I knew this was going to happen at some point, but it still hurts. My friend Paul Dolkos passed away on Friday at age 85.
I first met Paul in the 1990s. We were both modelling the Boston & Maine (he, the New Hampshire Division, me, the Claremont Branch). Paul came to Toronto on business and we arranged to get together for dinner downtown.
The place we met up featured very large paper menus and very tiny tables with candles on them, and I will admit I was a bit nervous about meeting someone who had been a huge influence on my hobby – so I was mortified when the centre of my menu suddenly turned black and burst into flames. Fortunately, I stamped it out quickly – while Paul moved the candle to another table, as if this sort of thing happened all the time.
I guess I made a good first impression – or, at least, a memorable one – because he not only called the next time he was in town, but he also encouraged me to write articles for the hobby press.
We got together for dinner several times over the past 25 years – in Toronto, in Alexandria (where he lived), or wherever we could arrange it. One time, Paul and his wife Linda were going to be in Montréal so my wife and I met up with them at a bistro we loved. Another time, Paul and Linda stopped in for dinner and a tour of my Port Rowan layout while overnighting in Toronto, having taken The Canadian across the country from Vancouver.
Looking at my notes from my previous website about Port Rowan reminded me that Paul was quite enthusiastic about my interpretation of steam-era railroading in southern Ontario – and was particularly interested in the various operations aids I added to the layout, such as the large scale switch stands for turnout control and the pull-out work desks for conductors. I know whenever I talked to Paul, I came away with ideas to make my hobby better. Notably, Paul never pushed his ideas on others but had a remarkable way of nudging a modeller. A couple of thoughtful questions or an observation about something he encountered elsewhere was often all it took.
Getting together with Paul was always a great time. We’d swap tales of layouts we’d visited and hobbyists we’ve known. I was a huge beneficiary in this regard.
For example, it was through Paul that I was invited to attend ProRail in the Washington DC area in 2002. I met so many great modellers at that event and have kept in touch with many of them over the years. But I’ll forever be in Paul’s debt for arranging an operating session, during that event, with John Armstrong on his legendary Canandaigua Southern layout. It was John’s many superb features and books that fostered in me a lifelong interest in layout design, so that was an unforgettable day.
Paul was a great modeller, but I know I would’ve enjoyed his friendship even without the shared interest in the hobby. I always looked forward to seeing him and Linda (who passed away in 2019). They were clever, curious, and kind. I’ll miss them both.
Thanks to Bernard Kempinski for sharing news of Paul’s passing, and for giving me permission to use his photo of Paul for this post. Bernie has also written a tribute to Paul on his website. As someone who knew him even better than I did, it’s a worthwhile read.
Bernie is also an excellent, thoughtful modeller and I’m pleased to learn that Paul had a similar influence on his journey in the hobby. I suspect many people who knew Paul could say the same, because Paul was that kind of guy…
The Model Railway Show 