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Hi Nck: I started construction on this railroad my retirement from actual, railroading which was four years ago. Track was in place (around 75' of main track on narrow shelves) and operations began a couple of month's later. Along with the replication of the Monticello Railway Museum at Monticello, IL I added a small freight short line to handle a few customers, add more operations and a main line jct. where Class 1 railroads provide passenger and freight interchange. While the actual museum does handle freight cars for storage they don't serve any freight customers. But, having spent a good deal of my career starting up and operating short lines I took the best of a few and added a small freight short line which operates on museum trackage. Attached are a couple of more shots of the railroad.

Attached is a photo of my replication of the Monticello, IL railway Museum where I have been a life member for over 50 years. This area is a piece of 1/2" plywood, 2'X8' and feeds into an around the walls railroad 21'X20' and into three other rooms in our condo basement. Enjoy, Barry

CNW had a branch line which went through Crandon in addition to the former Soo Line/WC/CN secondary line. Both lines are now gone at Crandon and there never was much business there...mostly pulp wood for the paper mills, a bit of LP gas and maybe some fertz. inbound. The only, pix I could find came from a CNW historical site and shows a steam locomotive and a passenger combine, baggage coach at the Crandon depot. I'll also include a pix of a later CNW engine on a turntable with rudimentarty servicing facilities and an engine house. However, I don't believe it was at Crandon but up that way in the Wisconsin woods. Keep in mind that any trackage at these locations would be minimal...no fancy inglenocks, time savers or just a bunch of spurs. No, there would be a run around/siding/house track maybe a wye or spur to a turntable (if the end of the line or jct.) to turn locomotives/cars and possibly a spur or two to serve a pulp loader, feedmill/fertz. dealer or a gas distributor. Enjoy, Barry

Thanks, for the comments. Attached is another short line which I started up for Progresive Rail over in Wisconsin,2005. .It was a former CNW/UP mainline reduced to fifty miles and a dozen industries.It now is one of the busiest short lines in the country with five, huge frac sand plants on line, several miles of new track many cars (3-4,000) more locomotives many leased and several foreign ones to handle these long sand trains in interchage. A bit has been lost but more has been won. Enjoy, Barry

Thanks, for the nice comments. Here are a few more close up pix of the shortline enginehouse/office, some industries and a couple of the railroad museum plus a better railroad diagram. Enjoy, Barry

I haven't posted for a few years due to retirement, re-location and contruction of a new railroad based on the Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello, IL. I grew up as a teen in Urbana, Il became a life member at this museum fifty years ago at one time owning two cabooses our family kept there and began my railroad career working for the illinois Central as a brakeman in the 60s. Even though I now live in Minnesota, I have an aged mother who lives close by which requires several trips for her care and help teach the safety and operating rules forr the meuseum. Attached are a couple of rough drawings of the sceniced portion 25'x21' of the railroad based on the museum and Monticello but with artistic license used here and there to add to the short line's activity. The two drawings are connected frtom the bottom left to the top left. The actual railroad travels through 4 rooms on narrow shelves and is basically loop to loop, about a 100 feet long. Also included are some photos of the layout...a work in progress. Enjoy, Barry

Over the past weekend (what is a weekend when retired?) I read through all the posts throught the years onthis site. Having retired after fifty years as a railroader I thought I would share a few track layouts from some short lines I worked on. Maybe this will aid others not familiar with prototype track plans better understand US ones. First up, some from the former Minneapolis Northfield and Southern R.R. in Bloomington and Richfield , Minnesota...their old High Line and now Progessive Rail's Dan Patch short line. This road began as a supposed trolley railroad with sharp curves and steep grades (1-2% between city blocks) and then in the 50s moved to an industrial park road. Today, much of the former boxcar/reefer business is gone to trucks but there is still some tank, covered covered hoppers (plastics/ cement), flats and a few boxes( drywall/lumber)...all of it inbound and mtys outbound. Enjoy these. If these files open correctly, they progress from #5, Auto Club Jct (connection with former MN&S/CP) to #1. end of track. I hope this works. Questions? Barry

