Jim Loomis passed away on March 26, 2024, at the age of 87. I met Jim once, for about an hour, but he’s one of those people who stayed with me.
Jim was a train and transit enthusiast. He served on the board of directors for the Rail Passengers Association (which I will always call NARP). He blogged at Trains and Travel with Jim Loomis. He authored several books, including All Aboard: The Complete North American Travel Guide, Travel Tales, and Fascinating Facts about Hawaii.
This last title suggests what for me is the most fascinating thing about Jim. He moved from Connecticut to Hawaii in 1962, and lived there the rest of his life. Hawaii has no trains, save Honolulu’s light rail network, whose first stage opened just last year (I hope Jim rode it). It’s a five-hour flight from Honolulu to the West Coast. That didn’t stop Jim from riding almost every train in North America, some many times. It also didn’t stop him from advocating for improved service, even though as a resident of Hawaii he didn’t benefit directly.