Model railroad industry pioneer Keith Edwards dies at 91
July 28, 2012 / Updated August 29, 2012
Model Railroading
Keith Edwards, who co-founded Kadee Quality Products Co., passed away Thursday at a Medford, OR hospital of natural causes. He was 91.
In 1940, Edwards co-founded Kadee Quality Products Co., best-known for its HO-scale coupling devices, with his twin brother, Dale.
By the early 1960s, the brothers began to manufacture their Magne-Matic® coupler system in N scale. Gradually, the company added wheels, trucks and under frames to their product line.
In 1972, Keith Edwards led the company’s efforts in N and Z scales to form Micro-Trains Line Co., a separate division that at first specialized in N scale trains, Magne-Matic® couplers and accessories. Eventually added to the product line, were cars and couplers in Nn3 scale, and Z scale were eventually added.
In 1996, Edwards joined his brother as a member of the Hobby Manufacturers Association Hall of Fame. Four years later, Keith Edwards retired.
“Keith inspired all of us at Micro-Trains, with his selfless passion for the hobby and business,” Micro-Trains CEO/President Eric D. Smith said. “Micro-Trains employees, and his family
Keith Edwards, who co-founded Kadee Quality Products and later guided Micro-Trains Line Co., died of natural causes.
will miss him so very much.”
An operating session on the Split Rock Mining Co. Railroad is pretty straightforward. A three-person crew works the freelance HO-scale railroad with the sole purpose of transporting iron ore mined in Northern Minnesota to a freighter on Lake Superior. Instructions for the operators can be communicated in a few words before the shift begins. Pull all loads at the mine. Take them to the boat. Take all empties from the boat back to the mines. Rinse and repeat. There are no car cards or manifests. Switching is done by colors, and, yes, there is a rhyme and reason on this Alco-driven layout based on railroading on the Iron Range in Minnesota.
A new generation of freelance railroads is taking model railroading by storm, gaining prominence through online videos and social media. The ages-old modeling technique is attracting young modelers and unlocking creative license in veteran hobbyists.
In Southern Wyoming, OmniTRAX is handling switching for two mines in a region known for its prolific coal mining operations. The mines deliver about 17 million tons of trona, a sodium carbonate compound that is processed into soda ash or bicarbonate of soda, and OmniTRAX is increasing safety and managing efficiencies in moving inbound and outbound cars.
G&G Model Shop in Southwest Houston credits flexibility and personalized service for its 80 years serving the model railroad community. Rapido Trains delivers an N-scale replica of the Santa Fe Railway’s storied SFRD RR-56 refrigerator car, reviewed in this issue. Also, the romance of the circus and railroads united in the circus train, which endured as the greatest shows on earth’s sideshow. And more!
