Noone in particular influenced me. I just saw various layouts and locos over the years that set the spark off within me. Actually, what really did it was a magazine I found in the break room at work about twenty years ago that had a story in it about model railroading, and within a couple of weeks afterward I was building my first layout...
Tracklayer
In chronological order:
John Allen--what an inspiration.
Joe Fugate & Charlie Comstock--for excellence, and to certain extent, my nemeses CNJ831, whose work is also excellent, but I may never see eye-to-eye with. It would much easier on me if he was a crappy modeler.
and Art Hill & UK Guy for doing it right in front of my face. Makes me think there's a chance for the rest of us.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
I’m going to take a different approach on this as mine was not really a ‘who’, but a ‘where’: The Elmhurst Model Railroad club when I was a kid. Their layouts (particularly the N-scale layout) ignited my interest in this hobby. Maybe not the end-all-grandest layout in the world, but it blew my socks off as a kid.
Sadly, it no longer exists.
Here is my list:
And for the current crop....
Jim Bernier
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
My father, hands-down.
He's an old-fashioned take-photographs-then-draw-his-own-plans-then-build-from-basswood-metal-and-cardstock kind of craftsman.
I would spend hours as a kid watching over his shoulder as he scratchbuilt. In fact, I went with him on many a fossil-hunt to take measurements of some long-neglected lineside structure in the wilds of rural Pennsylvania, only to watch him reproduce them in exacting detail on his workbench.
I've been influenced by almost every model railroader I've ever met or read about, but none so much so as dear old Dad.
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
My grandparents whose farm abutted the CNW line between Escanaba and the iron mines.
My parents who bought me Lionel 027 trains when I was young and took me on the City of Los Angeles from Chicago to LA and back.
A buddy's dad who was a brakie for the Soo and used to take us along when he fired up the stove in his caboose before a trip.
David Barrow
Iain Rice
MR, RMC and N Scale mags.
My late cousin Richard Gregory, who was always dropping by and taking me up to Donner Summit to watch those big Cab-forwards rolling by, non-stop. And my great uncle Tom who was a fireman in Truckee, CA and let me ride the cab of his big AC-6 from Truckee to Norden when I was just a tiny tyke.
And my high-school buddy Rich Miller who introduced me to HO when he decided to get rid of all of his Athearn, Varney and Silver Streak stuff because he'd decided to go with O scale. I ended up with four Athearn metal boxcars, two Varney metal refrigerator cars, two Silver Streak wooden reefers and an Ulrich metal drop-bottom gondola for the amazing amount of $5. Still have them. Still run them. Saw Rich a couple of years ago at an all-class high school reunion, told him. His jaw dropped.
And John Allen, because like me, he liked bridges. Lots and LOTS of bridges, LOL!
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
In 1970 when I was 8 years old my parents took me to Germany to visit family... My cousins had a beautiful Marklin HO scale layout...to this day I remember how impressed I was with it. So I guess I'd have to say my cousins (who I've never seen or spoken to since) were my biggest influence in getting started in the hobby.
The list is long and varied and many of the already mentioned people have had a role in feeding my MRRing "disease"...Along with many that I have met at conventions and tours.
But I have to give great credit to my Dad for an American Flyer around the Christmas tree in 1957 and then the building (Dad, brother and myself) of a 4 X 8 empire in 1959.
One other person is a major standout in my mind and that is the late Allen R. Morrel of Eastham, MA. He and I met at an NMRA convention a good many years ago and became good friends over the years.
That 1959 empire got packed away in the mid 60's and I had been an "arm-chair-want-to-be modeler" for many years, always waiting for extra time, the right place, the right time in my life, the money..... After attending a few clinics and tours with Allen, talking about his pike and my dream....He gave me three words of advice: "Just do it". I truly credit Allen for getting me started with my Colvin Creek Railway project which is now into its tenth year!
Initially it was Allen McClelland. The first model railroading book I ever bought (other than a magazine) was The V & O Story. After that came John Allen and then Eric Boorman's fantastic Utah Belt. Bruce Chubb's book, How to Operate Your Model Railroad taught me everything I wanted to know about model rr ops!
