E. L. Moore's Legacy in the 21st Century: The Moore Way

In between bouts of dealing with the polar vortex, I've been talking with Vince about putting together some videos that demonstrate E. L. Moore's construction methods. We've been discussing the look the videos should have, and I've been thinking about E. L. Moore's - for lack of a better term - 'life philosophy' of building model buildings. And even though what follows is a bit tongue-in-cheek, it might also suggest how a book about E. L. Moore might be organized that covers his techniques and model building life in an interesting manner.

I think there are 12 basic principles to his way, and in no particular order, here's my list:

1. Figure out your compelling interests

This list doesn't have any particular order, but this item must be first. For Mr. Moore, his interest was in the world he inhabited in the later 1890s and early 1900s, the time of his youth. You have to figure out where your interests lie. Neither I nor E. L. Moore can help you with that. You might know them already; it might take your whole life to figure them out.

2. Read a lot

He reported that in the '50s he had a library of maybe 1,000 volumes. He read at least one newspaper every day and frequented the public library. He sometimes reported when he was feeling particularly lazy he'd lay around in bed and read a book with a cat.

3. Write a lot

He wrote a few thousand manuscript pages and spent lots of time writing letters. He noted he did all his important communication from the seat of his pants while at his typewriter. Writing is a powerful way to learn and understand even if what you write doesn't lead to publication.

4. Learn how to take photographs and process pictures

He was a photographer who developed his own photos. These days everything is digital, so you don't need to hassle with chemicals and enlargers and stuff like he did. I've done plenty of old-school processing and I'll never go back to that even if Ektachrome is going to be re-released. A significant part of the field of model railroading has been driven forward by people who were either professional photographers or highly skilled amateurs - there's a hidden history there.

5. Learn how to draw plans

You don't need to be an artist, but you do need to know how to draw elevations and floor plans to help you understand the size, proportion, spacing, and detail of what you want to build. Whether you do it on a computer or a piece of paper is irrelevant. 

6. Be a storyteller

He was a consummate storyteller. He had something to say and said it. And said with humour and style. More often than not, buildings were a stage for his stories. You don't need to copy his style, but finding your own is important.

7. Ditch your tv

He reported that he didn't own a television and was saving the experience of watching it for his old age :-) Today we'd probably include ditching any service that provides the endless stream of pap that was once the exclusive domain of over-the-air broadcast tv. I hear someone out there saying, "but we're in a golden age of tv" - no we're not and we never have been. You won't be missing anything by pulling all the plugs on the cops, mobsters, lawyers, doctors, crooks, reporters, politicians, talking-heads, influencers, ad men, hosts, con-artists, singers, spaceships, spandex, sword-and-sorcery and the never ending list of buffoons and buffoonery. Full disclosure: I'm completely addicted and couldn't completely unplug; and he seemed to relish being a featured guest on an episode of Carolina Camera in the early '70s :-)

8. Walk, don’t drive

He didn't own a car and walked most places, although he could get a ride when he needed one. You can see and experience more and get a better sense of a place when walking, but it makes you an outcast and limits what you can do. It's a trade-off, and maybe not always a good one for getting by in society. 

9. Visit with friends

The Sage of Charlotte wasn't a recluse. Although he didn't have a ready means to travel at will, if you were in town there was an open invitation to drop by, and many like-minded model railroaders did. 

10. Use common, inexpensive, readily available materials

He was a man of very modest means. He lived in a small rented apartment, didn't own a car, likely lived off social security, or a military pension, or savings from his photography business, and the proceeds from the sale of his magazine articles. When he visited a hobby store he was known to spend an hour or so carefully browsing the entire store and in the end only buy a few pieces of balsa and some miscellaneous supplies. Although, he usually purchased via mail order when he needed supplies in bulk and a good deal. But still, he produced some great projects from just balsa and card. Limitations can stimulate creativity. Many of model railroading's greats created impressive stuff with quite little. His limitations were imposed by a lack of cash, but it didn't stop him. Myself, I think if one has to wear a lot of safety gear while model building because of the nature of the 'advanced' materials being used, some sort of line has been crossed.

11. Minimize the use of ready-made parts and kits

He hated building kits and didn't use many ready-made parts and materials in his scratchbuilds. Any use was often with reluctance when prompted to do so by an editor who wanted him to use advertisers goods, but sometimes it was of his own volition. Brick papers and sheets often show up in his builds. How are you going to be unique if you're relying heavily on mass produced products?

12. Build regularly

He said he was quite lazy and didn't work to any schedules. That is b.s. :-) He worked for long stretches everyday for weeks, and months, and years on end. It probably didn't feel like work because it was all self-directed. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, which included breaks and goofing-off. His only boss was himself.

None of the above will guarantee you'll be successful, produce your masterpiece, get you published, win a contest, or express what you are compelled to express. You also need to bring your own talents into play. These principles are just some guidance to help develop and maximize those talents in an old-school, get to the root of things way, and nothing more.