I read in the NGSL Gazette that John Olsen has retired from Disney, is building his dream home, and has “dusted off his Mescal Lines”. I always loved his “work” and preferred it to that of Malcom Furlow. (I call him the “thinking man’s” Malcom Furlow LOL)
Perhaps his outstanding work will once again grace the pages of MR.
We can only hope.
-George
the “thinking man’s” Malcom Furlow"
That’s an oxymoron, surely?
Hi Mark:
While that MAY be an oxymoron, it will be a pleasure to see something from John Olsen again.
-Ed
PS Whose shoulders are you standing on?
Ed, a number of modellers have influenced or inspired me over the years. But since I’m an Australian with an interest in railways from throughout the world, most of them probably wouldn’t be familiar to you. I’ve noticed that whenever these sorts of topics start, there’s a tacit assumption that everyone here grew up reading MR, and the modellers featured therein, like Allen, Furlow, Olsen etc. But that isn’t always the case - it’s worth remembering that this is an international forum.
For what it’s worth, I 've never rated John Olsen very highly - his rather individual style of modelling doesn’t represent any reality I can relate to.
Cheers,
Mark.
It almost sounds as if you are mixing up Olsen and Furlow. Furlow is an artists, as such his layouts are often fanciful caricatures or reality, especially the last one featured in MR. Impressive artistically but not very realistic. Olsen’s Mescal Lines is a much more realistic and plausible railroad, although certainly not lacking in artistic appeal.
–Randy
I don’t think you’re thinking of Olsen. His modeling was very realistic and quite photogenic.
I always liked his FTD commercials…
That is DEFINITELY the wrong Olsen!
[:D]
John Olsen and Furlow are the reasons I came back to the hobbY. [bow]
Ya sure Yon Olson, a nice MinneSOta boy !!
Good! Perhaps we’ll see an article from him/about him in a future copy of MR.
He’s one of the guys who semi-inspired me as a teenager in the hobby. Malcolm was another - I may never railroad the way Malcolm does, but it doesn’t lessen my enjoyment of what he creates.
I seem to recall that Olsen and Furlow appeared in a scenery video together. Two different styles of modeling, two entirely different looks (both themselves and their layouts), but between the two of them I learned a bunch about scenery.
Would be great to see John back in print!
No. I’m not. I 'm referring to John Olsen.
To me, Olsen’s Mescal Lines was neither realistic or plausible - and the cutesy name grates even now.
Cheers,
Mark.
Yes, I am.
Photogenic? Perhaps. Realistic? No, not in my opinion.
I often wonder if some of you blokes have ever seen a real railway, if this is what you regard as realistic…
Cheers,
Mark.
Take another look at the May 1976 edition of MR. Find the article entitled, “A Day at Mule Shoes Meadows.”
Then please explain to me exactly what was unrealistic about the scenes shown.
I also invite you to re-visit his series on building the 4x8 “Jerome & Southwestern.”
I’ve spent plenty of time riding on and visiting American railroads. Most of my life,actually.
But thanks for your comments, mate.
I guess in your world “authentic” is 500 miles of straight rail over a flat. endless no man lands of red clay and dirt.
Please don’t tell me you have visited AZ, NM and Colorado and know what the terrain is like, for that would make you look more … than ever. [:-^]
Cheers
I can see where Mark is coming from. In real life you’d never see a rail line crossing a bridge and then heading right into a tunnel.
And people know you just don’t mix modern steel construction with “old time” wooden bridges…
That’s why I like modeling the White Pass. It looks like it was designed by a model railroader! LOL
-George
John Olsen’s Jerome and Southwestern is one of the reasons i’m in this hobby . i’d love to see him get back into modelling and writing
I can definitely see Mark’s position on this question. Olsen, while a very good modeler and his work indeed quite photogenic, had a style that subtly but very definitely refects an influence from John Allen’s earlier work. Olsen’s style, as depicted on say the Jerome & Southwestern and its Back Alley & Wharf extension, might perhaps best be classified as transitional between caricature and realism. However, it could never pass for real, even when compared to certain other modelers of the day. Much of the terrain was too extreme to take seriously, while the structures are too universally heavily weathered to accept and his scenes seem always to include numerous little caricaturish (John Allen-like) figures.
The Mescal Lines was done better, in my opinion. But that final MR Mexican-themed (?) mini-layout he did (Tascosa & Calico, perhaps?) was just pure fantasy and clearly Disneyesque.
CNJ831