Another great influence was Bob Boudreau and his Fundy Northern (whose work IMHO doesn't show up nearly enough in the pages of MR these days!)
I've also been inspired by the many great layouts featured in MR and RMC as well as those in the Great Model Railroads Video series. Two of the latter being Don Casslers B&O and Doug Geiger's Granite Mountain.
And, of course, I would be remiss if I negelected to mention the great layouts of fellow Utahns Lee Nicolas and Ted York.
In model railroading there is plenty of inspiration to go around!
-George
"And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers ride their father's magic carpet made of steel..."
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
My Dad.
He passed on his love of the Norfolk and Western and Virginian steam. Many a warm Sunday afternoon we stood trackside and watched the Js charge by with those beautiful red trains and the wonderful whistle blowing for the Route 17 crossing. And the Class As with those endless strings of hoppers rolling along fast, in both directions, seemingly without regard for whether they were loaded or not. Or the VGNs BAs and 900s charging along on their single track main, close enough together that I wondered who could possibly be controlling things.
He died in 1959, just seven months before 611 made her last run. My greatest joy in model RRing is that I can recreate some of that glory and watch it roll by - right at home.
#1-My PARENTS, for buying me HO scale trains as a youngster (Marx, Tyco at 1st, then onto Atlas & Athearn) & a BIG + for my Mom for bringing home a copy of the January '78 issue of MR-that set the hook!
#2-Model Railroader Magazine! (see above^ )
#3-Richard Francaviglia in the above issue with his 4x6 layout "C&O+C&O=C&O."
#4-JIM HEDIGER!!!!!!! His Ohio Southern in it's various configurations have always impressed the crap out of me, & his influence still holds true today, as I continously re-read the articles on the "then" OS (7-78 MR) & the "now" OS (9-05 MR) & carry them around with me (work/home) as for ideas, inspiration, & track planning, as I "plan" on building a variation of Jim's current OS, but slightly shrunk down to fit my basement & region to be modeled.(the HV/C&O in fictional current day from Gallipolis to Columbus OH)
#5-The late Andy Anderson at MR who moderated "Student Fare" back in the day, & encouraged young pups like me at that time.
Since you asked for names and photos, I'll oblige you with the 3 people who have influenced my modeling abilities and talents the most:
#1. Chuck Ellis, Austin, TX. Here's a photo from his layout:
#2. Gil Freitag, Houston, TX. Here's a photo from his layout:
#3. Don Bozman, Houston, TX. Here's a photo from his layout:
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
First would be my late father, who faithfully set up the train garden every Christmas for my brother and me, and who purchased my first N scale train set.
I was only playing with N scale trains until I saw the Reid Bros. layout the first time it was showcased in MR back in the early 80's. That made me realize what great scenery can look like, and how a great model railroad can operate.
John Armstrong, who showed us all how much you can achieve if only you think outside the 4x8 box.
Tom Mann, who takes weathering to a new level of artistry, Ed Kapuscinski who builds scenery that is at once serene and breathtaking.
Ted Klein, who has supplied my habit for all these years...
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
First, my Dad, for getting me a set of Lionels when I was a very little boy, and my Mom, for letting me have a large permanent layout of my own in the house.
My teenage friend Dick Young, just a kid like me with a layout, but someone with whom I shared the hobby day after day for quite a few years.
Finally, the New York and Boston subway systems. Being from Long Island, New York, where rail freight was almost non-existent, I was drawn to the "dark side" of subterranean railroads, even as a boy. Finally, half a century later, I can model them myself.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
First and formost influence would be God himself, after all He has the best layout I have seen yet.
Then there is John Allen, and Allen McClelland. When I was introduced to Model Railroading in 1983 at 13 years old, I was handed 3 books by a friend of my parents, a 1978 Walthers Catalog, a Book about John Allen, and a Model Railroader Mag that featured the V&O on the cover.
