Download the 2011 Nomination Form

2010 Hall of Fame Recipients

The HMA MRID Council was extremely pleased and excited to induct Jim Conway and Phil Walthers into the Model Railroad Industry Hall of Fame this year.

Phil Walthers – Wm. K. Walthers
With his nearly four-decade record of hard work, creativity, service, and most of all, integrity, Phil Walthers has earned a reputation as not only one of the most capable executives in our industry, but one of the most trusted. His tenure at Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. has been marked by a substantial expansion in the firm’s line of products, including a new track system, a new line of passenger equipment and limited-run trains, and the 2005 acquisition of Life-Like Products. Phil also led an expansion in the number of lines Walthers distributes, and he has helped many smaller firms grow by promoting and distributing their products via the Walthers catalog.

He has represented our industry ably, including service on the boards of the Model Railroad Industry Association and Radio Control Hobby Trade Association. Under his leadership Walthers has helped build awareness of our hobby by being a primary sponsor of the World’s Greatest Hobby program and also of the PBS railroad program “Tracks Ahead.” And while it is less well known, thanks to his modesty, Phil has compiled one of the most remarkable records of community service in the industry. Throughout his career, Phil has consistently led by example in promoting the hobby, serving our industry, and introducing new products that have inspired model railroaders. It is for those reasons that he is nominated for election to our Hall Of Fame.

Jim Conway
In 1958-59 when Jim was 18 years old, he built a large HO train layout in the basement of his family home. He later found a part-time job at a local hobby shop in Chicago and his love for trains grew. He built hundreds of model freight car kits and sold them through local hobby shops and mail order. In1960, Jim joined the NMRA and attended his first NMRA National Convention in Chicago. In 1962, Jim developed a line of kits called “Con-Cor Models.” Among the first kits were USRA Boxcars and Billboard Reefers, Hon3 freight cars, and the “Airslide” Covered Hopper kit. Also in 1962, Jim organized a group of fellow model railroaders from Chicago and opened a new Model Train Hobby Shop on the West Side of Chicago. During the 1960’s and 70’s, Jim grew his business under the name of Con-Cor. Con-Cor became the “N” Scale Rivarossi Agent in the USA starting in the mid-1970's. Jim also had a wholesale business under the name of JMC International.

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Please note: We tried very hard to gather this information but are missing a few photos and a few descriptions. Please let us know if you can help.

2009 Winners

Nick Pfusterschmid played a key role in the creation and sales of hundreds of the model train hobby’s most successful models and has been an employee or a trusted partner of many of the industry’s major firms, including AHM, Athearn, Atlas, Con-Cor, Life-Like, Liliput, Mehano, Rivarossi, and Roco.

Robert H. (Bob) Staat of Horizon/McHenry Couplers is the primary inventor of, and patent holder for, magnetically actuated couplers. In addition to his dedication to the railroad industry, Bob has been an avid flyer and R/C enthusiast. He has been a leader in the industry serving as President of the Model Railroad Industry Association for two terms and was a key member of the Industry Unification Task Force that formed the Hobby Manufacturers Association. Bob was elected in 2005 to serve as the first President of the newly formed HMA during the very difficult start-up period, and did an outstanding job of pulling together the various industry divisions to help make the HMA the association it is today.

Past Winners