Prototype Locations

All of the prototype locations that are featured on the layout are done so because to me they have interesting modeling and operational opportunities and because of personal history and interest in the locations.

Chicago

When the Illinois Central first reached into downtown Chicago from the south, it did so by means of a trestle built in the middle of Lake Michigan! After the debris from the Chicago fire helped to create Grant Park, there was then land for the IC to build on, and a growth in railroad yards and rail traffic between the Chicago skyscrapers and Lake Michigan followed. 

In 1975 By the time you would have traveled from the ICG’s terminus at the Chicago River to Markham Yard just XX miles south, you would have gone through x yards and x interchanges, while traversing some of the grittiest and industrial neighborhoods in the city, including Chinatown, Pullman, Kensington, Jackson Park, and Hyde Park before crossing the Little Calumet River and entering the south suburbs. Watching the city passing by as I rode the IC’s electric line as a child helped cement that landscape into my memory.

Markham Yard

While I was in high school, I caddied at Ravisloe Country Club in Homewood. I would take the IC from Ivanhoe station to Homewood back and forth every day. The majority of that ride was along the right of way beside Markham Yard. This gave me ample time to see all kinds of different traffic, as well as watching many cars roll down the south bound hump yard. Some day, I am going to model a hump yard! While in school, depending on the route taken, I would go right by the Woodcrest shops on my way from Dolton to Chicago Heights. The sheer size of the yard and its importance in the rail traffic at the time is why I have a desire to model, or at least represent, that facility.

Acme Steel

The ICG did not serve any steel mill facilities in the Chicago area, but when the main line crosses the Little Calumet River at Riverdale, it does so at a location in the river aptly named Acme Bend. At this location is a peninsula that juts out where Acme (AKA Interlake) Steel had its rolling mill operations. My father, two brothers, and an uncle all worked for Acme. When I was young, my dad worked second shift and I would go with my mom to pick him up sometimes. I can remember seeing the bottle cars going by with that red glow coming out of the top, and being fascinated by the sparks I would see deep inside the mill buildings. I have always had a fascination with heavy industry, so I have decided to find a way to include steel mill operations on the layout by incorporating my free-lanced Calumet Railroad as a connector with ICG.

Paxton

To many, the Illinois Central is known as a railroad that crossed the flat cornfields of Illinois with track that went straight as an arrow for hundreds of miles. One interesting scenic element is at Paxton, Illinois where the mainline passes below street level providing for some interesting modeling opportunities.

Champaign

Champaign served as an important stop on the IC with its large yard, heavy passenger traffic to the University of Illinois, plenty of industry, and interchange with several other railroads. Today, the city still sees plenty of activity in the CN yards. It is here that a lightly used branch line broke off and headed west to Decatur.

Decatur

I went to college in Decatur at Millikin University, and was pleased to discover all of the ICG traffic coming and going in while I was there. Decatur served as a major source of traffic for the IC for many years, and continues to do so today.