Is this OUR Tom Lay?

[Tim Wescott]

From "The 1/2A Scene" (by Larry Renger) in the April 1977 Model Builder.

[Brett Buck]

From "The 1/2A Scene" (by Larry Renger) in the April 1977 Model Builder.

 
    Yes. He also mounted it on a hat he used to wear.

    Brett

[bruce finley]

What a great and timeless picture.  Thank you for posting.

[FLOYD CARTER]

I regret I have no pictures of Tom when he was 8 or 9 years old.  We were both members of the South Gate (So. Calif) "Skylarks" model club.  I was a teen-ager, but I don't remember even owning a camera at that time.
Tommie (aka: "Junior"), was a pretty good C/L flyer by age 9.  His dad and uncle were also members of our club, so he had some good help getting started.

Floyd

[Norm Furutani]

I only got to visit briefly with Tom in his later years and this was mostly about FF and compressed air motors. Can you guys do a brief fill-in of his earlier years and accomplishments? Both model wise and profession? I always enjoyed chatting with him and he just seemed to leave us to soon.

Thanks!

Norm

[Mike Keville]

Yep, that's 'our' Tom Lay.  That little replica stunter mounted on his hat appeared at the VSC several times.  Tom's sense of deadpan humor was legendary - as was his generosity.  Many years ago he gave me (no charge) a 4-bolt, sand-cast Fox .29 which I used successfully in a Box Car Chief....until the crank broke.

Tom was always good for a laugh, even when faced with serious health issues.

His panel truck ('37 Ford?) was tagged as "the world's fastest delivery truck"....or something like that.

Heckuva guy.  He left us waaay too soon.

[john e. holliday]

I remember meeting Tom at VSC and sharing a table with him at one of the banquets.   What a gentleman.  I still remember a comment he made when he was called to the front one year.  As he started walking he said something to the effect of: "Don't rush me, as I do get slower".  Taken away from us too early in life.

[FLOYD CARTER]

I never heard what happened to Tom's little Cox .010- Ares.  He later put that engine into a tiny
Ringmaster.

Floyd