To: MR Editorial staff and fellow forum members
On a recent post on a different forum someone mentioned that Malcolm Furlow was in a recent issue of MR, now after parousing the online indexes of back issues of MR and more notably the lack of any recent rancorous uproar right here on the forum, I know that this isn't the case and that the poster must have ment when Furlow was in this 2003 issue:
While the layout wasnt everyones cup of tea but to me it was incredibly detailed and amazing to look at and study. But it did get me to wondering, whatever became of the layout? it was only partially finished at the time the issue came out and only featured a small part of the overall layout, was it ever finished? We never got the promised follow up...
That also got me wondering about submission protocol, has MR ever done the following up? or do they prefer to wait till the author contacts them about progress.
Furlow at the time lived on a ranch in the middle of Waythehelloutthere N.M. when Sam Posie interviewed him for his book, and he noted that he wasn't the easiest person to get ahold of or to visit, I guess this could also be a big reason why we havent heard anything but its been going on 5 years, and this is a guy who reknown for blowing out major sized pikes in a short peoriod of time, so...any news?
Anyone there heard anything from him lately?
Anyone?
Bueller?
Have fun with your trains
Perhaps if you go to http://www.trains.com/trc/dynamic/contactus/default.asp?pub=mrr&subject=2&cf=1#back and ask your question, you might get a faster response.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
Oops, didnt even know that existed!
Oh well, It's already posted here, lets see if anything comes of it, besides some members here might have heard something as well...
Besides we might get some interesting conversation out of it
Found this from a Google search for Malcom Furlow. "Malcolm Furlow, who is actually a professional artist with model railroading as a hobby, is still around as far as i know. I haven't seen anything recent from him in terms of model railroading but he's still doing art."
I remember some years ago reading complaints from some people about all his MR works. I guess just jealous.
I knew back then he was and is, foremost an artist. I took his ideas as suggestions.
http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=S&sort=D&output=3&cmdtext=%22FURLOW%2C+MALCOLM%22
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
ndbprr wrote:Furball is the reason I canceled my subscription. He never gave anyone credit for any ideas he used. According to him he inveneted everything. He was given the right to have an article followed by an ad to buy the stuff he was paid to do in the article. Personally his work is highly improbable to me and a waste of time. Those who have seen his modules in Bobby Halls hobby shop said he is a much better photographer than modeler because they don't look as good in person. I know I am in the minority but to me he is a flash in the pan.
20 some odd years as a contributor to MRR isn't exactly a "flash in the pan". Someone's opinion of a modeler is just that, an opinion, and everyone has one. Each modelers has his own style and world he wishes to model, (thank god), I would hate to see everyone modeling the same thing. I know "freelance" seems to be a dirty word anymore, but it doesn't take away the fact that the person has skills.
No bother, you lost all credibilty with the "Furball" reference.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Look at http://index.mrmag.com/
Here's a search for Furlow as a keyword: http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=S&cmdtext=furlow&MAG=ANY&output=3&sort=2
I'm not sure how often this is updated, so if he had an article in the very recent past, you may not find it here, but this is a handy index to refer to.
Gary
I've never seen any of his work in person nor will I probably ever meet the guy.
But the magazine that last featured his layout I bought just because of the cover issue. To me, his modeling looks spectacular and I wish we could see more of it. Being an armchair freelancer, freelanced railroads like his I love to read about, see how other modelers put their creativity into this hobby in ways no one else does. I love freelancing because every little thing about the railroad comes down to your choice, as well as the choice to make it believable or not.
Would love to see more of his layout than was discussed in that issue. It's been awhile since I read it. I think it's in a bin somewhere in a storage locker along with my other amassed MR and model magazine collection...
Scott - Dispatcher, Norfolk Southern
Furlow for me is like Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring", when it was premiered on May 29, 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, half the audience was cheering, the other half was jeering, fist fights broke out and it ended in a near riot. Mind you this was in Paris and these holigans were wealthy sophisticated aristocrats, you either loved it to death or couldn't stand the sound of it.
