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(erielack) Gary Altschuler had a caboose in his basement...



Yesterday long-time Tri-Stater and railroadiana dealer Gary Altschuler 
succumbed to a gallant and courageous multi-year battle with cancer. He was 
in his later 50s.  The viewing times are between 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. 
Wednesday September 19th at Burroughs, Kehr & Dangler on Main Street in 
Madison. The funeral is Thursday.

Gary was tall and slender, very pleasant and very knowledgeable.  He was an 
active Tri-Stater almost from the beginning, and at times I was amazed with 
his loyalty to the group in several areas.  He loved all of railroading; the 
Lackawanna seemed to be his favorite of the standard gauge roads, but the 
Colorado narrow gauge lines past and present were his passion.  He was active 
with the Friends of the East Broad Top as well and frequented the bastions of 
Maine narrow gauge history.  His last big trip was to visit Colorado, last 
November.  He told many that he wouldn't make any plans past the first of the 
new year. And he never let on how painful his last months must have been.

In his prime Gary could be found at many of the railroadiana swap meets in 
the East, and at every Railfan Weekend at the East Broad Top.   His 
railroadiana collection was extensive, featuring many lanterns and a huge 
collection of books.  His quarterly lists of old and out of print books and 
ephemera were always welcome and always had items of interest.  His items 
were too often a little pricey, but he sure came up with some rare stuff.  
And he was selling railroadiana right up to the end.  One of his biggest 
hardware items was a Sandy River & Rangely Lakes caboose, one end of which is 
in his basement.  The two-foot-gauge caboose was an abandoned cabin in Maine, 
one end of which had been rescued and restored. He moved it into his basement 
piece by piece and used it to frame an entrance to a storage room.  It was as 
classy a display as I've ever seen in a house. It had a full platform with 
working brakewheel and marker lamps.

Gary had been diagnosed with cancer more a few years ago, and he had been 
fighting a good fight.  Last summer he was told that he could spend the rest 
of his life recovering from surgery, or he could go home and enjoy the rest 
of the time he had left.  He told me last fall that he was making no plans 
past January 1, 2000.  I told him that I thought he was a lucky man, 
actually, that he knew when his time would come.  Most of us will go 
suddenly, leaving grieving and shocked survivors an unending chain of things 
to do and affairs to closure.  He had the time to say his goodbyes and make 
his plans.

Gary was a good man and a good friend to many.  His suffering is over.

Mike Del Vecchio

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Visit the erielack photopage at http://el-list.railfan.net

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