The Mobley Library

As part of your NASG membership you have access to contents of the NASG's Library. The purpose of the Russell M. Mobley Memorial Library is to collect, maintain, and provide access to publications including books, magazines, photographs, references, electronic media, and physical artifacts about S-scale and the NASG. NASG members are allowed to borrow library materials or request copies of paper documents and electronic media.

Contact person: NASG Librarian

Russell M. Mobley

In 1938, Russ Mobley, born in 1932, promised his mother that he'd stop sucking his thumb if she would buy him a train set. Since that time, Russ has done many things. He started as an A&P bag boy, spent 21 years in the United States Air Force, and drove an 18-wheeler, among other things. He lived in Texas, Ohio, Alaska, and Georgia.

In 1965, when the NASG was only five years old, Russ was designated by General Director Bernie Thomas to manage the round-robin letter "circuits". Upon Bernie's sudden death a month later, Russ became the third General Director of the NASG. Russ served until 1970, when Ed Schumacher took over. Since then, Russ had been a tireless NASG booster, introducing S-scale to kids, developing and marketing "Amity Star" kits, and promoting S at many different venues.

Russ was profiled in the Augusta Chronicle/Augusta Herald (Georgia), Sunday, Nov. 7, 1982, in the Nov. 1982 issue of Rural Georgia, the official publication of Georgia Electric Membership Corp., and in the Oct. 1994 issue of S/Sn3 Buyers' Guide. Some information about Russ can be found in the October 2001 issue of the Dispatch, starting on page 40.

Russ died in 2001. In his honor, the Russell M. Mobley Memorial Library was established in September 2001, with Dick Karnes as its first Librarian. Michael Greene took over the position in 2011.