That seams to be the same thing that happens here whenever he gets published or even menthioned, but I know for a fact that it John Allen who invented everything and like I qouted TS Eliot on another topic, "Good Artists Borrow, Great Artists Steal" and if indeed as ndbrr suggests Furlow has stolen many ideas, he certainly has shaped those ideas to his personal style and in doing so made them his own, which is what TS Eliot was referring to in his quote.
All artist steal from each other Did you know that early on, Mexican artist Diego Rivera, went to Europe to study Picaso's cubism works, stole the ideas if you will, and became a better Cubist painter that Picaso? I've seen work by both side by side and its generally accepted in art circles that this was so. Its true, they even became good friends till they had a falling out and Rivera returned to Mexico and abandoned Cubism entirley. But his Cubist works are amazing, a perfect example of what TS Elliot ment.
So I dont get bent out of shape about who invented what, if we had to reinvent everything each time we did it we'd still be banging the rocks together to get fire, in fact I've been stealing from Furlow and Allen for a while now and in doing so have been enjoying my hobby far more sothan if I had only the more standardized stuff (stale to me) that seams to get the lions share of publication these days.
Furlow's work shows a daringness to let his layouts soar not seen since the likes of John Allens last incarnation of the G&D. Frankly I think Furlow's work simply scares the hell out some people, because like daring art or daring music it pushes the boundries of what can be achieved in modeling and challenges the accepted norms in the hobby. Lets face it, model railroading is by its nature a fairly (or is that very) conservative hobby, most participants fall into the catagory of trying to recreate aspects of a real prototype railroad in detail to a specific time and place, sometimes even to a specific day and time, recreating every aspect of that idea to the minutist detail. In a sense it can be a very limited and tightly restricted hobby, this only and no more, nothing allowed outside strictly set parameters.
Now here come Malcolm, and he builds something freelance, a floor to ceiling layout of NKP time, place, or railroad, but it soars over impossible trestles, clings to impossible cliffs, and challanges the imagination of what can be, and that challenge to the perceptions is what scares the hell out of some people.
Thats what I find so appealing to Furlows work, it takes a certain amount of allowing your imagination to overrule your critical reason and just accept it and roll with that impossible trestle and that impossible cliff face and those impossibly, incredibly detailed engines, cars and structures. See the quote in my signiture, thats from Sam Poseys interview in "Playing with Trains" and it does reflect his particular approach to the hobby. Maybe that will ruffle some feathers but what the heck, that just one way of many to approach this hobby, right?
Furlow has taught me that theres no wrong way to build a model railroad. Meaning that if your pleased with the results, the subject matter is irrelevent. If your pleased with the way your scenery turned out, the technic you used to achieve it is irrelelvent. If your happy with your roster, the actual individual peices are irrelevent. There are bad practices and bad technics, but thats part of the learning curb and can be overcome by study and practice, but in general, my pov is essentially true, theres no wrong approach, if you acheive the results you desired, only ideas and approaches that others will disagree with, mostly because its not what they particularly were doing.
Now thats a mouthfull, but if someone want to run nuclear engines on Mars and builds a nicely detailed layout to do so, who are we to criticize? I've learned not to pee on other peoples Cornflakes just because I like Cheerios.
PS Love "Rite of Spring" BTW for those not familiar with it, if you've seen Disneys "Fantasia" you've heard it, its the music used in the Primordial Dinosaur sequence, ironic that it fits so well considering it was originally a ballet based on Pagan rites about a young girl who must sacrifice herself by dancing... to death.
garya wrote: Look at http://index.mrmag.com/Here's a search for Furlow as a keyword: http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=S&cmdtext=furlow&MAG=ANY&output=3&sort=2I'm not sure how often this is updated, so if he had an article in the very recent past, you may not find it here, but this is a handy index to refer to.
Thanks, Richg1998 also posted a link, I looked there already, last reference is the sept 03 issue I posted the pic of in the OP. Nothing refered in MR or the Gazette since the spurt of activity in '03.
