Introduction to the Virginian & Ohio
Allen McClellandDescription
This video introduces Allen McClelland’s famous HO scale Virginian and Ohio model railroad. The Virginian and Ohio, or V & O for short, has taken on a lore of a prototype among modelers and is often referred to as the complete model railroad. Every part of the railroad contributes to the whole and stands out without outshining the others. The Virginian and Ohio fills a 32 by 32 foot space of open grid benchwork, a 30 inch minimum radius, and a hand laid track. It is a Virginia coal haul and bridge route that interchanges with other model railroads.
McClelland is known for pushing the boundaries of modeling and responsible for many of the modeling approaches used today. He believes that prototypes can provide a solution to all modeling problems. The inspiration for the railroad’s name – as told to Allen Keller – comes from combining McClelland’s home state of Ohio and his railfanning in West Virginia and Virginia. Keller begins the tour of the impressive Virginian and Ohio model railroad in Blackstone, Virginia where a Smith subdivision enters the model portion of the railroad.
This is the legendary HO scale Virginia and Ohio of Allen McClelland. The V&O was a coal hauling bridge route in Virginia that interchanges with other model railroads. Even though it's a model, the V&O has taken on the lore of a prototype among modelers for good reason. Allen believes the prototype has a solution for all model railroading problems. This master model railroader has never been reluctant to challenge the conventional wisdom about the hobby.
So he's responsible for many of the philosophies and approaches that we take for granted today. The V&O is often referred to as the complete model railroad. All parts contribute to the whole and none outshines any other. Welcome, I'm Allen Keller and this is Allen McClelland, the builder of the Virginia and Ohio. Allen, why did you come up with that name for the railroad?
I always did a lot of railfanning in the states of Virginia and West Virginia, and Ohio being my home state, I wanted to tie them together, so that's where the Virginia and Ohio came from. The V&O fills an area 30 by 32 feet. It has open grid bench work, a 30 inch minimum radius and hand-laid track. Our tour of the layout begins at Blackstone, Virginia. Here the Smith subdivision enters the model portion of the railroad.
GREAT LAYOUT. I LOVE THE V&O