Model railroad industry hall of famer Lee Riley wanted to be remembered as innovator

March 8, 2016 / Updated July 4, 2016

H. Lee Riley, whose innovations in model railroading spanned simple to complex in 29 years with Bachmann Trains, died Friday, March 4, in Philadelphia just weeks after announcing his retirement.

Riley, Bachmann’s vice president of product development, was well known in model railroading circles and achieved some of the industry’s top honors. In 2004 he was inducted into the Model Railroad Industry Association Hall of Fame. An active member of the NMRA, he also received its Pioneer Award.

H. Lee Riley

Riley led development of Bachmann’s top-of-the-line Spectrum brand of cars and locomotives and created the E-Z Track system. His name is on a number of patents for track and controllers. He was instrumental in popularizing On30 narrow-gauge railroading and was a member of the Narrow Gauge Hall of Fame.

Richard Janyszek, Hobby Manufacturers Association president and Bachmann senior vice president sales and marketing, said Riley’s knowledge of the model railroading industry was unmatched.

“Lee was an integral part of the Bachmann team for the past 29 years, and his contributions and wealth of knowledge have helped make the company what it is today,” Janyszek said. “I had the honor and privilege to work with Lee for the past 12 years, and I thank him for helping not only Bachmann, but me personally.”

In a February Model Retailer story, Riley said he wanted to be remembered as an innovator. “Anybody can copy,” he said. “But real progress is only made by adapting new technology for totally original products.”

Riley, who was set to retire March 31, joined Bachmann in 1987 as product development director after working with Pro Custom Hobbies in Catonsville, MD, and Associated Hobby Manufacturers in Philadelphia. He was named vice president in 2006.

He also worked or consulted for a number of companies, including Lionel, Life-Like Products, Model Power and TYCO.

Janyszek heard numerous expressions of sympathy from colleagues and model railroaders at last weekend’s Rocky Mountain Train Show in Denver, where Bachmann had a booth. He said:

“I know that Lee’s legacy and the contributions he has made to the model railroading industry will carry on even after his death.”

Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.

Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.

The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.” This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.

Model railroad industry hall of famer Lee Riley wanted to be remembered as innovator

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