"Anything You Can do, I Can Do Better ! Robinson and Downes.

[nickwood]

Sad news indeed. Another of the great inspirational modellers from my youth and beyond gone.

RIP

[Rowsley17D]

Another giant of the hobby who's no longer with us. Thanks for the inspiration to go on modelling, Allan, rest in peace and rise in glory.

[PaulRhB]

That's a rather wonderful sign off on the last page from Allan, thank you and enjoy the further modelling oop there! 

[sp1]

I'm sure that Allan inspired many of us - me included - a massive loss to the world of model railways.

 

I hope that in due course someone will pick up the suggestion made here quite recently and produce an illustrated book of "The Buildings of Allan Downes" - I'd buy it immediately.

 

RIP Allan.

It would be nice if Peco/ Railway Modeller were to produce an Allan Downes special reproducing all those old articles that many of us remember (I still have a few and they are inspirational).

[81C]

Condolences to his family and friend on this sad news another one of us gone RIP Allan.   

 

Bob

[brylonscamel]

Gosh that's such sad news - I only came to know about Allan through this very thread and quickly discovered what a prodigiously talented, funny and supportive man he was. 

And what a great contributor he was. Even the tone of this thread was mischievous and it was a great idea to throw down the gauntlet to fellow modelers and see what rolled in.

Considering he could have sat back and poured scorn on our efforts he did nothing but give praise and encouragement.

 

To think that he was so ill and yet took time to respond to our posts with enthusiasm and humour, right up to the end. Extraordinary.

[brylonscamel]

Other than the windmill that wound up looking like "a cross between a Dalek and a helicopter", or the time he attempted to bake a Pyruma-coated building in the oven. The building caught fire, so he tried smothering the fire with a teatowel (which also caught fire!) and ended up dumping both the building and teatowel in the dustbin, which caught fire as well!

 

Allan's unique blend of exquisite model making and hilarious storytelling will be greatly missed.

 

.. thanks for chipping in with a response to my question - what a funny anecdote. I sense those that knew him 'in the flesh' got to enjoy some rather amusing company!

[SouthernBlue80s]

What a talented man he was. An inspiration to many of us. Rest In Peace Allan.

(Just skimmed back through some of the thread and after re looking at some of his projects, I will correct what I wrote to -  What an exceptionally talented man he was)

Edited August 3, 2018 by SouthernBlue80s

[alant]

Very sad news. Allan has certainly been an inspiration to me and many others over the years. RIP Allan.

[Red Devil]

There's a thread somewhere on here along the lines of 'How do you know when you've made it as a modeller' or something along those lines, well I think I can honestly say I was chuffed to bits when Allan made a hugely complementary remark on some of my bodgings….that was possible 'my moment'!

 

As others, I grew up as kid reading his stuff in Railway Modeller and was in awe of some of it, they say never meet your heroes, I'll obviously never get that chance now but from reading what others have written I don't think I'd have been disappointed.....

 

Thank Allan for all your stuff, you'll be missed. 

[ianLMS]

RIP Allan and thank you for the inspirational models you have created giving mortals like me courage to give it a try. You akways had a good comment and happy to give advice. A true gentleman and this is very sad news indeed.

[LNER4479]

Oh cripes - just caught up with the news, although I had gathered he wasn't well.

 

Can only echo the thoughts of others in ranking Allan as one of the true giants of the modelling world and certainly an inspiration to this modeller over the last 40 odd years. One of those whose brilliance shone out of every page of an article depicting his latest creation.

 

It was a delight to be able to exchange pleasantries through his involvement in this wonderful forum of ours in recent years.

 

RIP Allan 

[mullie]

His Cotswold buildings were in the first magazine I ever bought, Model Raiwlay Constructor from Autumn 1978 I believe and it was my privilege to send him a copy as he had lost his. Like many I was fascinated by Pipers Mead when given a copy of the modeller it was in and have followed his stunning modelling ever since.

 

When I found him on here, like many I began to post on this thread, not always about railways, he would often have a rant about 'family bathrooms' as he called it and the saga of that cow and windmills seemed never to go away. As others have said he was always complimentary about our efforts and it was Allan who inspired me to have a go at scratch building in card all those years ago. I built a model barn from his plans for my art CSE!

 

He will be sorely missed, he has been part of my modelling life off and on for forty years, an irreplaceable character.

 

Sincere condolences to his family.

 

Martyn

[sjp23480]

RIP Allan,

 

I was another of those adolescent modellers that marvelled at those black and white features in Railway Modeller in the 1970's.

 

This thread and its pictures only increased my admiration and awe for his skills. I must confess that when he replied to one of my comments it made my day.

 

A sad day indeed.

 

Steve

[47137]

I always enjoyed Allan's articles in the Railway Modeller back in the 1970s, this was at a time when I was in my early teens and wanting to make my own railway layout into something more realistic. Somewhere earlier in this topic, Allan thanked me for my post and invited me to post more. I will treasure his reply as much as if I had one of his models.

 

I am so sad to hear this news, but so grateful he gave me and so many others so much inspiration.

 

- Richard.

Edited August 4, 2018 by 47137

[RJS1977]

.. thanks for chipping in with a response to my question - what a funny anecdote.

 

It was much funnier the way he told it!

[Ian J.]

I wonder if we could have an annual competition for making a model building, and the prize it (the competition that is) being named after Allan in some way?

Edited August 4, 2018 by Ian J.

[Giles]

He leaves the place better than he found it. Bless him.