Don Z wrote: Perhaps if you go to http://www.trains.com/trc/dynamic/contactus/default.asp?pub=mrr&subject=2&cf=1#back and ask your question, you might get a faster response.Don Z.
Tried this, it kept repromting me to enter the security code, after the 4th or 5th time it did that I just bailed.
I usually don't post here much anymore but this thread caught my interest.
vsmith has made some really valid points. I was an avid reader of MR back in the 70's and early 80's and I think the one thing that all us modelers need to remember is this-if it weren't for people like Malcom Furlow,John Olson,John Allen,John Armstrong,Bob Harden,Allen McClellend and many others doing what they did we would not be doing what we do.And yes I agree with the statement vsmith made that we all borrow from whoever.Back in the 70's Bob Hayden and Dave Farary came up with a technique called water soluable scenery.It was featured in MRC back in 1975.( I still have the article) I have been using that technique ever since but with my own twists.
Good luck with all your efforts-Bob
vsmith wrote:PS Love "Rite of Spring" BTW for those not familiar with it, if you've seen Disneys "Fantasia" you've heard it, its the music used in the Primordial Dinosaur sequence, ironic that it fits so well considering it was originally a ballet based on Pagan rites about a young girl who must sacrifice herself by dancing... to death.
Well said vsmith! It seems so very easy to find fault with other peoples work and dismiss what they do because they do it different.......
Having heard and seen Stravinsky speak about his works and conduct the "le sacre du printemps" in person has given me a deep love of the man's music and respect for his genius. The same respect would be extended to Malcomn Furlow's model railroading even though what he does is not "my style".
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Am I crazy or did I read somewhere that Furlow will be featured in October's landmark layouts series?
Mark
I think Furlow was mentioned recently (a few months back) in MR as well as John Olsen. I think the piece was referencing what became of them and where they were at now. I don't think it was actually an article, but a reference to them in one of the regular columns.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
TrainFreak409 wrote: I've never seen any of his work in person nor will I probably ever meet the guy.
Trainfreak
I found this image on the web, it is a pic of the San Juan Central, a MRR project "An Ho Narrow Gauge Railroad You Can Build", great project, check E-bay or your local LHS, its out of print last I heard.
edit: here's a link to the SJC layout at the narrow gauge convention.
http://www.polyweb.com/dans_RR/NarrowGauge2004/page0022.html
As far as I know, last time I saw him, was at an art show outside of Taos, New Mexico (that was two years ago). I understand that he has a ranch near there and spend most of his time creating a wide range of western art pieces (a lot of oils). I had the chance to see his layout when he lived near Dallas. The only thing I can say is that the detail and overall feeling was great and he certainly gave me the narrow gauge bug! The thing that surprised me was that that the San Juan Central (all things considered) was much smaller than I anticipated from the number of photographs that have been published. That certainly attests to his abilities as a photographer but, small or not, the layout was highly detailed and very well executed.
Jim
Yep, the SJC book is a great little book, certainly worth a look at for anyone doing western/mountain themed narrow gauge or even standard guage, also worth trying to get is "Model Railroading with John Allen" this is a Holy Grail book of model railroading for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Model-Railroading-Allen-Hanson-Westcott/dp/0890242984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218140276&sr=8-1
I got a like new PB one and for well under 3 figures, so its not too rare...yet.
I've seen some of Furlow's art listed online. Thats where his primary interest now lies...especially if you can make some money at it, or alot of money! His stuff is cool!
I have to admit I really like this painting:
Funny thing, I'd have a far easier time with the missis buying one of these, even at 4 figures, than I would ever have spending 1/4 the amount on anything train related...for her, art collects value, trains..ehhh
http://www.mccormickgallery.com/furlowtour.html
I'l echo the sentiment that while Furlow's work was not done in a style I would use personally, it certainly was inspiring and impressive. He took quite a whimsical approach to his work, and did it with such talent it has to be recognized as being worthy of recognition. John Allen certainly wasn't shy about incorporating humour in his work either.
