Model railroading and prototype history preservation are in part hobbies of mentors — those that take you under their wing when you are young and foster your interests while offering their knowledge without asking for anything in return. Russell Lee Crump was that type of person. I first met him when he was planning the Santa Fe Modelers convention in Topeka, Kansas, in 1990. I served on the convention committee with him and soon after received a phone call from the ATSF Railway engineering office in Topeka. They requested my presence at a meeting. Russell had spoken with his supervisor about me, and I began interning with the railroad during my summer breaks at college. I eventually went to work for the Santa Fe, and I owed this all to Russell and his selflessness. He really cared for me.

    Russell was a walking compendium of railroad knowledge. Not just the surface knowledge such as what railroad ran where, but the in-depth stuff like when the line was built, who the original owners were, when they went bankrupt, and when the line was abandoned. I loved traveling with him and listening to the hours of stories about the history of our country. It was as if he had lived it all, and his passion for its preservation was never in doubt. He was particularly adept with New Mexico and Texas history, but had a grasp for railroad lore around the world. Russell made many trips abroad spending time on railroads in Europe and in China. He visited the plant where the Chinese were building the last steam locomotives, all of which he carefully recorded on 35mm film. Russell was also a narrow gauge modeler and a life member of the NMRA.

    Russell collected railroad drawings and plans from the ATSF as the company digitized them and then tossed the originals. I remember more than one weekend answering his frantic call, gathering friends to haul truckloads of drawings from ATSF engineering buildings. The last of these “preservation jaunts” was in Amarillo just over two years ago, when we managed to fill an entire U-Haul van with original linen drawings dating back to the mid-1800s.

    Russell passed on Saturday, March 8, after a long illness. In a fitting tribute, his family and I spread his ashes on the Santa Fe mainline west of Kansas City. We stayed to watch the first train roll by as if to salute the passing of history itself. I will miss him dearly as he was truly a gentle giant, a mentor, and a friend. Russell is now part of my cherished history.

Stephen M. Priest 2008