After reading through the post entitled Most Innovative model railroader, I thought this might be an interesting post. In this one there is no one answer because we all come at the hobby from different angles and trying to do different things. So that’s the question who has influenced your modeling and why.
I would say my strongest influence would have to be Tony Koester. All my layout ideas over the years are based around operation. I think I have read his column every month in MR since he started writing it or as long as I can remember. In my opinion layout design is what makes or breaks a layout and to me operation gives a layout purpose or “play value” you might say. I don’t know if he invented the idea of prototypical operation but he has written extensively on the subject and all my layout designs have incorporated ideas I read in his column.
John Allen has to have had an influence on me. I adopted a couple of bits of his philosophy a long time ago:
The overall effect is an important high priority.
Tongue in cheek fun is OK (and can add a lot to the pleasure you get from your railroad).
I imagine that Linn Westcott has to be included, too. He was editor of Model Railroader the entire time I was starting out in the hobby. I learned just about everything from that era of the magazine.
I’ve had a lot of people influence my modeling and approach to the hobby over the years. My Grandfather was propably my biggest influence as he started me being a railfan and modeler when I was in diapers. John Allen & Jack Work impressed me with the fact that the hobby could really be impressive and realistic and they were so different from all the toy train looking models & layouts otherwise seen in MR & RMC at the time. Joe Luber, of Pro Custom Hobbies, thankfully taught me not only how to custom paint my stuff but made me chill out in my approach with his “Gotchas” and “good enough” viewpoint. I was a real rivet counter until he got to me. His more relaxed attitude made me enjoy this great hobby even more. I miss you Joe! Allen McClelland was the first guy I saw with a complete railroad system modeling my kind of railroading and I’ve never been the same since seeing the V&O in RMC way back when. Tony Koester really has been a big influence too. Not only through the AM but especially with his approach and through Trains Of Thought. I love that column and it’s the first thing I read every month when my MR arrives. He really makes me think and see things from a different point of view. Linn Westcott was another great stimulus over the years. His professional articles always were an inspriration. Irv Schultz, Bud Sima, Roy Dohn and many other “old timers” managed to build fires over the years too. Many thanks to all you guys! Roger Huber
She would always tell me about her train trips cross-country to visit my aunt and since the age of 3 had promissed to bring me with her when I turned 10.
She kept her promise and took me with her cross-country; twice :D. I’ve been hooked on model railroading ever since, attempting to re-create my experiences.
More than anything else, the WPF threads have encouraged me to improve my own modeling, by setting the bar high while showing me what’s possible if you set your mind to it.
Most influential - Linn Westcott. I used his L-girder framing (and modifications of L-grider) on my layouts and other household applications. I used a modification of hard shell scenery. And I became a believer in progressive layout construction - lay a little track, wire, put in scenery, lay more track, wire, scenick, etc. Both Linn Westcott and John Allen pushed me to develop a plausible free-lance railroad and history. Finally, his writings on wiring and electronics helped spur my interest in electrical engineering.
Jack Work - I started hand laying track because of his articles. His techniques for scratchbuilding cars were also influential.
Carl Arendt - His web site and books on micro-layouts showed me I did not need a basement-filling layout to enjoy model railroading.
Being late to the hobby, I would have to say that Joe Fugate has influenced me the most. He was very liberal with his help and suggestions when he frequented this forum a few years ago. It helps that he is also highly knowledgeable and skilled.
My Dad…He taught me the basics and how to build or repair a locomotive.
Doug Smith…I have always been more interested in prototype operation and his article on car cards/waybills was just the thing to help me along.
Tony Koester and Allen McClelland-the basics of designing a believable freelance railroad. and operation.Allen’s “good enough” modeling philosophies has help as well.
Model Railroader’s “A Railroad You Can Model” articles starting with my all time favorite the Aberdeen & Rockfish followed by Wabash/N&W Columbia,Mo branch articles.
I also need to mention Lance Mindheim and his books on designing and modeling modern ISL.I find these books are full of thought provoking ideas on modern ISL designs.
Of course my 9 1/2 years working as a brakeman taught me the ways of railroading.
Not in any specific order other than oldest to latest
Bob Hegge’s Crooked Mountain Lines, this is the layout that sticks in my memory the longest, it had a big influence on me as a youngster.
