I am completely entranced with the Duluth Mesabi & Northern layout, which is the first article in the newest edition of Model Railroad Planning! Having visited Duluth many, many times over the years, I have always been fascinated by the Ore Boats, Ore trains and Ore docks and Duluth Harbor surely shows this industry off to the best of any place on this planet!
If you have recieved this latest issue, what is your favorite layout?
Interesting! Is there absolutly no interest in this topic?
Perhaps, since the issue just came out, few have had a chance to look at it yet. I don’t have it yet myself…
Tom
That’s also interesting! I saw on this forum where someone had stated that they had gotten their issue of MRP sometime around the 11-12th. I had gotten mine on the 17th. I’ve noticed that others get there issue of MR almost two weeks, before I do. Because I live in a rural area, I simply assumed I was getting all my mailed magazines later than most everyone else. I guess that’s not the case!
I also took this issue as an electronic copy. I thought that would be a good way to see if I think electronc versions are are a good way to go. So, everyone who took the issue elecronically, should have their copy by now, if I have gotten mine. So far, I have yet to open up the electronic copy, which reminds me I will do that now.
At any rate, I hope people will be enjoy their issue of Model Railroad Planning!
That name sounds familiar…Can’t recollect where though.
I pick up my isssue yesterday and haven’t read any of it.
Wasn’t that road also known as the Duluth Mesabi & Iron Range???
Cheers,
Frank
The DM&N(Duluth Missabe & Northern) and the D&IR(Duluth & Iron Range) were merged together to form the DM&IR(Duluth Missabe & Iron Range) in the late 30’s. Both were owned by United States Steel. The D&IR leased the DM&N in 1930, and in 1938, all of the USS Minnesota properties were merged together to form the DM&IR.
Note that the iron range served by the DM&E is spelled ‘Mesabi’, but the railroad spells it ‘Missabe’…
Jim
Ahh…That’s where I heard that name.
Thanks Jim! [tup]
Thanks for the info Jim. I thought there was some similarity there…
Cheers,
Frank
You say Mesabi, I say Missabe ! [:P]
The Penn Central’s Niles Branch, beginning on page 78. A slower pace type of layout with a linear track plan. I think the last few issues of MRP have been really good over the years.
There is information in this article on the merger of the DM&N and D&IR.
Western New York & Pennsylvania. Alcos in a 21st Century setting. Enough traffic to be interesting, but not so much as to require a cast of thousands to operate.
Plus I’ve seen the railroad.
Andre
That was my close second, because of the current usage of Alcos and that fact the railroad can be seen operating today.
Zero!
I too can use exclamation points!
Even though I prefer HO, I liked the N scale Geneva Sub. The landlord here would never let me do an around the basement layout. Maybe I could learn hypnotism.
Well, I’ll be. It sounds like you and I have the same landlord. [(-D]
Rich
When I read any articles about layouts in the magazines; or, these special issues, I pay very little attention the the scale they are built in, as the scale really doesn’t seem to matter very much (at least to me). I guess if I wasn’t HO, maybe scale would matter a bit more, as it would be good to see something in my chosen scale. However, what I enjoy about the articles, is they describe what the owner/builder was attempting to accomplish with his layout, which transfers to any scale.
Note that the DM&E - the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern - doesn’t serve the Mesabi Range!! [;)]
The electric interurban that served the Mesabi Range spelled it “Mesaba” in it’s name.
I just picked up the issue yesterday and haven’t opened it yet, but I’ve attended a couple of programs locally by the guy who wrote it. Most recently he gave a ‘class’ on track planning and realistic operations at the Burlington Route Historical Society convention in St.Paul last fall. He has a lot of knowledge, and some pretty strong opinions - he noted that in his opinion, even the “Model Railroad Planning” issues normally only have one or two layouts that are really planned out to operate like the real thing, and it’s even rarer in general MR or RMC layout articles.
Missabe, Mesabi, Mesabe and Misaba are all white man attempts at pronouncing the Native American’s word for giant, per the author of the article in MRP, Jeff Otto. The pronunciation Mesaba was used in a small commuter airline “Mesaba Airlines” which was a part of Delta Airlines until January of 2012. It appears there are many ways to pronounce the word.
Mr. Otto had a 31 year career working for the C&NW. So, I guess he is entitled to opinions about railroads and how they work. Did you get that there is 4,200 feet of hand laid track and 570 scratch-built-in place turnouts. That’s impressive, at least to me!