Thanks, much, SEB. I already have some of these products but will be buying others you listed. Barry

Hi SEB: I really admire your trees and foilage. Are those Super trees from Scenic Express and if so what type of foilage material are you using? Tree leaf material or ground foam? I am currently, making some trees/foilage using Super Trees products and would like to achive similar results like yours. Thanks, for any information/clarification. Barry

Great work Noah. There's a story behind the 2381. It was Soo's only SD before they purchased the SD-40/-2s and was purchased to replace the 2-10-0 which shoved ore jimmies up the Ashland , Wi. ore dock. When I worked for the Soo in the 70-80s during a period in the power board (handled system distribution of locomotives, cabooses, unit trains, special moves, derailments, etc.) the 2381 usually was left up in Superior, WI. to push road freights out of the yard on their way to St. Point and Chicago. One young officer who also started in the power board took a liking to the 2381 and when he went out in the field as a trainmaster it followed him where ever he was assigned:Superior WI., Glendwood, MN., Enderlin,ND. Minneaplois, MN., etc.. After a while he left the Soo to work for other railroads, like myself easing in retirement a couple of years ago. The Soo Line railroad was a great place to learn operations as an officer because many officers were much older and while amused by us young guy's interest (railfan) in the company, generously, tolerated and encouraged us. Barry

That's a nice Intermountain model, Seb. The paint scheme is the last one of the Illinois Central Gulf before they went back to black as the Illinois Central Railroad. I probably rode this engine as a brakeman when it was in the orange and white paint back in the late 60s.

Seb that engine, 150, an SW1500 is my favorite. When I worked for Progressive Rail in Minnesota and Wisconsin we had a bunch of those which I ran. The high cab gave me, as engineer, a better view going both forward and back to be able to see my conductor and at road crossings. I liked the locomotives which had "road" (flexicoil) trucks on them because they handled rough track better than some which had switcher trucks. It dosen't matter much to modelers but when you spend 12 hours a day running one of these engines you appreciate a more comfortable ride. The foilage and trees look, just, like what you would see on regional/short line railroads which have taken over operations of a larger railroad which didn't maintain the line very well. Often because of mature tree, growth arching over the tracks you will find "tree tunnels" which dring the summer hide trains going through them. Thanks for sharing pictures of your railroad. Barry

This is one of the best, most realistic, shelf, railroads I have seen. I have been following your progress on the face book page and I appreciate that not only did you include both facing and trailing point switches but also a run around track to enhance operations. It's also more realistic and offers more switching challenges. Being a retired railroader this looks like the type of railroad that icould be very, satisfying. Great, work, Seb. Thanks, for sharing. Barry

We call them either a derail if it's a device over the rail or a split rail derail if there is only one switch point. Barry

Back when i was in N scaleI had atleast one locomotive and caboose for each of the 15 railroads I worked for plus a few freight/passenger cars if possible. After I moved to HO I realized how dumb it was to have so much stuff so I gradually sold it off leaving a few roads but mostly Illinois Central locomotives and cars. Now in Ho, I have limited my equipment to four roads, 12 locomotives (all DCC/Sound) and about 75 cars. Small and simple is better. Barry

Hi John: Some of the Bachmann steamers are close to CNW prototypes and with DCC/Sound and some decals would work well. BTW, the reason I suggested orange, PFE/UPFE mechanical reefers for your layout is that during the period you model the CNW being a close partner with UP used those types of reefers rather than sending them home mty to the UP. In addition they also leased a lot of plain orange mechanical reefers and placed their reporting marks on them. A very easy kit bash.

