God it makes you want to give up.

Not sure that I agree with Bernard, or whether if gives one something to aspire to.  Trouble is, there aren’t enough hours in the day, nor years left, for me to get anywhere near that level of competence.  Oh well, next time,perhaps ……

John

Excellent work but Gerald Wingrove gets my vote because not only did he make wonderful models he wrote many books and explained exactly how to do it.  He didn’t keep his techniques and skills a secret.   It’s all there in his books for others to learn from and for me his willingness to share his knowledge with other modellers makes him the best.

You would need to start by defining “engineer”, surely? Using the old “an engineer does for five bob what any fool can do for a quid” then my candidate would be LBSC. I also saw Barrington Hares Merlin run at Wembley once – Prof Chaddock in charge and with a space in front cleared of people! – as well as seeing a number of Cherry Hill’s models from close up and the quality of the workmanship, the research and sheer quantity of effort involved are to be greatly admired. But LBSC produced working designs aimed at the bloke in a shed at the end of the garden and did an enormous amount for model engineering. Highly accurate true-to-prototype scale models? No, not really – but stuff that worked with instructions for the less-skilled? Yes, for the most part.

Good Call ‘cogdobbler’ …….

Hard to choose because there’s no consensus on what we mean by ‘Model’ or ‘Engineer’!

Plus I worry that ‘all comparisons are odious‘ applies.   For example, Derek mentions Cherry Hill, Edgar T Westbury, and Professor Chaddock.   Quite right – all big hitters, but in very different ways, and I suggest their qualities can’t be compared meaningfully:

• Cherry Hill was a modest amateur, who scored highly for originality, deep research, accurate representation and the best possible craftsmanship.  She ticked the ‘no publicity’ box.  Famous by word of mouth.
• Edgar T Westbury was a professional engineer of the practical kind, trained at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, before becoming a technical journalist in later life.  Famous by being in the magazines!   He published extensively on many practical subjects and had a particular interest in Internal Combustion.  I don’t recall him taking much interest in steam.  His personal qualities inspired Nevil Shute’s “Trustee From the Toolroom”.
• Though he had plenty of industry experience, Professor Chaddock was a professional engineer of the mathematical kind.  Spent many years as a civil servant specialising in ballistics with the MoD, before becoming Professor of Engineering Design at Loughborough.  His Quorn sharpener is too difficult for most builders!  Published less than Westbury, but famously active in the community, providing much professional advice to hobbyists.

More blur, because Westbury and Chaddock collaborated on many projects; the cams on a Westbury engine often calculated by the Professor.   Should Model Engineers who share should be scored more highly than secretive loners because team work is essential in engineering?  If so Messrs Chadbury beat Cherry Hill.

LBSC is another kettle of fish!  A practical man with no professional training, he gave us locomotive designs that can be built with simple equipment.  He scores high amongst those want runners, but low amongst those who value scale-accuracy.  LBSC became a professional journalist.   He highlights, just an example, another problem with individuals.  Whilst LBSC’s early articles really do provide full “Words and Music”, with many hints and suggestions, much of his later work is disappointing.  Unlike Cherry Hill, who was consistently brilliant!   I don’t think LBSC and Cherry Hill can be compared because they’re not playing the same game!

And should professionals should be judged in a separate category?   A self-taught  “Man in Shed” (meaning a chap constrained by limited time, facilities and dosh) deserves more credit than a wealthy trained engineer with a well-equipped workshop.   Any fool can part-off on a Colchester, takes real skill on a worn out Adept.  Or a mini-lathe!

Can any individual be the ‘greatest model engineer’?  I think not.  We can agree the top 100 without fuss, but which of them is best depends entirely on how they are judged.   That depends on the jury and our criteria are wildly inconsistent.  Some think Model Engineering only means scale steam, I think it covers everything from Allan Keys to Zymosis.

I’d rather say everyone named so far is brilliant.   But don’t forget Percival Marshall who founded the modern hobby.  Or the likes of John Stevenson, who, it could be argued, wasn’t a model engineer at all?

Dave

George Britnell would have to be up there. He hasn’t made a Merlin engine, but numerous American V8, straight 6 and 4 cylinder car engines, with a matching transmission in one case, and many many model stationary and traction engines etc to an impeccable standard. Some of his work here: LINK

And we can’t forget the one and only Kozo Hiraoka in Japan and his fabulous model locomotives. Not only a great modeller but author of numerous books on how to build his locomotives, all written in his second language of English. Here: KOZO HIRAOKA LINK

I watched that video as well and an unbelievable effort. I believe his Merlin was on the front cover of the M.E. magazine in the mid 1980s? But that was where I first became aware of it.

Jerry Keiffer, https://craftsmanshipmuseum.com/artisan/jerry-kieffer/ And most certainly Rich Carlstedt, https://craftsmanshipmuseum.com/artisan/richard-carlstedt/ He’s mentioned to me a bit of the back story about what was involved in his years of design research and some of what it took to produce his model of that Monitor Engine. There’s a very small handful of people who might have the drive, ambition and combined talents that could do the same. He’s also a recognized authority on that Monitor engine, enough so he gives lectures at the museum doing the full sized engines restoration.

I’d also agree about George Britnell. Amazing what he accomplished and carved out of billets to replicate what were originally castings at full size. And doing so without cnc by just coordinate manual machining with a round column mill/drill.

I don’t know his full name, but another would be his astounding non scale build of this 1/3rd size car. https://www.youtube.com/@Keith5700/videos A very unique and vast combination of skills.

Overall though, I’d still have to put Mrs Cherry Hill / Hinds at the top.

On 19 August 2025 at 17:40 Pete Said:

 

I’d also agree about George Britnell. Amazing what he accomplished and carved out of billets to replicate what were originally castings at full size. And doing so without cnc by just coordinate manual machining with a round column mill/drill.

I didn’t know George Britnell did all that on a manual round-column mill! Wow, that is some craftsmanship in itself.

Another thought to consider, does being able to produce a superb model of an existing design qualify someone to be called a great engineer?  It would certainly qualify them as a great machinist or craftsman/woman which is different from an engineer?

Based on the above I would suggest Prof Chaddock stands head and shoulders above the other names mentioned.

I’m not sure I agree with that view but I am sensitive to the use of the term “engineer”.

Yes there are certainly liberties taken with the word engineer, vs machinist, fitter, toolmaker, craftsman, clockmaker, engine driver and etc.

Model Engineer seems to have taken on a meaning of its own over the years though, encompassing all of the above. But as someone said already, if oft refers to neither the making of models nor an engineer doing it.