Al Lowe
We were saddened to learn of the passing on April 8th of local model railroader, magazine publisher, and N scale master, Kirk Reddie.
Kirk grew up and lived in Shoreline, Wash. He began with an American Flyer train set, shifted to HO in eighth grade, but switched again to N scale in 1975 after reading Jim Hediger’s article “The NTRAK Story.”
Kirk published N Scale Railroading magazine from September 2000 through January 2020, after which it continued as a free bi-monthly downloadable PDF until October 2022. It had subscribers all over the world. He knew N scalers everywhere! Kirk was fortunate to combine his two life passions: writing and model railroading.
Kirk’s home layout, the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound, was housed in a 9,200 sq. ft. building and was the subject of many articles in N Scale Railroading. It was featured in the November 2022 issue of Model Railroader. Set in the Pacific Northwest, circa 1950, the layout modeled five railroads (Great Northern; Milwaukee Road; Northern Pacific; Pacific Coast RR; Spokane, Portland & Seattle; Tacoma Belt Line; and Union Pacific) between Argo Junction and Black River Junction, south of Seattle.
Kirk attended Shoreline High School and the University of Washington, where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting, his CPA license, and later a master’s in business. Kirk loved to learn and excelled in school. In high school, he was an Honor Society member, a wrestler, and a trumpeter and drum major in the band. Kirk also played in the UW Marching Band and inspired those around him to share their talents. He said, “Hobbies are great in many ways; in one sense, they don’t matter and in another, they reflect who we aspire to be.”
Kirk Reddie passed peacefully at Northwest Hospital on April 8, 2024. He will be deeply missed. Per his request, there will be no services, but a celebration of life will be held this spring. Donations may be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation or to your local food bank. Arrangements: Beck’s Funeral Home, Edmonds (425) 771-1234.
4D members are invited to leave comments about Kirk below.
Cody Grivno’s obituary of Kirk in Model Railroader magazine is available here:
https://www.trains.com/mrr/news-reviews/news/in-memoriam-kirk-reddie
The northbound Milwaukee Road Olympian Hiawatha passes
Boeing Field on Kirk’s Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound.
Kirk Reddie photo
Sorry to hear of Kirk’s passing. I first met Kirk when we were kids and going to the NMRA PNR 4d clinics in Ballard at the Loyal Heights Field House back in the 1960’s. My dad Bill and Kirk’s dad John would drive us to Ballard in those days. Bill and John were friends from high school as they were both Ham Radio operators. I had joined the NMRA in 1965. I can remember Linn Westcott, the Model Railroader editor back then coming to one of the 4d clinics. The Ballard clinic was to only 4d clinic in those days. It later moved to Beacon Hill.
After college at the UW Kirk went to work for a few years as an accountant for Amtrak and road around on some of there trains as part of his job. George Chambers