Frank Ellison's Delta Lines ~ a Trainbud editorial

[Anonymous]

Less than a month ago, I posted a topic abut the late Frank Ellison and his Delta Lines RR. While it's now 'off the radar', it seems to me that it was one of the more popular topics at the time, garnering almost 140 views.
What about this, fellows? IS there a resurgent interest in Ellison's layout and approach? I've gotten numerous emails expressing interest in specific buildings of the DL. Herm Botzow has paid homage to Ellison on his layout, featured in OGR. Several have told me about individual buildings they've reconstructed for their own layouts.
Ellison's layout was 'high art' , to be sure. But his ability to write and teach and allow a modeller to use his (Ellison's) basic idea while developing the user's own imagination was staggering.
Now, we're seeing complaints about new engines not working, high structure prices, and what may be termed an 'elevated level of dissatisfaction' among 'newbies' to the hobby. Many have expressed an interest in Williams trains and their 'back to the basics' philosophy. Would it not follow that the 'basics' might be applied to structures and scenery as well?
Much has been made of the idea of bringing 'new blood' into the hobby. Yet frustration with products that don't work or equipment that costs as much as a used car or a month's rent would, in my mind, be substantial turn-offs to those who want to relax with this hobby. Look at some of the old Ellison articles ~ in many, one of his sons is photographed actively participating in the construction!
Perhaps it would behoove the magazine publishers to pay attention to the 'old masters' . A father should be able to teach his son about working and planning together (a 'life skill' BTW), not 'wearing a path' to the nearest UPS distribution center. A 10 year old child can glue brick paper or paint a structure as well as an adult; and time spent that way (adult supervise; child DO) is far more rewarding than repacking a locomotive with loose wheels.
For it is the 'old masters' who can teach the 'newbies' about the hobby; who can share experiences instead of repeating mistakes; who can show the new folks that this IS a relaxing hobby; that frugality IS important; that there's more to this hobby than taking a train out of a box and/or slapping a pre-made building down; that 'hobby time' can be spent productively, instead of wasting gas running back and forth to the aforementioned shipping palace.
And, who knows? An original hand-crafted structure just might allow a child to find his own voice; develop his own creativity, and perhaps become the 'new' Frank Ellison.

*climbs down off his soapbox*

[Anonymous]

Last week I finally saw a color slideshow taken by Bill Harry, (one of the original members of Frank Ellisons operating group) during a photo shoot by WDSU TV in New Orleans back in the 1950's. While the Delta Lines structures cannot be described as the most highly detailed models ever built, the overall illusion of a real railroad that this layout had IMO has never been equaled.
Frank Ellison was certainly the father of O gauge scale model railroading. The numerous B & W articles on the Delta Lines in Model Builder to do do this magic work of art justice. The color shots look as though they were taken of a real railroad.

[Anonymous]

Well said,Trainbud!
Keith

[Anonymous]

Beginning 7/21, I have opened the "Friends of the Delta Lines" group ([e-mail]).
Those interested in learning, or sharing ideas, about Frank Ellison and his well-known O gauge pike are welcome.
Please bear with me as I learn the nuances of group membership!

[Dave Farquhar]

I agree wholeheartedly. Ellison wasn't the only one of his type although he was one of the most famous. I've taken to hunting down old issues of magazines to find articles by E. L. Moore, who had a lot of Ellison's qualities.

Over on the-gauge.com, there are a few guys who build structures almost entirely out of cereal box cardboard and post pictures. Very inspiring work, and they're building these things for the cost of the paint and glue, essentially. I'd be nervous about using something like that in O scale due to warpage, but they claim if you paint the inside and out, it seals out the moisture and the structures last.

My layout is definitely in its infancy, but I intend to build as many of my own structures as possible, preferably using the techniques of the old masters. I don't want my layout to look like everyone else's. I'm sick of looking at layouts with the same MTH and Buildings Unlimited structures over and over again. It's like looking at pictures of prefab suburbs.

[cnw1995]

Wow, Dave, do you have a URL for some of those pictures of cardstock buidlings? I've been inspired by several of our fellow forumites to try to do things the cheap or creative way - still working on my rotating airplane tower...

[Dave Farquhar]

Absolutely. Go to http://the-gauge.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29 and specifically the user to look for is Matthyro, but frankly all of the scratchbuilders there do incredible work. Matthyro is the master of cardboard. A couple of others use cardboard, and of course there are some who use things like styrene.

[Anonymous]

I think Ellison's appeal came not only from his scratchbuilding; his ability to share information in an informative and pleasant manner was, IMHO, also a reason for his success; witness how often he used the word 'whimsy' in his articles.
E.L. Moore, Jim Findley and others were true artists in scratchbuilding, and my aim is not to detract from their fine work. In fact, I encourage it!
And, I agree with Dave F. ~ the scratchbuilders of 'the guage' turn out awesome and inspiring work!
I have to wonder why that kind of modeling is not more prominent in the mainstream hobby publications. No manufacturer's products to push; merely creativity and talent on display.

I've been informed that it's hard to find the group's site. Try this:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Deltalinefriend

Email: [e-mail]

[Dave Farquhar]

I agree Trainbud, that it looks suspicious, but scratchbuilding articles in MR in the late 1970s and early 1980s could push commercial brick paper and Grandt Line castings. And of course there are plenty of commercial detail parts one could use.

It could be that RTR is more profitable. It could also be that a majority of people don't have the patience anymore for scratchbuilding, so the articles aren't popular.

I've noticed it's very difficult to find good tutorials on the subject. I've learned, through trial and error, but I've yet to get to the point where I've built anything that I'm even moderately proud of. When I posted on a forum a basic technique, I remember two or three people saying that was the first time they'd seen someone talk about those unspoken first steps that articles assume everyone knows. So maybe that's the problem--people would scratchbuild if they could, but they don't know what tools they need or what to do with the tools and basic supplies when they get them.

Don't get me wrong. I have a run of almost 10 years of OGR and find it suspicious that scratchbuilding articles vanished as soon as OGR joined up with Buildings Unlimited. CTT, well, it's always been more about collecting and operating it seems, than building. But MR has less on the subject than it used to.

I'm sure other companies would prefer people buy structures than build them themselves. But I'm also of the opinion that most people in this hobby have a certain amount of money that they're going to spend, and it's just a matter of what they're going to spend it on. If they build their structures, they'll buy more engines and rolling stock. If they buy all their structures, they'll buy fewer cars and fewer engines. If they buy used, they'll buy two instead of one new one. I haven't done any surveys or anything; it's just the tendencies I've seen myself exhibit and other people at the local Lionel dealer.

[Anonymous]

Ellison was more than a scratchbuilder. He was a consummate artist when it came to making backgrounds in perspective and muraled walls.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deltalinefriend

Stop by and join!