My condolensces to his family. I always enjoyed seeing photos of his model railroad work, especially his original Denver & Rio Chama railway. That inspired me as a young modeler.
Sheldon, I appreciate the balance provided in your entire post just above. But it lead me to think that, for many of us, what we get to after a while in our modelling is not really what we envisioned, but as close to it as we were able to get with our skills and time. Or were willing to go without drudgery. In that sense
John,
Interesting thoughts.
How I feel about modeling that is highly visible in the model press and how I might act or feel in the basement of a modeler who invites me to his home to see his layout are two different (and in my mind unrelated) things.
I considered a much more involved reply, but thought better of it.
I am confident in my skills to provide the enjoyment I am looking for in the hobby.
I have been doing this a long time (1967-age 10), worked in this business from age 14 to 22, and was blessed to learn from some exceptional modelers, my father, the masters at the Severna Park Model Railroad Club, one of the earliest NMRA Master Model Railroaders, and others over these 55 years.
And still I often find the most “average” efforts of many modelers most interesting and satisfying.
I’m not much for trying to guess the psychology going on in the minds of others - taking ca
The narrow gauge community sure lost a couple of legends over these past few weeks. Not only Malcolm but we also lost Harry Brunk on Feb 27th. (He was the author of Up Clear Creek on the narrow gauge in the Gazette) Malcolm and Harry’s articles were the primary things that got me into narrow gauge. Sad to hear we lost both in such a short time.
Jim
[tup]
For those of us who started in the 1970s or earlier, it’s been sad watching the modelers whose work we grew up admiring leave us. Furlow was one of those guys whose work turned my head: I always had it in the back of my mind to stop by Taos and find his gallery, and just say “hey, thanks for creating something that turned me on to Colorado railroads. Your work opened up a whole corner of the world to me that I might otherwise never have found out about, and that discovery enriched my life in ways that are hard to completely explain. I never knew you, but you made a difference in my life.”
But I never made it, and now I never will.
Interesting comments as usual from Sheldon but I don’t think the problem is with being told “you should try this.” That’s just plain vanilla enthusiasm of which fortunately the hobby has a never ending supply.
Rather it is the “do it this way or you’re just posing as a model railroader” that gets the fur to flying.
Or stated another way too much of “yes it’s a big tent. I hate sharing this tent. I want a smaller tent.”
Dave Nelson
Well drat.
I was in Taos a couple of years ago and had no idea he had a gallery there.
-Kevin
Well, agreed, I think there are some people on every side of the tent who would prefer it be smaller.
I will say this about myself, I recognize that my time and resources are limited and that my goals are very focused and narrow. Hence my saying about myself “I was once well rounded until I learned what I really like”.
So I look at new things and quickly evaluate their value to me.
Unlike some I do not feel threatened by views different from mine, but I’m pretty good at being indifferent.
Sheldon
Can this please be a simple memorial thread?
Flat canvas or 3D canvas, Malcom was interesting. RIP Malcom Furlow.
You would think so, wouldn’t you.
Even in death Malcomn is still ruffling feathers. I thinks he’d a gotten a big kick out of that [;)][:D]
Thank you. My thoughts as well.
-Kevin
I really wish I could find the pictures of his Denver & Rio Chama MRR from the photo section of the 1981 Walthers Catalog. Really inspiring stuff. He had the art of mountain railroading down.
To those of us who love beat up steam running across rickety track high in the mountains, Furlow was a big inspiration.
T
My apologies, gents.
John
Funny you said that, I bought a copy on eBay the day he died. I keep a few of the '70s era Walthers catalogues as references on old kits, but haven’t yet come across that one. Maybe I’ll dcan and post the pictures, if that’s permissible.
Ooh that would be great if allowed. I think it was the 1981 Walthers catalog but might have been 1980. My original got lost in a move or other life event probably when I tried to declutter.
Must’ve been the '80: the '81 has just the cover and a very few smaller pictures in the interior photo section. It’s not a complete section of Furlow’s work.
Some nice work by people I remember from that era who were doing really beautiful scenery. They had some pictures of JC Myer’s layout. He published a couple of articles about scenery building and one article with a track plan of a terminal yard, and then vanished. I really loved his work as a kid.
I could make a long list of people whose work I wish I had seen more of, but often we’ve probably seen all that they chose to share.