I try to model the Illinois Central and C & E I in the Vandalia/Salem Illinois area. I don’t try to get it down to individual scenes–just a feel for the area. Early to mid 1960’s
An exIC coal branch now a shortline after the mine went bust. Main staples of traffic are corn, fert, plastics and a rock transload. Set in 04 so I can have those 5161 hoppers rollin’ down the line. 2x20 with an Athearn SW1500, kitbashed Proto GP7M and I think I’m going kitbash a GP8.
Hey yellerock don’t forget about the pennsy.
Someday I plan to model my fictional railroad, The Midwestern RR. It will run modern equiptment, but also plenty of steamers and fierst gen. diesels. I’ve already statred drawing track plans.
I’m in the room prep (basement) stages of building a proto-lanced version of the CB&Q in the late 1960’s just prior to the merger which created the BN. Basement area is roughly 24 by 38 feet. Location is on a rural section of the double track main “somewhere” between Chicago and Galesburg, Illinois. That part of the layout will come out of staging, run around three walls of the basement, and return to staging. The freelance part is off this main will start a fictionalized sub-division/branch of the “Q” called the “Illiniwek River Branch” which will serve a jointly owned Burlington/IC coal mine, as well as some rural Illinois towns along the branch. There will also be interchanges, some live and some not, with the TP&W/ATSF, IC, Rock Island, CNW, PC and possibly Milwaukee Road.
What: BN
Where: BN Ravenna sub in NE.
When: 1973-4-5
Why: Coal boom was started just before then. Lots of CBQ (my favorite railroad) Plus GN, SP&S, NP, and the new BN paint scheme. With interchanges with the RI and CNW/UP.
Size: 14x10 1/2
I grew up in the city (St.Louis), but spent about 20 years in rural Kansas along the UP, Rock Island/Burlington; and it later years the Kyle (operating former Rock trackage) and the BN. I saw a little ATSF in those years, but mostly lived North of their operating territory in the Sunflower State. I am currently modeling a rather generic midwest version of the ATSF, primarily industrial switching. I could get into Western Maryland, or the Pennsy, etc.; but I so much more familiar with the midwest and south plains areas that I feel more confident modeling what I know.
CB&Q and the Wabash in the mines of central Illinois.
I model the BNSF in a fictional setting in Central Oklahoma. I run my trains on a 4x8 foot layout with a grain elevator serving as a industry.
Now how in the heck did this post get past me the first time?
I model the NKP in central Illinois, circa 1946-1950, between Peoria and Bloomington. Since the NKP in Peoria used the P&PU’s facilities and yards, I’m also modeling several of the roads that connected there, like the P&PU, PT Co, PRR, P&E, IC, C&IM, TP&W, M&StL, CB&Q and IT. On the mainline, I’ve got live interchanges with the ATSF, P&E, TP&W, IC, GM&O and IT. (thankfully, most of these roads are represented by one engine and one caboose!)
I live in Kansas, geographic region is the Plains states, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North/South Dakota and will be modeling the ATSF,BN, SP and UP in the 80’s around KCK/KCMO
my layout will kind of be midwestern. no specific roads as i buy what i like so there goes staying true to what ran through here. but i’ll have some stuff relating to grain mostly as i’m a huge hopper fan.
i consider myself a midwesterner. i live in Wisconsin and i consider this the upper midwest. i always hated geography.
I model Michigan.
When i finally get to building my layout, it will be based on the kind of railroading seen on the former C&NW Northwest Line and the communities that straddle the railroad all the way up the line.