By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times
About 20 years ago, Kieth Merrill of rural Guthrie Center had an old hog barn that needed to be repaired or torn down. Because Merrill is a lifelong woodworker, he took on the task of repairing the building. That led to a hobby that continues to this day.
“The old hog barn was falling down, so I repaired it,” Merrill said. “Then, I had a train in my basement that I moved up here, and everything just kind of snowballed along from there.”
Before long, Merrill had added other trains. Occasionally, neighbors or family would bring a train if they found one that was special in some way.
Besides the trains and track, Merrill had to design and build a layout so that each train could run on its own track. Using scrap lumber, Merrill has constructed a series of suspended platforms for the tracks. The result is impressive, as each track completes a loop without interfering with any other track. When asked how many trains are in the building, Merrill isn’t sure.
“I’ve lost count. It’s about 25 or so,” he said. “The tracks all have numbers on them, so when my grandchildren come, they can tell me which ones to turn on.”
Although Merrill does not have a favorite train in the collection, he showed one on a figure-8 track and explained that has been a favorite of his grandkids, since the train nearly catches its own caboose on each lap.
Merrill pointed out one train that is set up apart from the others and has a holiday theme.
“That’s my wife’s,” he said. “She likes the Christmas scene.”
Merrill explained that all of his trains are three-rail “O gauge,” and some have special features such as lights or train sounds as they run. Merrill installed electrical wiring and control switches so he can turn individual trains on or off as needed. Inside the train loops, some toys from Merrill’s youth are displayed.
“I also have some Erector sets in there; I used to collect those,” he said.
Other interesting items are displayed around the walls of the building, including seed corn sacks from the first half of the 20th century. There are also several display cases holding butterflies of many species.
“Those were my father’s. He collected those when he was probably in his teens and 20s,” Merrill said of the butterflies. “There’s a lot of old stuff in here.”
Shelves on the walls display a variety of wooden toys made by Merrill. The toys include trucks, helicopters, airplanes and construction machinery.
“Well, I have a lot of scrap lumber, and, if a child comes, when they leave they can take a toy with them. I use patterns that I get out of a magazine.”
Another notable toy is a model of a car-powered sawmill.
“My brother-in-law and I had a sawmill, so I made this model of our sawmill,” Merrill said.
Merrill explained that he has adapted his hobby to the space available.
“I have a shop in the barn where I do my woodworking,” Merrill said. “This building doesn’t have heat or cooling, so I insulated it really well. So, I can work in here during the winter most of the time.”
With around 25 trains and track, plus the other items displayed, Merrill’s hog barn/train barn is fairly full already, but he intends to keep adding items as able. When asked about the most challenging part of his hobby, Merrill smiled.
“It’s not challenging because, to me, it’s fun,” Merrill said. “My life does not depend on getting any of this stuff done, but it’s something I can keep busy at.”