God's still is the best! ;)
Well my first influence in getting interested in model railroading was my cousin out in Texas whose dad was an oil executive and they had a big room with an American Flyer layout in it. As I was the son of a not so wealthy Navy Chief Petty Officer my model railroading didn't get started until I was out of college about 10 yrs later. During that time I had satisfied myself with building plastic model airplanes and ships. The LHS here in Orlando had a pretty big train department and I started getting interested again and started going to the local HO club where I met the person that influenced me the most. His name is Jim Six and a lot of you either know him or of him. We were the same age and had both just graduated from college with identical degrees. We went on several rail fanning trips around the southeast together and became close friends. He encouraged me to apply the weathering techniques I used on my model planes to my trains and I haven't looked back since.
Now thats about the most I have typed at one time in a long time.
I'd have to say my mom.
She took me train chasing as a kid, bought me my first wooden train set when I was three (Brio, still have it), and had some track and HO cars that got my feet wet in the whole hobby.
My Uncle Bud
NY Society of Model Engineers layout at the old ferry terminal on a grade school class trip
MR, MRC, several now defunct publications and all their writers/contributors
A number of friendly LHS owners & fellow modelers met at the LHS
Not to dis all the great guys in the hobby, but my biggest influence was my place of employment , which happened by accident, I ended up working for GE, building , you guessed it Locomotives ! It kinda just made me want to model them. Also a local modeler I meet here in Erie had a great EL. layout that just amazed me. He painted many of the models that they presented to customers in the early days , so he got me into painting very early on.
Yes all the greats did spur me on and many of they guys here as well , Joe and Aggro etc etc.
And I second that , Chuck when will you let us see your Japanese layout !!!!!
Jerry SP FOREVER http://photobucket.com/albums/f317/GAPPLEG/
I'd have to give credit to Joe Fugate and Charlie Comstock in that order, but mostly the order in which I learned of their "stuff" when thinking about my second layout. They both wear big boots.
Aggro is certainly a solid influence because of this trees and his own weathering. Every time I image my rolling stock or engines, I think to myself, "What is Aggro going to think privately....yet another just-shopped engine."
And I couldn't do this type of searching without giving a humble nod to Karl (UKGuy) and to Simon1966 who have encouraged me to keep growing and to find out what I can do. Anyone who visits here regularly also knows that these two gentlemen can model structures like nobody's business.
CNJ831 is an exceptional modeller whose fall images are simply breathtaking. I always enjoy seeing his photos. Same for Bob Boudreau's eye-popping close-ups and superb renderings that can withstand the close scrutiny.
And for straight gee-whizz, it has to be Mark Brunton with his ginormous helix. I can't wait to see the whole layout. (Come to think of it, it would be nice to see Chuck's Japanese layout.)
There are others who post their fine images every week on WPF, too numerous to go on at length here. They get enough accolades that they must have an idea of my appreciation (an example would be Jacon12 whose photograpy is peerless IMO).
-Crandell
#1 - My (now late) older brother. Tom. We both started with Lionel.
#2 - G.A.Humann - South Shasta Lines - Gerber, CA - Modeling the Southern Pacific from Gerber to Dunsmuir in Northen California in O scale (honest-to goodness scale). Until recently, the South Shasta has had public showings every spring since, well, before I was born in 1954. My first visit there was in about 1962. I've made the trip, pretty much annually, until the last open-to-the public show about 4 years back. Humann is now well into his 90s. The South Shasta has been covered in many past issues of MR and RMC.
#3 - Linn Wescott - MR Editor Emeritus
#4 - Whit Towers - Alturas and Lone Pine - conducted the original "The Operators" in RMC during the 60s.
Linn Westcott taught me much through his articles and books; his columns were a source of inspiration.
John Allen showed what was possible - sort of a star to reach for.
Then there are all the modelers I met at shows and the LHS; you guys each taught me a little something.
I owe you all a debt of gratitude.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
Jim Hertzog
And, being a relative newcomer to the hobby, I get inspired by the work of several forum members:
Jon Grant
CNJ831
UKGuy
MisterBeasley
Selector
ARTHILL
I'm sure there are a few others but I'm having a blonde moment.