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Railway & Modelling Obituaries

Roy Link Narrow Gauge & Industrial


PMP
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I will very much miss Roy, he's been a huge influence on my modelling, plus a wise and helpful counsel when I've had occasion to call him.

His recent book on The Crowsnest Tramway will stand as a great epitaph for his own modelling.

 

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John who works on The Review with Roy created a topic in NG modelling area that he had become so well known for. His plans in 80’s RM were my introduction to his work and his books and publishing are treasured parts of my library. 

 

 

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2 hours ago, PMP said:

Sad news today that Roy Link has passed away. A quiet but very influential modeller, illustrator and writer for the narrow gauge and industrial genres, he’ll be missed, but not forgotton.

 

https://m.facebook.com/narrowgaugeandindustrial.co.uk/

 

I had the privilege of building one of Roy's first Peckett kits - I was blown away by the quality of the etching and casting, and the accuracy of the model. I was inspired to modify the kit slightly to make the Bagnall Price valvegear more functional. I did do a review / build report for the MRJ, but it was never published.

 

TITCH.jpg.ee592071baeebb32949c9a3eeae9a5a8.jpg

 

I also built one of his IC loco kits - which was also superb. A move away from O-16.5 intervened, and I never had the pleasure of building any more of Roy's kits.

 

Roy was also influential in encouraging me to up-my-game when it came to painting and liveries, and he sold me my first, S/H airbrush compressor.

 

A visit to his home was always a pleasure, and his Crows Nest Tramway was incredible for the detail which he had incorporated into such a tiny space.

 

A thoroughly nice, quiet and helpful friend, who inspired one todo better and was ever ready to be of assistance.

 

RIP Roy.

 

John Isherwood.

Edited by cctransuk
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A very sad day.

 

The last time I saw Roy for a chat was travelling back from Llanfair to Welshpool - sharing a balcony on one of the W&LLR Pickering replica coaches on a pleasent late afternoon - the Saturday of the 2019 W&LLR Gala. I hadn't seen Roy for some years before that, but it all seemed like no time had passed since we first met when the 7mm NGA was very young.

 

I too built one of the early RCL "Bagnall" kits - along with a few skip wagons - of which I am still very proud.

 

P1090049.jpg.e7b5371542cd9d3a34d4adefc821f258.jpg

 

I did get the valvegear to work as Roy intended.

 

May Roy's legacy last well, he was a very talented person.

 

Chris Holmes

 

 

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Sad to hear this news, I met Roy only  once back in the late 70s at a Central Hall show, he was doing a demo as I recall but as a fledgling kit builder I was drawn to the industrial NG stock he had on display and he was only too willing to offer a guide on how he’d produced some of those masterpieces.
 

His kits set a standard for pattern making and casting that few could come close to and even in today’s world of 3D print and precision CNC patterns, his kits still hold their own.

 

RIP Roy and thanks for a rich legacy.

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One of my earliest memories of reading about modelling is of his Crow's Nest Tramway, in a Railway Modeller magazine, with wonderfully atmospheric black and white photos of exquisite modelling. And another is of looking at Roy's adverts illustrated with a line-drawing (I think the Bagnall kit?) and wishing I could have one. What an inspirational modeller of the first order. RIP, Mr Roy Link.

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I same across the writings of Roy some years ago and admired the way that he set standards and stuck to them, skillfully managing to turn ordinary mundane situations into things of exceptional interest and atmosphere. Very sad news for his family and  narrow gauge modellers have lost an outstanding talent and ambassador.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

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Very sad. Having chatted a few times as a teenager he really inspired me with his attention to detail, consideration of design, and precision.

He will leave a big gap in the publishing world. The way his drawings considered shade and weight using different thicknesses of line always lifted them above others. Let alone his models. He will be missed.

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Didn’t actually know Roy personally but very much aware of his work and for many year subscribed to the NG magazine he produced.

 

A very great loss to NG & Industrial railways 

 

I also have a number of his books in my collection.

 

Roy 

RIP 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have just seen the news of Roy's death in the Railway Modeller. I met Roy when I was employed as his assistant in the Modelrama at Peco. I started working for Peco on 1st January 1977 and was there for three years and a bit. During that time I learnt a great deal from Roy and other modelmakers at Peco including the chief designer Bob Phelps. To my modelmaking it was the equivalent of going to university. After Cyril Freezer left in early 1978, Roy was promoted to do the graphic design for Railway Modeller and I was promoted to run the exhibition. I had an assistant appointed to the exhibition, Andrew Beard, who I believe is still employed there. I last saw Roy quite a few years ago at one of the Swanley narrow gauge shows. I will remember Roy as an excellent modelmaker and graphic artist. He did the excellent instruction sheets for the Peco O16.5 locos taken over from Stephen Poole and he made the patterns for the Cackler kit, one of which I have running on my layout.

 

Regards

John Arkell

 

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