Bobj Berger
Brent Carlson 1943-2015
We have learned from Kathleen Carlson that her husband Brent Carlson, long time Seattle-North Clinic and Eastside Get-Together attendee, has lost his many-years-long battle with cancer. Brent was well-known from his huge amount of HO structure and billboard purchases at Clinic Marts and model railroad swap meets. For a time he also participated with the HO Modular group.
Brent retired as a CPA auditor a few years ago and he and Kathy traveled many of the the world’s most beautiful and interesting museums and locations. They also had a wonderful time cruising and attending car shows with their classic Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible. In typical Brent style, he bought a complete second Cadillac, disassembled it and stored the pieces out of the way and all around the house for any future replacement needs.
Brent attended the March Thursday night Eastside Get-Together, went to a doctor appointment the next day, from where he was hospitalized, and unexpectedly died the following Monday. He leaves his widow Kathy, two daughters, Jeanine and Maureen, and three grandchildren.
Besides travel, car cruising, Bible reading, and great food, model railroading was Brent’s passion. He loved collecting completed structures and graphically-illustrated billboard boxcars and trucks (as his layout pictures demonstrate). There are hundreds of buildings and thousands of vehicles. Before his illness, Brent liked to have a sales table at swap meets to have early access to those completed structures and vehicles (no kits!). Kathy has recalled how he loved helping Railfun (Bobj & Roger) set up for meets in the last few years, as it also gave him early access.
Kathy has agreed to open the layout for its first, last, and only open house tour during the June 4, 2015 Seattle-North Annual Train Room Tour. This tour will include three other never-before-seen train rooms in Edmonds and will begin at Brent’s with both his layout room and his upstairs train room. The address and details will be announced in the Grab Iron next week. After the tour, the layout, structures, rolling stock, vehicles and all other details and supplies will be sold by Railfun the following weekend, with details to be posted in the Grab Iron.
Brent Carlson’s collection of structures.
Brent Carlson’s double deck layout.
Brent Carlson’s double deck layout showing some of the many structures he collected.
Brent Carlson’s colorful collection of billboard rolling stock.
My deepest sympathy for your loss. I’ll see you in June.
Paul
My condolences to the Carlson family. Brent was a good man and a fun guy to chat with at meetings. He will be missed. MRH
I did not know Brent that well since I had just came back into the hobby recently and to the East Side Clinic over at the Church. Judging by the photos, he was a very creative person and that is what is so great about our hobby. It will always keep one young at heart. Maybe all of his buildings and trains will suddenly disappear and be swooped up into heaven so he can be with them. Bob Yarnell