By Justin Franz

Greg Scholl, a skilled videographer who ran one of the last independent railroad video production companies, died on December 9. He was 72 years old. 

In the 1980s, Greg Scholl Video Productions was one of a number of major railroad video producers to emerge as VCRs became common in homes, competing against other big names like Pentrex, Video Rails, and WB Video. But as other video producers folded or were taken over by other companies, Scholl soldiered on as one of the last independent producers. In the 1980s and 1990s, when railroad VHS tapes were big business, Scholl covered all of the big steam events and that drive continued into the 21st century. Just this year, he was releasing new DVD titles about Reading 4-8-4 2102 and other main line steamers.

A preview of one of Greg Scholl’s final videos. 

Scholl was born in 1950 and got his love of railroading after his father took him and his brother out train chasing. Scholl saw the final days of steam on the Norfolk & Western and that fueled a life-long fascination with steam locomotives, which would bring him to travel across North America and around the world. Besides producing videos on big steam events in the U.S., he did a number of videos on steam in Europe and South Africa. Scholl would eventually go on to produce more than 250 titles. 

Greg is survived by his wife Kathi, daughter Heather and brother Randy. He will be buried in his hometown of Batavia, Ohio.