For both my dad and I, he was one of the main reasons to race to grab the copy of Railway Modeller when it turned up in the mid/late 70s. His scenery making talents were flat out unbelievable.
If you want a long read, here's a thread of him and almost equally gifted modeller Iain Robinson having a good-humoured 'model off' in RMWeb, that lasts right up to his passing, and is littered with utterly drool-worthy photos of their handiwork. Be warned, you will spend a fair amount of time going "is that actually a model???"
Incredible! That Harlem Steelworks is so detailed as to make the eyes water.
ReplyDeleteI have just lost half an hour looking at just the first 5 pages of photos. They are INCREDIBLE! You are right - I frequently keep thinking 'they have to be photos of the real thing'. I have spent the last few days basing and static grassing - now I feel like weeping - Mr Downes's work is a different league. What a master modeller.
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