Allen Keller, Author at Model Railroad Academy

The Hardware Supply Background Building

March 30, 2020 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

Here is another background building that my friend Curt Goff needed for his railroad. This kit offers some modification options that I could not pass up.

Assembling a Walthers Background Building

February 28, 2020 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

For a number of years, Walthers has offered its large buildings in a version that fits nicely against a backdrop for layouts with limited space. I built the full-size version of this furniture building for my Bluff City Southern more than 20 years ago, so why would I need to read the directions? Well, I…

Riding Amtrak on the California Zephyr

September 5, 2019 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

This is the Sacramento station which hosts not only Amtrak but California sponsored commuter trains and buses. This building has been under renovation since 2012, but so far, no restaurant has been opened. However, another 5 to 10 years are needed to finish the work.

Riding Amtrak on the City of New Orleans Pt. 2

August 28, 2019 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

This is the interior of the Galesburg, Illinois Amtrak station where we de-trained from the California Zephyr. The late arrival of the Zephyr made this our only choice to connect with the City of New Orleans for the return to Memphis. Had we continued to Chicago we would have missed our connection with the City.…

Riding Amtrak on the Coast Starlight

August 28, 2019 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

When it’s time to leave Portland, we depart from the beautiful Union Station. There are even palm trees planted in front of this hundred plus year old building. The Coast Starlight will take us to Sacramento where we plan to catch the train back to Chicago. Inside the well-maintained station are some really great neon…

Riding Amtrak on the Empire Builder

August 14, 2019 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

We board the Amtrak Empire Builder at Chicago’s Union Station which is the hub for all public rail in Chicagoland. We will be on this train for 2 nights and 3 days for the 2200-mile journey. It’s mid-afternoon when we follow the other sleeping car passengers from the Metropolitan Lounge to our track. It’s hard…

Riding Amtrak on the City of New Orleans Pt. 1

August 14, 2019 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

Our cross-country trip began here in Memphis, Tennessee at Central Station in downtown. Since we started at night, I had to take this picture in the daytime so you could see what is being done to a 105-year-old Illinois Central depot and office building. Local businesses are putting $55 million into the project to turn…

Choo Choo Cityrails Southeastern Region Convention

July 23, 2019 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

The 2019 convention of the Southeastern Region National Model Railroad Association was held in Chattanooga, Tennessee in late May at the downtown DoubleTree Hotel. About 280 people attended the convention sponsored by the Region’s Cherokee Division. As usual there were many clinics on model railroading including this one presented by Pelle Seeborg from Denmark on…

A Visit to Tennessee’s Official Train Museum

July 15, 2019 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga is the state’s official railroad museum although it’s run by volunteers and paid staff. It was started in 1960 and now has 3 miles of track. I and a number of train fans recently had a chance to spend the morning visiting. There are a number of vintage…

Movable Curtain Keeps the Bugs Out!

May 21, 2019 By Allen Keller & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

What do you do when you have a railroad next to an unheated and semi-open staging yard? Well Dave Houseman solved the problem when he wanted to run trains from the regular layout room into an adjacent utility space that was sort of open to the elements, including bugs. Here at the Newport scene on…