Harry Brunk

[Rick Steele]

My dear friend and a man who I frequently collaborated with, Harry Brunk, passed away this morning (Feb 27, 2023) at 1:30 am.

Yesterday was his birthday. He was 82. My friend Mike Pannell and I went to see him, knowing that he had been placed in Home Hospice Care in the nursing home where he and his wife Bobbie were living.

Mike got the call this morning that Harry had passed away from Bobbie.

Harry really made a name for himself in the C&S community. Most people are unaware that Harry coined the terms "Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 for the C&S equipment that both modelers and scholars now use. Harry used his modeling and artistic skill to uncover a lot of unanswered questions about the C&S Clear Creek lines that had been lost to the past. He was much an unwitting historian as a modeler.

For those of you who haven't seen it, the layout is more beautiful in person than the photos could ever do justice to.

In recent years he sold his layout to me and then moved to the Cheyenne Depot Museum here in Cheyenne, Wyoming where it remains on permanent display. About a year after the layout move,  Harry and Bobbie moved to Cheyenne and made their home here.

Harry's artwork was also seen on many of the covers of the magazine "Western Horseman".

His is the only layout that I can think of that was so extensively covered to have generated two books about it.

There are no plans for any sort of funeral at this time, in accordance with Harry's wishes. We are planning a celebration of his life and works at the Cheyenne Depot Museum sometime in the future. I will keep you informed.

Rick Steele

[drgwcs]

I never had the privilege of meeting Harry. I wish I would have. When I was a teenager still I found a couple of Gazettes on a sale table at a hobby shop. In them was Harry's wonderful articles and drawings on the Argo Tunnel were in them and I set about building a model of the loading chutes. That was the start of my interest in narrow gauge and the C&S. Thanks so much Harry. My deepest sympathies to his wife and family.
Jim Curran

[Dave Eggleston]

Harry got me into the C&S when I picked up a copy of the Gazette with his first article when I was still in college. I read that issue over so many times that the cover eventually fell off. Before this I'd been a die-hard Maine 2' fan; Harry changed that overnight. His mix of history, story, humor  and illustration captivated me like no other and set off a life-long love of the South Park, Colorado Central and GSL&P. He will be missed.

Rick, I'm thankful you were able to save his layout for all of us to enjoy.

[Mike Trent]

Thanks, Rick, for the sad news.  And thanks for all you did for him and his spectacular layout. He and his work were an inspiration for all of us, and he will be missed.

Mike

[Dave Ditmer]

So sorry to hear about the passing of Harry Brunk.  He was my idol along with Mozart and Bob Dylan.  I owe most all about my modest C&S railroad to him.  Never got to meet Harry but did a few email correspondences with him from to 2007 to 2011 .  The wife and I have made two trips to Cheyenne to see his magnificent empire.  Thank you Rick Steele!!  While there, Mike Pannell showed us around both the museum and yard.  It's time I build my Labelle UC&N box car to add to my roster.

Dave Ditmer
SW Ohio

[SteveG]

I'm deeply saddened to hear of Harry Brunk's passing. His articles/books and layout have been a constant source of inspiration.

Please convey my condolences to his surviving family and friends.

With sympathy,

Steve Guty

[Keith Hayes]

I have been pondering Harry's contribution to our hobby. I never met Harry, but like many of you eagerly read each new article advising us of progress Up Clear Creek or whatever topic that seemed to be of interest. We are all indebted to his questioning as he closely examined old photographs and ferreted out the details, small and large, of the Colorado Central and later C&S. His must be among the longest running series in a magazine that inspired my own attempts writing about preservation in the Friends of the C&TS Dispatch and even my sometimes too regular posts here.

Thanks Rick and Michael for preserving Little Colorado for the rest of us. If you have not visited, you should. Take a minute and look at Harry's models and most especially his tools. These are the instruments key to the fabrication of the model, and you can see a lot of Harry in them.

Harry, thanks for all you have done!

[SteveG]

Would any of the folks planning on attending this coming Denver Narrow Gauge Convention be interested in making a day trip up to Harry's layout in the Cheyenne Station? It's not on the convention site as a trip option, but it might be a great opportunity to share insights from Harry's work and pay respects.
Private message me if interested, and if there is sufficient interest, I'll start a separate thread.

Steve Guty
Lakeway, TX

[drgwcs]

One of the updates

SteveG wrote

Would any of the folks planning on attending this coming Denver Narrow Gauge Convention be interested in making a day trip up to Harry's layout in the Cheyenne Station? It's not on the convention site as a trip option, but it might be a great opportunity to share insights from Harry's work and pay respects.
Private message me if interested, and if there is sufficient interest, I'll start a separate thread.

Steve Guty
Lakeway, TX

On one of the convention videos (on Narrow Gauge off the Beaten Track)one of the convention organizers had indicated that Harry's layout was on the tours. Fittingly, especially now, they said that it had been designated as layout number one. This was before Harry sadly passed away so that means even more. The next narrow gauge off the beaten track on the 14th might have more information. The number of layouts up on their webpage seems to be pretty incomplete yet. This is one I would love to go to but do not see a way to make this convention.
Jim Curran

[SteveG]

Thanks, Jim, great to know! I was looking at the listed attractions in the ad for the convention in the most recent NGSL Gazette, and the Cheyenne Depot/Harry's layout were rather conspicuous in their absence.

Regards,
Steve

[drgwcs]

SteveG wrote

Thanks, Jim, great to know! I was looking at the listed attractions in the ad for the convention in the most recent NGSL Gazette, and the Cheyenne Depot/Harry's layout were rather conspicuous in their absence.

Regards,
Steve

 
I would check narrow gauge off the beaten path on youtube- they have been having updates- I did miss the Zoom tonight but they generally update onto youtube in a couple of days.

Jim