Doug Morgan, the somewhat controversial railroad preservationist, sometimes equipment dealer, railshop operator, etc. was finally laid to rest yesterday in a very small ceremony at the Grizzly Flats cemetery east of Portola with family and friends attending. It's a fitting place, very peaceful with the valley in view and the former WP mainline in the distance.
The family still is trying to figure out what he left behind, where it is, and whom actually owns it now. They'd really like to get this part behind them and get back to their regular lives. After some 30 years not hearing from him, it's been a surprise for them discovering what his life was like and what he'd been doing. Complicating this a bit is not being able to get to his records and personal effects which apparently are in a boxcar that is in litigation with the Portola RR Museum. As an outside observer, I cannot see why the museum can't sit down with the family, or someone representing the family (who live in Minnesota, a long ways away! )and document what's inside the car (the contents aren't in litigation, AFAIK) and let the family figure out what they want to do with "the stuff." Having met the family, they seem to be nice folks who are basically faced with "EGADS!! what do we do here??"
I hope some calmer heads can prevail for them. Doug is gone, some of what he did for the railroad preservation community will never be known, but in spite of his faults, he did do a lot of good over all. Rest in Peace old comrade/adversary/collaborator (yes, he could be all three--sometimes all at once!).