Harold Carstens: 1925–2009
Modeling enthusiast, author, and publisher Harold "Hal" Carstens passed away June 23, 2009. He was a lifelong resident of New Jersey.
Career
As president and former publisher of Carstens Publications, Inc., Hal oversaw a publishing firm that produced three internationally distributed monthly magazines:
- Railroad Model Craftsman
- Flying Models
- Railfan & Railroad
Carstens Publications also issued soft- and hard-cover books, primarily in the model hobby and railroad fields.
Hal joined the publishing firm in 1952 as associate editor of Railroad Model Craftsman and Toy Trains while attending Fairleigh Dickinson University at night. He studied journalism and art at the Philippine Institute for the Armed Forces in Manila. He was appointed managing editor of the two magazines in 1954, became editor and vice president in 1957, and became president in 1962 following the retirement of founder Charles A. Penn. His first article was published in Railroad Model Craftsman while he was a student at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, New Jersey.
He edited many books on model railroading, railroads, crafts, miniatures, and model aviation. His book 150 Years of Train Models, published in 1999, covered the history of the model railroad hobby and industry.
Military service
Hal graduated from the Army School of Roentgenology in Memphis and served in the Philippines with the 103rd Medical Service Company, U.S. Army Medical Department, during World War II. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Affiliations and honors
Hal Carstens was listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. He was active in the Hobby Industries of America, Inc., a 2,000-member trade association:
- Past president and secretary (1971–1972)
- Served 11 years on its board of directors
- Chairman of the Public Relations, Management Review, Education, and Awards committees
- Chairman of the Publishers Section and the Model Railroad Division
- Vice president of the Educational Foundation of the Hobby Industry Association
Publications and writing
Hal authored many articles on model railroading, railroads, photography, the lumber industry, and motor cars. His articles and photographs have appeared in:
- Railroad Model Craftsman
- Toy Trains
- Railroad Magazine
- Railfan & Railroad
- Creative Crafts & Miniatures
- Flying Models
- PSA Journal
- The Lutheran
- Ladies' Home Journal
- New York Lumber Trade Journal
- Book of Knowledge encyclopedia
- The Morganeer
- Hobby Merchandiser
Legacy and further information
This is a small sampling of Hal Carstens' accomplishments in and outside the modeling and hobby industry. For more information, see the Flying Models website: www.flying-models.com.
— Information provided by Frank Fanelli, Editor, Flying Models
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
