Iain Rice

[ianblenk]

My condolences to Iain's family and friends.  In common with many of you this man completely changed the way I model and considerably raised my aspirations. Our wonderful hobby will be a lesser place without him. 

[bécasse]

I can't quite remember when I first met Iain but it was certainly getting on for half-a-century ago. One of Iain's co-workers in the basement at Hamblings in Cecil Court was a regular attender at Keen House and I remember him introducing me to Iain at Central Hall, possibly at Easter 1974 when we exhibited Bembridge there for the second time.

 

Not only were we both interested in matching the quality of both scenery and railway in modelling, but Iain and I turned out to have a number of mutual but obscure prototype interests, Cornish mineral lines, East Anglian rural branch lines and the Corris to give but three examples. I can remember sending him a scale drawing that i had made of the coach-house/stable block at Corris and we continued to correspond from time to time over subjects of common interest, he even managed to track me down in Belgium to raise a question about Bembridge.

 

Iain, of course, was a prolific and practical modeller, often for others, whereas an ever more hectic professional life left me little or no time for actual modelling. I did find time to visit exhibitions, though, and was often pleased to come across Iain with his latest exquisite offering and the opportunity for a long chat. I had a particularly soft spot for his Dutch layout which has received little or no mention so far. Moreover, I devoured his books (and magazines) and the ideas they contained. Oddly, the only time I ever drove through Chagford I just happened to spot Iain out walking and stopped, much to the chagrin of madame, for a long chat.

 

I had been very sorry to hear, the last time we met, of the obstacles that Parkinsons was placing in the way of his modelling, and was pleased to learn several years ago from Gordon Gravett that a change of medication had had a very positive effect. Now, sadly, he has left us for good, rest in peace, Iain.

[sjp23480]

Model Railroader posted the following Iain's passing: https://www.trains.com/mrr/news-reviews/news/in-memoriam-iain-rice/

 

I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I am more than familiar with much of his inspirational writing - which got me into building loco kits, having lured me into the false sense of security that anyone could get Walschaerts valve gear to work in 4mm scale!  

Steve

Edited October 13, 2022 by sjp23480

[simonmcp]

On 12/10/2022 at 21:56, bécasse said:

 I had a particularly soft spot for his Dutch layout which has received little or no mention so far. 

Would you happen to have a link to any pictures of it please?

[johnarcher]

Sad news.

I only met Iain a couple of times, brief chats at shows (about Jidenco kits, and the then new Broad Gauge Society I recall), but I've had nearly 50 years of enjoyment and inspiration from that same amiable character shining through his writing, starting with the old "Model Railways" articles. And, in his case, there was as much enjoyment in the writing as in the modelling it was about.

I believe he was engaged on a new version of the North Cornwall Minerals, I hope he got far enough for us to see something of it one day. I remember Tregarrick at a show in London c1980., and just the other day was looking through one of his books wishing I had the space, and remaining lifespan, to build his Clun design.

For the books, the humour, and the models, thanks Iain.

RIP.

 

[johnarcher]

On 09/10/2022 at 13:56, Ravenser said:

I was a little shocked and dismayed to see Iain Rice's name next to Modelling Musings last night - with the obvious implcations

 

And I'm not sure seeing the name there of anyone else in the hobby I didn't personally know would have produced the same instant dismay.

 

I first came across his name while a teenager in exile out in Sydney - I bought a copy of the old Model Railways magazine and it had a Treggarick layout article in it. From that point an article by Iain Rice was likely to make a magazine issue a must-buy if I saw it . It was inspirational in the way PD Hancock's Craig and Mertonford articles must have been in the 50s and 60s . But this was also P4 - and in the 1970s P4 seemed to the outsider to have rather a forbidding culture. In those articles, and the East Suffolk to come Iain Rice gave us P4 with a human face. His work was about the joy of making a model world, not about the rigourous pursuit of absolute dimensional accuracy at all costs by an elite.

 

Almost a decade later, I saw the first issue of MORILL, in which Iain played a very large part. That magazine, and the associated MORILL Handbooks series , were without a doubt the biggest practical boost, support , resource and influence on my modelling. Iain Rice wasn't just an inspirational modeller in terms of the results he achieved, he was a very practical modelling writer who explained systematically the basics of how things worked, why they worked, and what needed to be done to make sure they did. I can't actually recall anyone else providing that extent of technical support in articles. The MORILL handbooks on wagons effectively got me into serious model-making . Suddenly I knew what I was trying to do and how it could be done, and all the vast possibilities on offer. And suddenly  my efforts worked.

 

A key word in Iain Rice's vocabulary was "pragmatic" . He did not believe that compromises were always unacceptable , and he recognised that for most modellers, much of the time , modelling "without compromise" was simply not practical. He did not let the best become an enemy of the good - he was prepared to write a book on  how to build soldered trackwork, instead of preaching that only the assembly of trackwork plastic chair by plastic chair was truly acceptable.

