Brakie, take heart. I haven't meet the modeleres you refer to so maybe I can't understand where they're coming from. However, John Armstrong's planning concepts were not outdated. He drew plans for people of every experience level. So, maybe those super planners you know of weren't aware of all John's work. His Track Planning for Operation book is outstanding. I've seen plans he made for specific prototypes that were very faithful. He also made plans without any referance to a prototype whatsoever. This, in my opinion, makes him far more talented than those who sacrifice the ability to fit a bit more in in order to faithfully reproduce an exact trackage arraingement. I can certainly respect someone who builds a model railroad with the exact track arraingement of some town or such, but no great thought was needed to do so. A great deal of research, yes. And I suppose someone can present a case where a great deal of thought was required to do so. I don't mean to offend anyone. But John could design whatever a client wanted. He presented his methods of doing so. To my knowledge, they were his original ideas. Those ideas, no doubt, made planning more pleasurable for many, I know they did for me.
What might make any of his work "outdated"? In the 50's "spaghetti bowl" plans were common. Sometime in the 70's (I'm guessing) linear planning became "the thing to do" I happen to agree, but Armstrong was there, he designed plenty of model railroads using that theory. So what, in the minds of those you refer to, leads to the conclusion he wasn't up with the times? Perhaps his 3rd rail O gauge line with scenery from "back then"? I'll admit I wasn't so impressed with his modeling, tho it was in fact very good for his time. The catch being for his time. His modeling could be looked at as behind the times, not his planning. And as others said, his sense of humor was wonderful. I enjoyed reading everything he wrote. Whether it fit my time period/location or not.
I haven't seen Octobers MR yet, probably won't for another week or so. I'm surprised to hear they made short mention of his passing. As someone stated above, it may have to do with getting it added to the issue before press time. I find it hard to believe that they won't devote several pages to him in November. Heck, if for no other reason than it will sell mags. He was, no matter how many of todays modelers don't know it, an icon. I wish I had met him.
Gary