The idea that the giants and pioneers of the hobby (John Allen, Furlow, Frary and Hayden, Armstrong, McClelland, and many more) have gotten too much press in the top magazines is baffling. Their work should be held as an example of what is possible, and inspire us to try and achieve even greater heights if we can even if we don't model the same regions, scales, or RRs (real or not).
I can hopefully learn a little (or a lot) from pretty much anyone's work, so blocking that influence out merely hurts the one ignoring it.
I really admire Malcomn Furlow's work, as well as John Allen's. My as unyet built railroad is going to be named the San Juan Pacific. It will be a jointly owned line between the G&D and the Southern Pacific. My take on model railroading is that as long as it looks like it belongs I'm happy. I don't care about build/rebuilt dates. I'd rather take elemets of sevral railroads than just one. My lines hearlad is going to patterned after the Texas and Pacific's. And I'm going to incorporate a grade where helpers are coupled to the head of passenger trains and running backwards (just like the nashville chattanooga & st. louis railroad did.). And I want to add a second bell that rings continusly while the train is in motion just like the Mississippi Central.
Jason
Modeling the Fort Worth & Denver of the early 1970's in N scale
markpierce wrote: Am I crazy or did I read somewhere that Furlow will be featured in October's landmark layouts series?Mark
If not crazy, I was confused. It is Bob Hayden's landmark layout which will be in October's MR.
richg1998 wrote:I remember some years ago reading complaints from some people about all his MR works. I guess just jealous.
marknewton wrote: richg1998 wrote:I remember some years ago reading complaints from some people about all his MR works. I guess just jealous.Why would you think that? I see this sort of comment often, whenever people like Furlow are mentioned here. I always wonder what the basis is for making it. Why would you automatically assume that anyone who doesn't care for a particular style of modelling is jealous of the modeller?Jealousy assumes that the other bloke has got something you haven't got. You reckon everyone wants models like Furlow's?Mark.
I also dont think theres much repressed jealosy, those who (like me) are jealous of Furlows particular skills are usually pretty up-front about it, but I do think in certain circles his work does provoke a certain amount of fear, because his approach is an unknown quantity to them, so radically different from what they are use to seeing things done, that it spooks them.
Going in the polar opposite from Furlow, with the Domino modular system (no or minimalist scenery), I've seen the same kind of anti-fervor in discussions about that approach as well.
So its all relative to your particular POV, one persons passion is another persons poison.
vsmith wrote:Thanks, Richg1998 also posted a link, I looked there already, last reference is the sept 03 issue I posted the pic of in the OP. Nothing refered in MR or the Gazette since the spurt of activity in '03.
On the question of other modelers' acceptance of Furlow as an outstanding modeler, I would point out that when his last article appeared in the Gazette - at essentially the same time and with the same content as that appearing in MR - a significant percentage of Gazette readers, who are mostly dedicated modelers and not armchair folks, responded with threats of dropping their subscriptions if further installments were published therein. That said a lot to me.
If one seriously evaluates the modeling styles of the various "greats" of the hobby, they will likely come to conclude that Furlow is largely a re-packaged John Olson (who was a much better and more original modeler overall). I find it just a bit laughable that Furlow should be quoted by Posey as saying that "reality is a crutch", since the fact is that fantasy modeling (the only way to honestly characterize Furlow's style) is exactly the approach to use to cover/excuse any and all errors, or deviations from accuracy and realism in modeling.
There's no denying that Furlow is a very clever individual, a better than average modeler and author, a good photographer of miniatures as well as preceptive enough to know how to hoodwink other hobbyists by being "different", if not downright outrageous, in his modeling. From the outset, I'm sure that he realized that if his modeling was far enough off center, uniquely dramatic and to a degree "cute", he could generate a decided following among readers of publications like MR...which he accomplished. I might also suggest reading the Furlow article that appeared in the Taos Daily News back in '05 to gain a better insight as to how he views fellow model railroaders.
