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  • James Almy points out details on the steel mill he constructed for the Duncan SWORA club. He has been working on model trains and landscapes full time since 2003. Joshua Kellogg

    Trains keep Almy busy in retirement
April 18, 2011

Trains keep Almy busy in retirement

Joshua Kellogg The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — James Almy has an eye for detail. As a member of the Southwestern Oklahoma Railroad Association, Almy spent his time Saturday making sure the trains circumnavigating the showroom  during their Annual Spring Open House were operating properly.

Almy has been involved in model trains since the 1960’s but has only been pursuing his hobby full-time since 2003.

After retiring from the regional airline American Eagle, and having his children grow up and move out, it was the passing of his wife Delphine that caused him to embark on this passion full-time.

“Once I retired, my kids moved out and my wife passed, I wanted to keep busy,” Almy said. “So I decided to fill that time working part time at my church and working on model trains.”

Almy said he does a little bit of everything at First Baptist Church but spends most of his time operating sound equipment for services and activities.

Spread out across the main showroom inside the club’s headquarters, is a modified ‘U’ shape that has grown over several years of work. Operating at just above waist height, trains travel over and through mountains, transversing through cities and countryside.

Each member of the club is responsible for a section of the model to design and each builds it their own way.. Almy was assigned a portion at the bottom of the ‘U,’ on the inside. Within his space, Almy decided to build a miniature steel plant and passenger terminal.

“I’ve always liked the idea behind steel plants and how they operate” Almy said. “I like seeing how they work, and always enjoyed learning more about them.”

Searching for inspiration for his steel plant, Almy made a trip to Arkansas to study a small steel plant to visit and take photos of for reference.

“I had read about a kit that could be used to construct a steel plant, and purchased it,” Almy said. “I built, painted and decorated the plant according to how it was arranged in the photographs.”

The construction of the steel plant and the passenger terminal took two years, on and off, Almy said.

When asked about what part of working on model trains that he enjoyed the most, Almy said everything.

“It is a relaxing, fun and enjoyable hobby,” Almy said. “It’s a hobby you can do when you feel like it and not when you don’t feel like it. It’s a pure and simple hobby.”

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