"Flyer people tend to be exceptionally loyal to their favorite trains, and the debate between the realism of two-rail Flyer versus three-rail Lionel still rages as hotly as it did 50 years ago," he said.
Dr. Gillis, who continued working and operating his layout until his death, enjoyed opening his home to other Flyer fans and families who gathered to watch his trains roll through the towns and cities he and his family had built.
He was an active member of the Train Collectors Association.
Dr. Gillis also enjoyed traveling by train and visiting railroad museums, especially those that offered operating vintage rail equipment.
He was also a Civil War buff and enjoyed visiting historic battlefields.
A Mass of Christian burial was offered Monday at the Roman Catholic Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Mount Washington.
Also surviving are two sons, Dr. Robert C. Gillis of Towson and James Alexander Gillis of Lutherville; a daughter, Kathleen Gillis Swartz of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; a brother, John J. Gillis of Philadelphia; and a sister, Eileen Francke of Richmond, Va. A daughter, Susan Boyle Gillis, died in 1970.
