I still do a few posts on Mr. Moore from time to time. You can see what's new at the tag, E L Moore.
It looks like the eBook has had 2785 downloads. Although in April 2023 I lamented that the eBook was a Non-Thing, I'm quite happy with the number of downloads, which I thought was ok given that it got no mainstream model rr coverage. However, it did get some coverage in the back of a comic book in an alternative universe :-)
I have difficulty thinking of it as three years, seems only yesterday. Must be anno domini!
ReplyDeleteMe too. My sense of time is all messed up.
Deletetimeless in my universe. good today as EL was 60 years ago.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I sometimes have a dream of discovering a cache of lost ELM articles, but it's only a dream.
DeleteI think it is up to us to create more E. L. Moore articles or models. He taught us how to build things successfully, and we’ve learned his preferred styles. For me, I have adapted his techniques into my own modeling. If I wanted to build more, I would build an addition to my EVRR. To the right of my layout, the lower part would probably end in his short line terminal. Above it on the upper track, it could maybe go to one of his factories. Maybe I could make it modular so that a third piece could go in the middle with few structures, and additional scenery. So the whole plan would be expandable. Just some thoughts. There would be plenty more room on that project to use his old plans. Seeing them come to life in color before me would be very satisfying. I think his sense of beauty and charm are quite fitting for a model railroad.
DeleteIt’s true that it is us who can make his style and methods live on. At one time I thought a couple of approaches were possible: to make new structures in a manner such that the end result would be indistinguishable from something ELM had made himself, or use the principles that drove his work to create new works, but allowing our own personal interests and circumstances to come forward.
DeleteThe first approach is certainly fun. I’ve tried aspects of it over the years. There even was a time when I pitched the idea of an ELM homage article where a new structure was designed, built and presented as ELM would have done, with some explanatory material to place it in context, but there was no interest.
The second approach, which I’ve tried to capture in ‘The Moore Way’ ( https://30squaresofontario.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-moore-way.html ), I think allows for more scope. However, it’s quite at odds with modern approaches to model railroading, at all skill levels. It’s more in line with folk art approaches, although I don’t like the term ‘folk art’ because it conjures up certain stereotypes, where actual ‘folk art’ practice is fluid and meets people in their own era, and doesn’t impose rigid requirements on materials and processes.
Outside of these revival activities I think trying to colourize old black-and-white photos of his layouts and models based on information we have could be quite valuable. I made a start on that at one time using AI, but ran into problems. Given the speed at which AI is advancing, these might not be problems anymore and I should try again.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. If you do go ahead with your layout project ideas, please let me know. They sound quite interesting.