Mike we will miss you.

[dougnelson]

This is the saddest day on Railwire, but Mike always made me laugh. Jason posted on the Rapido Facebook page that from his hospital bed, Mike made Jason promise to do the Turbotrain in N scale. I could only laugh.

[SecretWeapon]

Sorry to hear. Deepest sympathies to all here at Railwire who call him friend.

[jmlaboda - RIP]

My prayers will be with his son and family, as well as those who had opportunity to know him up close.  He was an inspiration to some and a friend to many... gone too young but hopefully to something better than he knew here.  When I received the email from Rapido earlier in the week mentioning that Puddy had taken a turn for the worse I suspected that the end was near... So long, my friend!!!  You will be missed!!!

[BCR 570]

Like many others on this forum, I was saddened to learn this morning that our friend Mike McGrattan has passed away.  I first "met" Mike years ago on another forum called Scale Rails Online, and quickly came to know him as a fellow modeller who was passionate about N Scale and Canadian railways.  He lived for a short time in British Columbia although I did not know him at that time, and his tenure here led to him basing his freelanced Puddington Valley Railway in British Columbia.

It was during our time at Scale Rails Online, which had an international following including a strong Canadian contingent, that Mike conceived the idea of sending a boxcar around the world to run on everyone's layout.  The Adventures of Lil' Pud can be seen over on the Rapido website, and I was privileged to be able to coordinate several layout visits for the boxcar here in the Vancouver area.  When SRO eventually shut down, a number of us including Mike and I migrated over to the Railwire.

Some years later I had the good fortune to meet Mike when he flew out to Vancouver to testify at a hearing relating to the pulp and paper industry, in which he was employed.  His stay was a very brief one but we did manage to meet up for dinner at my favourite Italian restaurant (sadly also now gone).  it was a memroable evening with good food, good wine and good company, and we had far more to talk about than one evening could permit.  In those early days of the Internet and online forums, it was a revelation to meet someone I felt I knew well, but had never met.

On my way to church this morning I received an idea for an appropriate way in which our online N Scale community might pay tribute to Mike.  It is too early to announce it today and I need some time to refine the idea, so I will suggest it at another time.

I wish to extend my heartfelt sympathies and prayers to Mike's wife and son Sam at this time.  Like everyone else here I will remember him with much fondness and respect.


Tim

[carlso]

Isn't it amazing how fast an event such as this can bring us all back to reality quite rapidly. Most likely causes many of us begin to question our own mortality.

May you rest in peace Sir! !

carl

[CBQ Fan]

May god bless him and his family and provide them comfort in their time of need.

[wazzou]

Isn't it amazing how fast an event such as this can bring us all back to reality quite rapidly. Most likely causes many of us begin to question our own mortality.

carl

Very true Carl, but one thing I can reasonably surmise , though not know for sure, is that Mike really was a go getter.  I often marveled at his rate of progress on nearly everything he did in modeling. 
I can only assume that the rest of his life was as busy as all of ours, but he really devoted time to modeling and shared a great deal, certainly more than I.  Not much grass grew under his feet. 
Mike epitomized what The Railwire stands for...A Forum for Modelers. 
I hope we can all aspire to help carry the load.

[up1950s]

Many including myself have made a post on a thread in the Crews Lounge section . I mention this so folks not in the know don't think that the lack of posts on this thread here are a slight to Mike .

[ryan_wilkerson]

As a fellow N scale father, I feel for him, his son, wife and rest of the family. I've been thinking about him all day.

[Smike]

RIP Mike.  While I was not fortunate enough to meet him in person, there was no doubt that through all he shared on TRW that besides being great in the hobby, he was an absolutely stand up guy.  He will be missed. Thoughts and prays to his friends and family.

[Kisatchie]

I don't know what I can add here. I'll just echo all the good things about Mike that others have already said.


Hmm... RIP, Mike...

[RWCJr]

May you rest in peace Mike. Prayers to the family. Great modeler, and ambassador for the hobby. Going to miss you.
Robert

[nickelplate759]

I never met, spoke with nor corresponded with Mike, but only knew him through his posts here.   Even so, my life was and always will be enriched by his presence.

George

[wishj]

I never met mike but have corresponded with him at Rapido Trains and read many of his post he will be a great loss to the modelling community and to his employers. May he rest in peace John

[CNscale]

I only knew Mike through some brief correspondence regarding some Rapido products, but I have to say that he treated me more like a friend than a customer. In following him online, he always impressed me as someone who took his modelling seriously, but not too seriously. He will be missed.