Reposted from Trains Magazine's online Newswire:

ELKTON, Md. - Blair Lavell, 79, who worked 26 years as the shop superintendent of the Texas State Railroad, died on June 14, 2007 after a brief illness. Lavell was a longtime advocate and supporter of steam locomotive preservation. He was instrumental in the restoration of Texas & Pacific 2-10-4 No. 610, which pulled the American Freedom Train through Texas during the Bicentennial Celebration. Through his efforts, No. 610 became a permanent exhibit on the TSRR and was designated a National Historic Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He also helped establish the Texas Export Railroad Company, a tourist attraction in the Fort Worth area.

During his tenure at the TSRR, Lavell participated in the production of and made appearances in several television shows and movies that used the railroad's steam locomotives. He retired from the TSRR in 2002 and moved to Maryland, where he assisted with the model railroad exhibit at the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Pa., and recently became a member of the Rising Sun Historical Commission, for which he helped organize the artifacts in preparation for the recent opening of the Rising Sun Historical Museum.

A memorial service for Lavell will be held at the Texas State Railroad on July 7.