 

Several people have called him an "accessible" modeller .  He never treated OO - or any part of the hobby - as "beyond the pale". Having a stake in US HO he couldn't see why 16.5mm gauge couldn't be made to work as effectively as other gauges, nor why RTR was necessarily always incompatible with good modelling. I remember a little time ago a finescale modeller telling me that really there are two hobbies and I wasn't part of the hobby he was in. That was never Iain Rice's approach . As a result his writings (as a P4 modeller) give this OO modeller his biggest practical leg-up in the hobby. His writing made successful model-making practical for me 

 

His legacy will be not so much in the layouts he built himself, but in the huge practical assistance he has given through his writings to so many modellers in so many aspects of a hobby. If you had a problem or a difficulty or an issue - Iain Rice's books were one of the places you turned for assistance

 

I am sorry to hear of his illness and death,  and thoughts and condolences to his family and friends

" The joy of making a model world ". Absolutely, and how well and engagingly he communicated both the making and the joy.

[Brian Harrap]

Twas Iain who, many moons ago, approached me in the cake shop in Chagford ( I don't know how he knew which cake shop I frequented) and suggested we (he and I) take ourselves and my first P87 layout on a jolly to an exhibition somewhere in Holland. That turned out to be the precursor to many such trips with various layouts and friends to exhibitions all over Europe. Thank you Iain.

Brian

[Kirby Uncoupler]

Sad news, lovely chap, always ready for a chat and a laugh at shows. It was a cruel twist that one so creative and productive, would succumb to Parkinson's, yet he carried on, where others would have just given up. He inspired me in my humble efforts, I adopted a lot of his ideas, like sound insulated baseboards, loco chassis mods, and countless scenic techniques.

     Who could ever forget about 20 years ago at Scaleforum, he popped up with his "Challenge (Anneka) Rice" point building roadshow, complete with banner (the title was a play on a topical TV show with Anneka Rice) where he was trying to encourage more people to build their own track and points, the challenge was could you build a point in less than half-an-hour (he could, and wanted to show everyone, how straightforward it could be). I turned up with my quick and easy fiddle yard version, a chopped up and re-gauged Peco point. Anneka, I mean Iain, stared at it in stunned silence, then broke into a beaming smile, while he quickly grabbed some wagons to try running through it, whilst we all got the giggles. It didn't matter how crude or terrible my effort was, he always welcomed new ideas.

      I'm from North London, I have a feeling Iain was from North-East London, maybe Chingford or Loughton, but I can't be sure? Chingford to Chagford?

       He will be greatly missed.

                                        Brian Kirby

[Re6/6]

Posted on Western Thunder.

 

Iain Rice's funeral service will be held at the Exeter & Devon Crematorium, on Wednesday October 26th at 2.00pm, in St Paul's Chapel. No flowers please, donations in memory of Iain are for Parkinson's UK, which can be left by retiring collection at the service, or sent c/o Albery & Redstone Funeral Directors 15 East Street, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1AS.

[Re6/6]

Iain's funeral was very well attended with the chapel full. We all learned so much about Iain's pursuits throughout his life, particularly some lovely anecdotes about his fire brigade service.

 

A full life lived. Rest peacefully Iain.

 

[RANGERS]

2 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

particularly some lovely anecdotes about his fire brigade service.

Him referring to them as "the yellow trousered fire folk" in one of his books still makes me smile!

[bécasse]

My November issue, no.229, of the Belgian model railway magazine Train Miniature Magazine (French script) / Modelspoor (Dutch script) arrived yesterday and I was very pleasantly surprised to find that Guy van Meroye, the editor, had devoted the whole of his editorial to a valedictory obituary to Iain.

 

This actually answered one question that had been raised earlier in this thread, he was born in North London but grew up in rural Essex. Trust a Belgian to know!

[NFWEM57]

I only took up modelling a few years ago but it was immediately obvious on reading Iain's book on building 4mm Finescale Track that he had a wealth of knowledge and experience that he communicated in a humorous, enlightening and highly educational manner.  Many more books were subsequently acquired, and I even gave one to a neighbour who is just starting out building N gauge dioramas; Layout Design.

 

I  never met Iain but clearly he will be long remembered by many, and rightly so.   I am glad to hear he had an excellent celebration of his varied and full life at his funeral.  RIP.

[fezza]

Very sad news - the greatest model railway author in my view and someone who was unusual in being very influential on both sides of the Atlantic. I hope he was aware of how much pleasure his work brought. His book on Light Railway designs is the most thumbed work in my library, although it will be a sadder read knowing Iain is no longer with us. His work on American shortlines was also inspirational - here's hoping he's having a drink with Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg...

[Rumblestripe]

Oh, my word. News can travel so slowly sometimes. Just found out of his passing in a reference in the MRJ292 thread. We have lost not just a fine modeller but a superb communicator, a much under-rated attribute, his words were always a delight to read as well as inspirational in content.

 

My thoughts and sincere best wishes to his family and friends. RIP and thank you.

[1466]

I was saddened to hear of Iain’s passing . Like many others have said he was a huge and inspirational figure - truly a giant of the model railway community.

I don’t want to duplicate the sincere tributes but my own memories are of a “ superb communicator” . He described a multi purpose van for fish and fruit  thus “  It spoke more of pilchards than of plums “. Quality !

My sincere condolences to to his family and many friends .

Ken 

Edited November 3, 2022 by 1466
Missing word “ said “

[robertc]

Iain was one writer I always looked forward to when buying British magazines years ago.

Sad to hear.

[bluestag]

He taught me so much.