Richard Chown

[daifly]

All

Fellow modellers - not just S7 modellers - will be saddened by the news posted by Ian Kirk in the other place.

I have just heard the sad news that Richard Chown, a well known modeller in my area has died last week. Many will know Richard from his Exhibition Layouts. Indeed it was seeing his Kyle of Lochalsh at the Glasgow Show in I think the 80s that inspired some of us myself included to try O gauge. An obituary will appear later in the first available Guild News.

Ian Kirk

Dave

 

[Heather Kay]

That is sad news.

 

[Steph Dale]

I didn't know Richard personally, but am familiar with his work.

A prodigious talent who will be sorely missed.

Steph

 

[JimG]

I knew Richard from the 1970s when I was still up in Scotland and he was an exhibitor at the Glasgow exhibition. His Kyle of Lochalsh layout in 7mm ran down one wall of one of the halls in the McClellan galleries and I think it was one of the first eye(ish) level layouts. Kyle was followed by Castle Rackrent, a smaller layout based on Irish railways, and no less interesting and thought provoking as Kyle. He was also a great source of information on railway track - especially Scottish track - since I believe that that was his day job at one point in his life. He will be missed by many.

Jim.

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Extremely sad news about Richard, I had come to know him through the S7 Group and have had commissions from him for loco's on his Norwegian Railways project.
Always a pleasure, at meetings, to chat to a very knowledgeable guy, a scratch builder and great all round model maker, he will be missed.

Col.

 

[Overseer]

Sorry to hear this. I only met Richard at a couple of S7 Group events but followed his published work with much interest. He was always building something interesting and often unusual. He was a great example of what could be achieved by scratch building and just getting on with it rather than waiting for a kit or rtr. His example of modelling lighter weight 19th Century track in 7mm really should be followed up and developed, not everyone wants to model 20th Century mainlines.

 

[Martin Shaw]

This is very sad, I saw him at the Perth show a fortnight ago, he will be missed.
Martin

 

[Wagonman]

Sad news indeed. I met him a few times and relished his contributions to the S7 Newsletter. A charming and knowledgeable man. He will be much missed.


Richard

 

[Locomodels]

Like many here I had only met Richard a few times at exhibitions. He was always happy to chat about most subjects, and always had a bottle of red and a few glasses to help the conversation along. What a great model bridge builder and scratch builder of interesting French locos.
He will most definitely be missed.

Paul.

 

[unklian]

I only meet Richard once and some time ago now too. We shared an admiration for all things Dennis Allenden, so much so that his big French layout was called Allendenac. I will not forget his great generosity in copying for me some very splendid old drawings of old French loco's too. What a lovely man, and as has been said will be greatly missed .

Ian

 

[S7BcSR]

Richard will be sorely missed. He was so supportive of S7 and would willingly stand in with a layout if ever there was a shortage at our shows. He regularly travelled down to our show in Brightwell by train from his home north of Edinburgh and was always very interesting to talk to and I agree with Ian about his generosity with drawings and documents. A lovely man, so knowledgeable and good company.

Rob

 

[Simon]

Very sad news.

A few Railwells ago whilst admiring Allendac I got talking to Richard about the models of the late Dennis Allenden. A most interesting and enjoyable conversation followed which culminated in the glasses and red wine by the layout coming into play.

I have admired his layouts ever since Kyle in the Railway Modeller and then seeing Castle Rackrent at the Bristol show back in the 1970s.

Richard was most definitely one of the really great characters in our wonderful hobby and will be much missed, a really lovely man as others have observed.

Simon