Rails Americana #30 - John Allen’s #9 Never Die - Beyond That Fire

Описание: The most skilled layout builder in Japan.
"The Denver & Green River Northern Railroad"42-1/2'X22-1/2' HO layout, under construction since 1977.
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John Allen’s #9 Never Die - Beyond That Fire

For the artistic layout builder and the world's most famous John Allen, the first model locomotive he acquired was an HO dockside tank engine produced by Varney. This encounter took place in 1946. From that small locomotive, he envisioned the first iteration of the Gorre and Daphetid Railroad layout, which evolved into the legendary large layout he built over a lifetime. Shortly after his sudden passing in January 1973, his beautiful layout and rolling stock were tragically consumed by a fire. However, over 40 years later, some charred remnants were fortuitously discovered. The National Model Railroad Association, upon acquiring these artifacts, commissioned me to restore the exteriors of three locomotives. After careful examination, I determined that all three could be restored to operational condition. And so, it was successful. Today, #8 and #10 are on public display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. #9, John Allen's first locomotive, was a special honor. It was gifted to me by the NMRA Board of Directors as a reward for my restoration efforts. It, too, has been restored and, as you can see, runs vigorously on my layout. The physical locomotive that Allen purchased back then, aside from the motor and most of the parts he added, is still very much alive. The greatest miracle was the discovery of the lead Fire Man figure, preserved inside the locomotive. He, too, continues to serve today. In this video, I invite you to see his presence through the window. This G&D Railroad #9 is truly a miraculous model locomotive. It survived the fire, reemerged after being missing for over 40 years, and was revived to operational status. Personally, it's the small locomotive that took the leading role in a single photo of Allen, coincidentally, when I was just 10 years old, inspiring me to become a layout builder. Today, it resides on my layout.