Model Railroading > A giant of scale trains, Gene Allen

Hardly into my 2nd cup of coffee my wife was going through her facebook and said,  "Tom, Gene Allen died".  It would not have hurt more if someone had stabbed me with a knife. One of the problems of advancing age is losing your friends.

For those of you who do not know Gene, for many years he made and sold castings for 1.5" scale steam locomotives known as "Allen Models".  He had 4-4-0, 2-6-0, 2-8-0 and his most popular 4-6-0 in his catalogue.  My 10 wheeler is an Allen Model and you will see them and his 2-6-0's everywhere in live steam.  Gene built over a dozen engines too, and sold them to eager buyers.  They were excellent steamers..

Gene's fame though was not solely related to his business.  It was his genuine friendly nature that endured him to you. For many years he would travel from California to the Comanche and Indian Gap in Priddy Texas for a week long meet.  He was as eager to see his friends as we were to see him  Those weeks are treasured by all who were there. As his age got close to 90 he stopped making long trips.

Gene"s health, a stroke and neck problems finally forced him out of the hobby a year or so ago.

There are many of us saddened by his passing.  Hi green to you ole friend..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/16 11:22 by tomstp.

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sorry to hear...............

That beautful model, and your wonderful recollections, are a fine legacy.

Elizabeth

Nice tribute.  Well said.  RIP

What a huge loss to the live steam fraternity....I knew Gene through my membership with Seymour Johnson's private railroad club in Santa Barbara.....a true pioneer in our hobby....in my opinion, owning a Gene Allen model is/was the gold standard and the epitome of craftsmanship in our hobby.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/16 20:09 by livesteamer.

Yes seldom is that one of his engines is not on site at a meet anywhere in the US too. He sold the company to someone who is reviving it so his memeory will live on. Never met him but may he RIP.

Still on my "bucket list" to own a Allen engine....operated about 1/2 dozen or so over the years but have yet to own one.  

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

We had at least 5 of his engines at our meet this past weekend.

Here is my Allen ten-wheeler #669 on the turntable.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/16 13:32 by WrongWayMurphy.

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Here is the Master from his catalog photo probably 30 years ago.  And a more recent photo from 2006 in his stock room (smokebox saddles, stack, and pilot aprons behind him).

TL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/16 12:42 by TorchLake.

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Two more from Gene's "family."  NWP 112 built by Gene and owned for a long time by Andy Morrison (formerly a catalog "model locomotive") and H.K. Vollrath's Wabash 579 in Southern green and gold.

TL

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Gene Allen sold the business a few years ago to Marty Knox, who primarily builds Live Steam boilers.  Marty improved it a lot, with new catalogs and parts, an new 0-4-0, etc.  Marty recently sold it to Steve Alley in Nevada who now runs it.  On a sad note, Steve posted on another website that he was just waiting for a friend to set up a meeting so he could go meet Gene...

It is a shame Steve did not get the chance.

Let me tell you a story about Gene.  I called him one time needing some brake shoes and something else.  I asked him to tell me how much money I needed to send to him.  He said "don't worry I will send you a bill with the parts".  At that time he did not know me from Adam!  The parts arrived with a bill in side and I paid him promptly.   After we became good friends during the years I told him that I was shocked at the time I first contacted him that he did not want me to pay him in advance for the parts.   He looked at me and said  "Tom I do all my customers that way and only one time in 20 years did anyone not pay me.  Live steamers are a great bunch of people with high ethics".

That was Gene.