Malcolm Furlow, his layouts and models had a serious effect on my own style and creativity.
Carl Arendt, when my full sized layout had to go bye-bye and I was looking at dropping the hobby entirely for lack of space, Carl’s site showed me you can build a railroad empire is the space of a shoebox (literally!) My current layout is a legacy of this micro layout philosophy, maximum action, minimum space.
There are others, guys in large scale like Chris Walas, Bob Baxter and Don Gage who are extraordinary modelers and continue to inspire me to try harder.
Paul Larson–he was editor of Model Railroader during a time when it produced its most inspiring work. For me. Not only that, it was a very classy presentation. Especially “rememberful” was the double-spread lead in Trackside Photo–there were so many “Wow!” moments.
Bob Darwin–a guy who, as I recall, re-detailed a then top-of-the-line Tenshodo Big Boy and stopped just short of having a working boiler water sight glass (no, not really).
Allan Armitage–the “plastic guy”. I grew up in the late fifties building (assembling) plastic models. So, when he proposed scratchbuilding with the material, I said: “But, of course.” So I soon thereafter ordered some plastic sheet from Kemtron. You young kids’ll have to look that one up.
Llongo and Hundman–two guys who did A LOT to generate Prototype Modeling.
First,my father. Second Malcom Furlow. I know my dad had a great deal of fun with model trains, and I suspect Mr. Furlow did too. Also when the fun stoped they did too.
The one biggest influence on me was Irv Athearn. When I was first introduced to the hobby as a kid, I was getting really frustrated with Tyco and Mantua stuff. Once I discovered those wonderful blue boxes, I was hooked for life.
As far as the biggest current influence, that would be the Union Pacific, and that is because I don’t have much time for model railroading anymore.
For layout design, the MR article in the late 1980s on the Batavia Model Railroad Club convinced me that rural scenery could be done effectively in long, narrow scenes, so that would mean that the Batavia crowd would rank as major influences on me, even though I never managed to get there while the layout was still up. That article confirmed that the type of linear layout arrangement that I’d long sought could be done in a practical way and set my thinking, with lasting effects.
For scenery, Peter Ross’ May 2006 MR article on modeling realistic tall grass forever changed how I approach scenery and changed the materials I use.
From an operation standpoint, it would be Jack Ozanich, hands down. Nobody has taught me more about the details of real-life railroading and adapting it realistically to a model railroad than he has. He has also been a gateway to meeting other real-life railroaders and getting to know them and how they deal with their jobs.
Running on Jack’s Atlantic Great Eastern led a number of us to create the Operations Road Show project, which has consumed most of my modeling time for the past fourteen years.
as for one of the published folks, i would have to say Mike Confalone’s use of natural material and going after a special sliver of the world with the “5th season of new england.” Plus who doesnt like a good shortline railroad?
When I get a new MR, I often skip ahead and read his column right away. He always has some interesting ideas…I usually don’t agree with them, but they make you think. BTW I hope someone recorded / videotaped the speech he gave at the 1999 NMRA convention banquet in St.Paul MN. It was very funny, particularly given the “set up”.
[;)]
But anyway, I remember years back when Ritchie Blackmore (of Deep Purple etc.) was asked by Guitar Player magazine his advice to young guitar players, and he said “steal from everybody!!”. I think that’s true for model railroading too. I’ve learned a lot from a lot of different people over the years, and not always the “usual suspects”. For example, a key idea that is really helping me with my new HO layout was inspired by something the late Tom Snyder said in a DVD about his “scale detailed” Lionel / MTH Standard Gauge layout. Just because a layout is in different scale, or era, or locale from yours, doesn’t mean you can’t learn from it.
Not easy to answer. The biggest influence was my dad, a Santa Fe locomotive engineer, who had me riding in the cab when I was about 2 years old. This was steam days to begin with. I actually got to “run” a diesel (Geep) when I was 13 years old down the mainline and back with my dad standing beside me. That did it for me.
Worked for Santa Fe during my college years in the summers, worked for them in the Topeka GOB for a few years after graduating and then moved on, but never forgot those early days and Santa Fe remains my favorite.
Very easy answer John Allen (even though he was before my railroading time), Malcolm Furlow, Bob Hegel, John Olson and George Sellios and in that order.
