Frances Lee Jaques built the Great North road. Does anybody know anything about this guy and have pictures of his layout?
The layout was in the Mpls/St Paul area - I saw it in the 60’s. My understanding is that when he pased away, the layout was dismanteled and stored - Then to be put together in a ‘Childrens Museum’. Not sure if that was ever completed…
Jim Bernier
I was doing a google search on Jaques and found this old post. The layout was in fact reassembled and restored and is on exhibit in a special building at the Minnesota mining museum in Chisolm, well worth a visit if you get up there. Although he had an article on his layout in the May 1962 MR, he’s not a well-known figure in the hobby, even though his ability is probably comparable to John Allen. A station on my layout is named Jaques after him.
Jaques himself is an interesting figure, a noted US nature artist, whose skill is visible all over the web, and also in the backdrop of his layout. A google search is worthwhile.
Come to think of it, MR or MRVP really ought to revisit that 1962 article and run up to Chisolm and re-introduce later generations to that layout. I notice that on MRVP, Jim Hediger credits John Armstrong with the first multi-level layout in the 1970s, but the Great North Road had come up with the same idea much earlier.
Are there any pictures of the layout?
South Penn
some web searches can help you find it, but the MRR article shows it off best. Its O gauge, the track is channel L, engines, cars have no flanges. All custom made. The painted backdrops and scenery is stunning. The articulateds looked like super power 2-8-8-2’s but in fact were 2-4-4-2’s. The power of suggestion is working here working the illusion. If you can get there, go see the layout.
I’m glad to hear that it was saved! Finding a new home for a layout, even an outstanding one, after its owner has passed away can be terribly difficult unless the owner previously made arrangements. And even then, that’s not a guarantee. I’ve been going through this with a friend’s layout for four years, now.