Doug Morgan did pass away in Portola on June 5; services will be in North St. Paul, MN. Back in the 1960s he was rebuilding railroad cars in the Solano area, Was one of the original consultants on the Nevada State Railroad museum (wanted it at the "roundhouse" in Carson) was involved in various private cars and other car rebuilding shops, and directed the initial car restorations for the Napa Valley Wine Train, and eventually taking over the Oroville Roundhouse site when Solano Railcar folded. Although presently the Portola Museum is at odds with him (or his estate) he did make the "Museum Hospital Train" move from Oroville to Portola possible (partly by representing me as a WP "Car Knocker" and some of the cars were "Fixed With Stencil" so their 'COTS' would be current--statue of limitations should be long gone by now). He was managing the commercial part of the Nevada Northern when the infamous runaway flatcar accident happened. Because of that, one of the MRS1s he had at Portola went instead to the Yreka Western. He served a few terms on the Board of the Feather River Rail Society.
Doug always worked "out of the envelope" even when it wasn't necessary. I had to sorta reign him in some the year we managed the Portola Museum/American Heart Association "Dunsmuir Railroad Days Excursion." One funny story about that; we were at the printers arranging for the flyer printing. Doug wanted it very classy so it was done on a textured grey paper with a wine ink. He wanted to see the printer's Panatones (a color selection of some 240 shades) to select the ink. He was (as usually) late for another appointment, so he had to leave early. Once he was gone I asked the printer, "OK, what paper have you in stock and what color ink?" Doug never noticed the difference, but every time I'd walk in the printer's shop I'd say, "Let me see your Panatones!" Doug always wondered how I got those flyers printed so quickly. . .
We had a strange relationship, for example, although I did the initial designs for the Wine train cars window trim and the open vestibules, I was never asked on board to see the finished cars. This is just an example of how folks both loved and disliked him!