Great Model Railroads Allen Keller Vol 60 W. Allen McClellands Virginian and Ohio Gauley Subdivision

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An innovative, pace setting model railroad is no more. W. Allen McClelland's world famous Virginian & Ohio, Gauley Subdivision has come and gone. On March 16th, 2008 Allen held the railroad's last open house. Due to physical limitations Allen and his wife have moved to a retirement home. About 200 V&O fans came to the final viewing to pay tribute to this legendary modeler and his HO layout.

Since the late 1960s Allen and his model railroad have been at the forefront of most of the advancements made in the hobby. He took the hobby from spaghetti bowl style layouts into the world of a complete miniature transportation system. Allen is responsible for most of what we take for granted today...linear design, walkaround control, staging yards, command control usage, weathering, computerized CTC , and his famous "good enough" philosophy.

This final version of the V&O was started in 2002 after the original V&O was torn out, and Allen moved to a new house. The Gauley Sub was planned as an extension of the old railroad.

Although this version of the railroad was never completed, many scenes were finished to a level suitable for photography. However, the ideas illustrated by Allen are worth documenting.

Allen will show you a new way to make a fascia, how to operate a staging yard, and how to make rocks out of pine bark.

The V&O is a Great Model Railroad because Allen believed that the whole of a layout is greater than the sum of its parts, and that we should model a railroad not just railroad models.