Does anybody know where to find pictures of Jock Oliphant’s railroad-related structures? I have many poor quality pictures from old magazines because he won best of show every year it seems, but can’t find anything else picturing his work. I think his daughter is still alive, but I wouldn’t know how to contact her and wouldn’t impose anyway. Somebody told me he apparently wasn’t one to cotton-up to the RR press and this was why there’s not much of his work except when they had to show it because he won first prize.
Anyone who has seen this man’s work knows why I’m asking this.
He was a Canadian and went into model ship building at some point, but it’s the railroad structures I’m interested in.
Thanks.
Jock was from Winnipeg and was a cabinet maker, IIRC. I visted his layout at least twice at NMRA-TLR layout tours and judged with him several times in contests. I think some of his structures may be on friends layouts in the Winnipeg area now. I will be up there in May and I will ask around.
Jock was a real character and many times would attend a TLR convention, sleeping in his camper/pickup. He loved to work with wood, and once mentioned to me that you start with a good tight grain piece of wood and make your own ‘scale lumber’! For someone who was in his 20’s, I was amazed with that statement. This was after he reviewed one of my scratch-built structures(N-E milled siding, and Timberline cast windows/doors). With his thick Scottish voice, he suggested I could do better with real wood and scratch-build those windows! He was always entertaining.
Jim
Dear Jim, thank you very much for the response…if I can figure out how to post pictures here, I might photograph some of the old magazine pages with his work. I am starting an engine house for real now, and I am coming to the “make your own scale lumber” conclusion. I might draw the line at windows, that seems really tough. If you know a sensible way, maybe you could post it here.
Anyway, if you get a chance to take some pictures up there in Canada, please let me know. It seems to me he was a fine, fine artist and I envy you because I think I would have rather met him than John Allen…but what the heck, I didn’t know any of these people existed two years ago. Thanks again.