[NHY 581]

As a young modeller in the 70s reading Railway Modeller, Allan's articles were truly boggling, the standards seemingly unattainable. His articles were instructive and entertaining, his techniques in many ways unique and at time bordering on the revolutionary.

 

It is inevitable that as we ourselves get older, so those who influenced us also get older and eventually pass on.

 

Allan's legacy is the generations of modellers inspired to simply have a go. To try something new. To produce their own fine models.

 

His name therefore is intrinsically linked to this fine hobby of ours and I am sure his modelling will be held aloft as the standard to which many will aspire to.

 

 

Rob.

[Graham_Muz]

Very sad news indeed the Railway Modeller magazine of my youth was always full of his excellent models and techniques. RIP a true gent and inspiration passes on.

[Colin_McLeod]

RIP Allan

A fantastic modeller gone to the great layout in the sky.

[Revolution Mike B]

Such sad, sad news, and a huge loss to the modelling world. RIP Allan, and thank you for your help, guidance and fantastic words of encouragement.

[HeatonLodge40]

Allan’s wife Sylvia has asked me to pass on her thanks for all the many kind comments and memories on here.

She said he’d have love to have read them. I’m sure he’d have a few choice words in response.!

 

Allan wasn’t known for his political correctness (as some will have gathered), and despite being almost unable to get his words out when I last saw him a couple of weeks ago, he did manage to say that it would be just his luck than when he reached the pearly gates Allah would be there to greet him.

Well if that has come to pass then help I wouldn’t want to be Allah.

A great man indeed.

[Shane Downes]

I hope Allan’s son Shane doesn’t mind me announcing on here that Allan very sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning after a battle with cancer.

 

In typical fashion I know the reason for all the many recent posts Allan uploaded on this thread was solely to pass as much information and inspiration on to all his fellow modellers before the inevitable happened. So lets try and keep this thread going in his memory?

 

A real maestro of master model craftsman since the early ‘70’s Allan was up there with the very best of them..there’s still some of us who remember his ‘Downesplans’ published by Peco way back.

On top of that he was an all round great guy with a fantastic sense of humour and an inspiration to all of us. His willingness to guide me and try and pass on his skills I’ll never forget.

I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say he’ll always be remembered with affection and our thoughts are with Sylvia his wife and his family.

Rest in peace old mate.

 

Simon

 

Not at all Simon, I can only thank you.  You have done for me what I was finding difficult to do.  I'll just add that Allan's passing was peaceful and throughout his illness he was never in any pain.  I think none of us could ask for more than that.

 

Sylvia and I are literally overwhelmed by your kind words and anecdotes.  Thank you every one.  I have learned things about my Dad on RMWeb that I never knew so please, keep the stories coming!

 

I was born in 1966 and the first memory I have of Dad's model making was in about 1971 when he built 'Pipers Mead' in the pig sty beside our caravan on a farm near Holmer Green, Bucks.  I made a Lego signal box that Dad placed on Pipers Mead, I was chuffed!  That same summer I remember standing in our caravan door 30 feet from the pig sty with my suction bow and arrow, bored and wanting to kill something.  Suddenly to Dad's misfortune he came out of the pig sty and turned his back to me as he closed the sheet metal door.  Sensing the moment I swiftly I raised my aim and in one movement let fly.  My aim was true.  The arrow skimmed Dad's ear and with a gratifying 'thud' stuck in the door, I was chuffed.  Dad wasn't.  He snapped my arrow and hopped around cursing words I'd never heard before.  I stood and watched him wondering if he'd take my Lego signal box off of his railway or not and bless him he didn't.

 

Many of you have kindly shared how he inspired you during the 70s and early years of your involvement in our hobby through exhibitions and his Railway Modeller and Model Rail articles.  I understand you fully because he inspired me too, right to the end.  I loved his O Gauge/7mm period where he manipulated all the commercial products available but it was Dad's early OO Gauge/4mm models where the magic truly lied for me.  I saw him make everything from scratch.  From somewhere he acquired this small metal frame.  He pushed Pyruma cement between the tiny oblong holes in the frame then baked it.  Moments later out came the frame and out popped the tiny stone bricks which went to make an incredible windmill, probably not the Dalek one!  I think it was the late 70s when he made his first resin stonework mold.  The master was pressed into Plasticine and believe it or not he used the pointed end of a drawing compass, millions of tiny little holes, to achieve the tiny random stones.  Dad then discovered, don't ask me how he made this discovery, that the sole of some shoes made good stone patterns.  At school: "Downsie, we saw your Dad looking underneath shoes again".  I could have answered, "Yes that's right.  As a model maker he, and his kind, are always looking for short cuts and ingenious ways to manipulate or distress raw materials to create realism by using every day household items such as a wire brush, Mum's toothbrush and indeed the sole of a shoe".  But it was far easier to just say, "Yep".

 

Many of you have got behind the suggestion of dedicating a thread to Allan and possibly a magazine article highlighting his work.  You cannot begin to imagine how touched Sylvia and I am by this idea and would support it fully in whatever way we could and Dad would love the idea too hoping that it might inspire the next generation of model railway enthusiasts.  So, we're open to any suggestions!  What a send off!

 

Happy modelling guys,

 

Shane and Sylvia

[Barry O]

Sad times. Another stalwart of the York Model Railway show of many moons ago has left us. No doubt he and Captain Cook will be in a bar talking railways, enjoying a drink and helping to keep the party going.

Farewell to a great modeller

 

Baz