Attached is a photo of my new Illinois acquistions. Barry

I have enjoyed this time on your website acquainting some of you with a bit of midwest railroad information and I always am inspired by the small railroads you guys build. Surely, the photos from your layout as well as others proves to many north American modelers that there is always room for a model railroad if you want one. Recently, I had another revalation in my modeling information when I visited my elderly mother down in Illinois to handle some family business and to hold a rules and safety class for the Monticello Railroad Museum. It was a quick, four day, trip down and back from our home in Minnesota and it was packed with activity with me suffering from a sinus infection but one of the high lights was meeting a new elderly friend who had also been a railroader. My mother wanted me to visit a couple from her church whose husband "loved trains" and would enjoy talking with me about them. This has happened many times in my career and frequently led to someone with only a basic train layout and really wanted to see if I could arrange a cab ride on one of the roads I worked for so I was a bit hesitant to make the visit. However, to my complete surprise the gentlemen had a pretty neat simple HO layout but the clincher was that he had been a brakeman for the Illinois Central from 1950-1961 just six years before I started my railroad career with the IC in 1967 out of the same terminal, Champaign, Il..The best part was that during that time, it was the last years of steam on the IC and he plenty of facinating tales to share about his experiences braking and also learning how to fire, 2500 and 2600( 4-8-2), series steam locomotves during that time on the "Mainline of Mid America". After a few short minutes we were exchanging stories about men we had worked with that we both knew and operating experiences we had. At the end of my visit we agreed to try and meet again before I had to return home. That return visited happened the night before I headed home and he presented me with a gift of a Bachmann, 2-8-0,(patterned after an IC locomotive) and a brass IC, tranfers caboose. I thanked him but told him I already had four of those engines but he insisted that "I would now have five" and that he wanted me to have them. Both are painted and lettered. the engine for a fictious Illiinois, shortline and the caboose red, and IC reporting marks. Wow, what neat additions to the roster and these will operate on my museum layout. BTW, since the engine was DC and i run DCC alI had to to do to make it a DCC/Sound locomotive was swap tenders and body shells from one of my other engines and iwas in business. Sorry, for the long explantion of my neat experience but you never know how a situation will turn out. Barry

Hi Andrew: Concerning the "Lines West" saga there are many well meaning fans who felt this should have been saved and could today be competitive with other western roads. The truth is that the route west was the last built by any of the western railroads and as a result by-passed large cities or arrived there late and most customers were already being well served by those roads. There also was very little on line business and the route was long and very expensive to build plunging the Milwaukee into receivership shortly after they completed construction. Finally,by the 70s the line was broken down from WW2 traffic and there was no money to re-build it. Derailments and slow orders were commom place and the only thing management could do was patch things up rather than re-habilitate the track. Having spoken to many of the "movers and shakers" who made corporate decisions in the Milwaukee's last days, it was very tough to close and abandon "Lines West" but there was little they could do as it was hemoraging red ink and they couldn't afford to keep it. There was no intention of "down grading" the line it was just wore out and served no useful purpose other than killing the rest of the Milwaukee.. Having started up/operated quite a few short lines created from beat up, former, secondary and branch lines I never could justify ones which had many miles of steep gradess, lots of sharp curves, tall, bridges (especially,high,timber trestles which are potential, fire hazards) lite rail, battered joints, rotten ties and mud ballast with few customers. This pretty much describes Lines West at the end. Barry

Nice looking cars and engines, John. You know if you replaced those two boxcars spotted at the concrete dock with a pair of orange, PFE/UPFE mechanical reefers they would fill in for the cheese reefers.Maybe if you want to add a building over the dock with a pair of loading doors for the cheese it would simulate a cold storage warehouse. Just some thoughts. Barry

I have been blessed to have many wonderful experiences during my time on the rails and am happy to share them with others. Barry

