Jim Ruisinger
Hi everyone. Butch passed on some unwelcome news this morning. Jim Ruisinger was found dead in his home this morning by a friend who was going to take him to a doctor appointment. Please keep Jim in your thoughts and prayers. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
Matt Goodman, 11 December 2023
God rest his soul. He was a truly wonderful person. Always a joy to be around. We will miss him.
Jim Kehn, 11 December 2023
Very sad news. I enjoyed talking to Jim when he was able to attend meetings. He was very helpful to me.
Bob Baker, 11 December 2023
I first met Jim when he ran a hobby shop on Sawmill. That was a loooong time ago. What a great modeler, who was always willing to share advice and do things for the hobby and NMRA. Another loss that will be tough to deal with. Too young to leave us. Sad time.
Jerry Severson, 11 December 2023
I remember working with Jimmy, Butch, Bill and Bob when we were working Mall Shows which raised considerable funds at the time. We would set up and be there till early morning to get them ready for the next day and over the weekends. Such wonderful memories.
Darrell Logan, 12 December 2023
We have lost a wonderful friend and model railroader. May he rest in peace. Patrick
Patrick Hreachmack, 12 December 2023
Jim was a fine modeler and friend. One of the 1st modelers I met at a Division 6 meeting. Finding out that we both had an interest in logging, he certainly shared a lot of helpful information with me. Sometime later he founded COLA (Central Ohio Loggers Association) of which he was the President and I was the membership! We will miss him at Division meetings, as he always had some interesting and very insightful comments. Howdy Lamprecht , 12 December 2023
Mall shows in the eighties. I had almost forgotten about those. Good times!
Jim Kehn, 12 December 2023
Mall Shows oh how the public loved them and we all show off our talents and our trains. Could you imagine what would have happened if we had DCC and the goodies that go with DCC?
After we would finish setup at 0 Dark 30 it was off to house, grab some fast sleep do your SSS and off to work and then to the mall show and enjoy the people and children
admiring the trains.
Of course we had several of us setting around doing DEMO to catch peoples attention. I remember ‘Doc’ doing his tree making, BOB S building a bridge, an many more working on different item.
Darrell Logan, 12 December 2023
So sad to hear this news. I'll never forget Jim dispatching at the Model Railroad building at the State Fair. We had these wireless headsets that were on the same radio channel as the headsets used by the tram that ran around the fair. One day when the tram approached, Jim became a pilot on approach to Port Columbus, and declared an emergency... the tram operators didn't know what to do and started scanning the sky for the wayward plane.
His humor will be missed. As will his knowledge. Just a few months ago Jim shared with me his secret for making realistic looking dirt roads. I've yet to try it, but when I do, will pass it on in a clinic... with credit to the master, of course.
Terry Bacus, 12 December 2023