One final point worth passing on to folks here is that in most hobby's it is by no means necessarily the best of the best that become "famous". More typically, it is those that can find the right contacts and a really good avenue of exposure, that become known as outstanding practitioners of their pursuits.
CNJ831
I dont recall that kind of reaction in the Gazoo, in fact he was in 2 issues that year and I've seen very similar stuff before and since in the rag so I dont think the readers got as bent as you suggest, BUT they DID get bent here thats for sure!
I wont agree or disagree with your evaluation, thats your pov and I understand it, but then realistic adherence to prototype is exactly what he's trying to avoid now isnt it? Prototypical adherence for some is a box to get trapped in, styfling their creative output. So instead they models their own vision of the world as they wish to percieve it, its sort of like comparing a realist painter like Thomas Eakins to an impressionist like Vincent VanGogh. Both of whom were contemporaries of each other. Furlow definitly falls into the impressionism school in that regards where another contemporary today like Tony Koester falls more into the realism camp. Impressionism is messy, often very messy, blurring the edges of reality and almost entering a dream state, where Eakins works are very precise and calculated for realistic, almost photographic effect. Each has a valid approach, but the end results are vastly different from the other.
Is one better than the other? No, not really, because like art, it just depends on what your personal tastes prefer. We've seen that discorse taking place right here.
CNJ831 wrote: I might also suggest reading the Furlow article that appeared in the Taos Daily News back in '05 to gain a better insight as to how he views fellow model railroaders.CNJ831
I might also suggest reading the Furlow article that appeared in the Taos Daily News back in '05 to gain a better insight as to how he views fellow model railroaders.
Looked it up and found only one quote in that otherwise very interesting article.
"He went into business for himself, specializing in model railroads, "because basically what I saw was a bunch of old, rich guys who liked to play with trains". ..."
Yes, and...?
Having been involved in model railroading for most of my live and deeply for the last 8 years, if you are going off what gets published most, which is what most outside people first see, I cant disagree with him, can you?
Ever price brass models? or the high end models that get alot of ad space in the mags?
How much investment does a large basement size layout involve?
A fleet of prototypicaly corrct locomotives and rolling stock for your roster?
I mean com'on, I'm not talking about your average Joe Sixpack that has a 4x8 layout in the Rec Room, those never get published, I'm talking about the full room layouts, the ones that stretch out 20 or 40 feet, the ones who have pockets deep enough to afford to have a professional builder install their "dream layout" (kinda defeats the purpose IMHO) and spare no expense doing so.
I'm in large scale, ever price that? I'm just a poor sharecropper compared to most of my landed gentry contemporaries in terms of my buying power, yet I read over and over about people who think nothing about dropping 2K on a new brass loco or have multiple versions of the same engines, I mean were talking fleets worth near or over 6 figures, and I'm sure that happens in HO and O also, so what he says does hold some weight, its just something most dont want to aknowledge.
I'm older now, rich enough now to afford to accomodate my hobby, and I love to "play" with my trains, guess I'm guilty
link to article
http://www.taosdaily.com/index.php?fuseaction=home.viewarticle&article_id=741
CNJ831 wrote:On the question of other modelers' acceptance of Furlow as an outstanding modeler, I would point out that when his last article appeared in the Gazette - at essentially the same time and with the same content as that appearing in MR - a significant percentage of Gazette readers, who are mostly dedicated modelers and not armchair folks, responded with threats of dropping their subscriptions if further installments were published therein.
On the question of other modelers' acceptance of Furlow as an outstanding modeler, I would point out that when his last article appeared in the Gazette - at essentially the same time and with the same content as that appearing in MR - a significant percentage of Gazette readers, who are mostly dedicated modelers and not armchair folks, responded with threats of dropping their subscriptions if further installments were published therein.
Can you document the alleged threats? None of them actually appear in the NG&SLG letters columns ('Pigeon Hole'), or are referred to in 'Robert's Ramblings', in issues following publication of the Furlow article in May/June 2003.
"He went into business for himself, specializing in model railroads, 'because basically what I saw was a bunch of old, rich guys who liked to play with trains.'"