Hi John: Point of fact: The Soo never intended on getting the Milwaukee Road...just bidding up the price so it would hurt the CNW financially when they did, the CNW would have to sell off/abandon many lines and the Soo would gain trackage rights to KC along with the ability to cherry pick what lines they wanted without spending a lot of money. Because the CNW had bid more money than the Soo we were looking at setting up crew change points on the former RI Spine Line to exercise our asked for trackage rights to get to Kansas City and other roads for Gulf destined grain. You see, Soo grain formerly had loaded in the Dakotas and then moved by rail to the Twin Ports (Duluth-Superior) for export east. However, the lake boats and foreign ships moving through the Soo locks at Sault Saint Marie (this where the phonetic name Soo Line came from), Michigan in the 70s had become too large to fit through the locks and export grain had shifted to buyers through Gulf ports so that's why all the midwest roads wanted to get to KC. We at the Soo had already shelved our purchasing plans and stored them in the basement of the Minneapolis general office basement figuring the CNW would get the Milwaukee. Much to our surprise, the trustee over-seeing the sale was on a business car special riding down the Mississippi river valley rails to KC and enjoying the beautiful scenery. As he enjoyed the ride he asked a VP, which of the two roads would keep that line and he was told the Soo so they could gain entrance to KC. He then made the "bomb shell" statetment: "Well if I was making my decision today I would give it to the Soo"! That comment hit the newspapers, the CNW immediately withdrew their bid (which they had discovered was way too high,it being a political year would not have allowed them quick abandonment of both CNW and Milwaukee duplicate lines) and we at the Soo had to bring up all our acquisiton studies from the office basement to put together an operating plan. Mr. Dennis Cavanaugh then the young Soo President had to figure out where to come up with the necessary financial resources to complete the purchase. To do he had to sell the Soo's former main line to Chicago to the budding Wisconsin Central people and Mr. cavanaugh soon was gone from the Soo. All of this information was told me by one of the Milwaukee VPs who assisted in the closing of Lines West (it should have never been built) and re-organization of the Milwaukee with what was left. Another fact, is that in reality, the Milwaukee folks really took over much of the Soo staff because Soo folks were older and set in their ways and Milwaukee folks were generally younger and had a "survivor's mentality" to grow and improve things. Because I had worked for both roads I generally got along well with all concerned but when one of my old bosses from the CNW, Ed Burkhardt was putting together the new, Wisconsin Central he asked me if I wanted to join them. It didn't take long to make the decision and soon I was the new WC, Twin Cities, trainmaster/engineer/conductor/marketing guy and really enjoyed it for nine years and then other changes. But that's information for another time. So yes, while big roads did gobble up our old, favorites the folks who made those decisions were really well intentioned, good operating men who often hated to abandon money losing lines. Probably too much information for a Monday but I hope i was able to shed some light on the railroad changes which occurred in the 1970/80s. Barry

John, I can understand your thinking about the CNW being a rough outfit taking over roads like the M&STL, CGW, RI and others and then abandoning much of all with the exception of the RI. But let me offer a different view having worked for many of these roads and gaining "inside" knowledge of their dire financial situations and the heart rendering decisions which had to made. Roads like the CNW, Milw. Rd., IC, CB&Q, and the other granger roads of the midwest were drowning in a sea of red ink due to circumstances beyond their control. All of these roads over- built in their enthusiaism to garner as much traffic as possible and in the 60s with larger,100 ton, grain hoppers running on branch lines with lite, beat up rail, on rotten ties and mud ballast with constant derailments and trucks stealing freight to ride on the new Interstate highways something had to done. Out came the "scalpel" used to carefully carve away the dead wood which had no chance of surviving. This was their only salvation to stay alive until many were sold or merged into oblivion. What has happened since those days is railroad re-birth with new traffic sources and mega freight trains operating on super right of ways with increased technology and signaling. True, as fans much of the old, wonderful, railroad is gone, with their colorful locomotives and cars, industries and people. But much of that type of railroading can still be found in American/Canadian short lines and fine railroad museums. The fun and enjoyment of modeling former roads now can be done more realisticly and easier than ever before. These are the "good old days" and we are so fortunate to enjoy them. I know because a good deal of my career was spent in some of the worst days of the industry. Barry