement and thanked him for his insights. What a nice man was Jim. Rest eternal grant unto Jim, Oh Lord, and may light perpetual shine upon him.

The Midwestern Road, based out of Oelwein Iowa, thanks JDH for his guidance on model railroading and consistently bringing new great ideas to our great hobby. He was truly a favorite and friend through the great articles and books that he masterfully created. Our condolences to his family.

On behalf of the Trewsville Southern Railroad in Chattanooga, TN, and to the staff of Kalmbach Media, we offer our condolences to you and your friends and family,