Allegheyn Midland

[Anonymous]

On one of my email lists yesterday there was a post with a link to a website titled the "Allegheny Midland Historical Society".

Http://kc.pennsyrr.com/layouts/koester/

Why would Tony construct a website for the railroad he has torn down? There are even references to the layout no longer existing in his basement on the website.

I admire Tony's modeling and it was a sad day when the Midland Road was dismantled, but it seems odd to construct a website for it AFTER the fact.
Any comments?

[Anonymous]

Well, as it turns out I can't type! It's Allegheny Midland!

[AltonFan]

The Allegheny Midland represented about twenty years of Tony Koester's life. He put a lot of thought and hard work into the layout, from railroad conception to construction to operation. Even though in the end, Koester found the AM wanting, it was a valuable experience, and it is appropriate that the AM be suitably memorialized, and the experience gained on that layout will be mined for useful information for years to come.

I think Koester deserved credit for his willingness and courage to start over, from scratch, rather than soldier on with a layout that was beginning to lose its appeal. I think it's generous of Tony Koester to make available information about a layout that he felt he had to abandon.

Tony Koester is at work on a new layout, aimed at replicating a Nickle Plate Road line in the closing years of the steam era. Koester is returning to his first love, and to the things that got him interested in model railroading in the first place. And that's not a bad place to be.

[Anonymous]

My own road might well generate some interchange traffic with the old AM, so I'm glad to know that there is a reference and historical source such as this. I like to include examples of well-known model railroads on my own, it feels almost like we're all modeling the same fictional world in which all of our model empires were real. It is affirming, and I don't think it detracts from the realism at all. In fact, my short line is loosely based on two modern short lines, the South Branch Valley (Route of the Potomac Eagle!) and the Winchester Western (the original Winchester version, not the NJ franchise). I run cars lettered for each of these roads on my own, even though they wouldn't actually exist if my own WP&P is a replacement for them! I get away with it because, in a way, I'm the only one who really knows the truth from the fiction...

...Except, DRAT! I just told you.

[Anonymous]

Tony Koester likes scale model railroading and is not afraid to share his successes and failures with others so we do not have to re-invent the wheel. My hat is off to a man with the fortitude of Tony Koester. I can only wish him the very best with his current project.

Tom

[ClinchValleySD40]

I don't believe Tony has anything to do with the web site or the historical society. Same with Allen McClelland and V&O site.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AltonFan

Tony Koester is at work on a new layout, aimed at replicating a Nickle Plate Road line in the closing years of the steam era. Koester is returning to his first love, and to the things that got him interested in model railroading in the first place. And that's not a bad place to be.

I like so many others have enjoyed the layout as well as Mr. K's writings over the years. One thing I always wondered about, though, if the NKP of Mr. Koester's youth is so near and dear to his heart, how come he just didn't build it from day one, instead of the AM. I don't recall seeing this addressed anywhere, though I'm sure it probably was as it seems (at least to me) like a very obvious question to ask him.

Anyone know?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CBQ_Guy

QUOTE: Originally posted by AltonFan

Tony Koester is at work on a new layout, aimed at replicating a Nickle Plate Road line in the closing years of the steam era. Koester is returning to his first love, and to the things that got him interested in model railroading in the first place. And that's not a bad place to be.

I like so many others have enjoyed the layout as well as Mr. K's writings over the years. One thing I always wondered about, though, if the NKP of Mr. Koester's youth is so near and dear to his heart, how come he just didn't build it from day one, instead of the AM. I don't recall seeing this addressed anywhere, though I'm sure it probably was as it seems (at least to me) like a very obvious question to ask him.

Anyone know?

I think he once said it was because there wasn't enough NKP stuff at the time.