Vol. 38: Bluff City Southern Part 1
Allen Keller’s Bluff City Southern is set in the area around Memphis of 1950 when cotton was king. He models 5 railroads- Illinois Central, Frisco, L&N, Missouri Pacific and Southern-that helped make the city a major distribution center for the Mid-South. The HO scale BCS is filled with deep scenes that are highly detailed. Allen tries to embellish the interesting qualities of a scene while de-emphasizing the dull parts. The railroad and its scenes are a way for Allen to re-capture his childhood in Memphis of the 1950s. He’s captured the look of hot, vast fields, slower paced rural living, poor but proud sharecroppers, and magnificent mansions of the antebellum South.
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1:30Overview of the Bluff City Southern
Join Allen Keller on a trip around the Bluff City Southern. This HO Scale model is a representation out of the past, depicting several states in the south from the 1950’s. This model is a representation of five great locations around Memphis, Allen’s boyhood home. This model spans all the way from Greenville, Mississippi to…
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5:13Bluff City Southern: A Behind the Scenes Tour
Join us as the Illinois Central pulls into Friars Point on a behind the scenes tour of the Bluff City Southern. You’ll see the train pull through the southern countryside. See our next stop along the way in Alligator, Mississippi where you will find a large automotive parts plant. This tour through farmlands in the…
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9:47Operations on the Bluff City Southern
Go back in time with a trip into the railroading past! In this video, get an in-depth view of the Bluff City Southern in full operation. See and hear this train station as it was back in the 1950’s. You’ll experience in fine detail an engine pull into the station and drop off a car…
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5:34Planning and Inspiration for the Bluff City Southern
In this video, Allen Keller discusses the inspiration behind the Bluff City Southern. He explains that this model is a representation of his formative years in Memphis, Tennessee. This model consists of five of the railways from the 1950’s that rolled through that part of the country. He explains that this timeframe is one of…
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5:29Using Styrofoam Foundations in Benchwork
Allen Keller discusses tips and techniques for laying styrofoam foundations on your model railroad benchwork. He explains the importance of using a wooden beam under any type of styrofoam foundation, regardless of the thickness. The benefits of using styrofoam, as opposed to a wooden foundation become apparent immediately given the versatility in cutting foam into…
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5:14Creating Weeds for Your Model Railroad Scenery
Weeds are an important part of having an authentic and creative model railroad layout. In this video, Allen Keller teaches you a fun technique for creating weeds for your model railroad scenery using fake fur. Fake fur is pretty easy to find at any craft store and usually is available in big sheets. Go through…
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4:11Weathering Technique Using Tempura Paint
Weathering is an important component on a model railroad layout and is a major part of making your scenery as realistic as possible. Master modeler Allen Keller is known for his skills of weathering the elements of his layouts, and has done numerous kinds of weathering techniques over the years. There is one method of…
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5:41Build Your Own Urban Buildings for Your Railroad Layout
Well, it turns out Allen Keller has a nickname. Want to find out what it is? Find out right here in this premium video. Finding out his nickname isn’t the only perk provided in this video. For instance, learn how to build spectacular urban buildings to add more personality to your layouts. Find out how…
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4:49Painting Railroad Tracks and Ballasts
There are so many ways to make your model railroad track look good and unique! Allen Keller teaches you a few tips and techniques to make your track look outstanding. Allen goes through each step of executing this technique with you. Start by getting a simple HO track and begin cutting the ties off with…
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