Leo Campbell (August 16, 1927 to November 1, 2012)

Leo Campbell passed away on Thursday, November 1 at his home in Grand Junction Colorado.

He was born on August 16, 1927 in Iron River Michigan. By the time he was 18, he was a U.S. Marine on the Island of Okinawa and was assigned to one of the first battalions expected to attack the Japanese mainland. After 1945, he spent the next four years in China until the Communist came to power. Leo returned to the states as a Gunnery Sargent and shortly thereafter was discharged.

He joined the Southern California Model Railroad Club and was soon engaged, after hours, building models for the club. His first was a Timber Lined Tunnel Portal. The attention to detail, construction methods and weathering techniques he developed brought recognition of his talents.

Working out of his garage, he soon had enough demand to quit his day job and devout his time to growing the business (Campbell Scale Models). On Saturday mornings he would often meet with Irving Athern, Clarence Menteer (Model Die Casting) and Andy Saez to discuss how they could contribute to the growth of the HO model railroad industry.

He was awarded numerous awards for his contribution to the hobby and industry.

He soon outgrew his garage in Santa Ana and his fledgling company, Campbell Scale Models, moved into larger quarters in Tustin California. He placed his first ad in Model Railroader Magazine in September 1960. In 1990 the company moved again to Durango Colorado. His legacy lives on in Central Point Oregon. The company still offers all the same kits Leo and Sherry Collins designed over all these years.