Mike models the Rock Island Lines Mid-Continent Route from St. Paul (Inver Grove Yard) to Kansas City (Armourdale Yard) in HO scale. He enjoys modeling mid-western railroads; therefore, you'll see trains of other midwestern railroads operating on the layout such as the Burlington Route, Chicago Great Western, Minneapolis & St. Louis, Chicago & Northwestern, Milwaukee Road and Illinois Central.

Details of the Layout:

Name: Rock Island Lines

Scale: HO

Prototype: Rock Island Lines Mid-Continent Route

Size: 30' X 40'

Locale: Midwest, St. Paul to Kansas City

Era: 1964 - 1974

Style: Around the walls, walk-in

Mainline run: 777 feet

Minimum radius: 30" on main line

Minimum turnout: no. 6

Maximum grade: 1.96%

Benchwork: open grid

Height: Lower level = 40", Upper level = 60"

Roadbed: cork on 3/4" plywood

Track: Micro-Engineering code 83 on main line and code 70 for yard, siding and industry tracks; Walthers and Micro-Engineering turnouts

Scenery: card board strips with plaster cloth and joint compound

Backdrop: commercial backdrops and hand painted

Control: Digitrax DCC

#1321 northbound at Albert Lea, MN


CGW at Clear Lake Jct., IA


CGW at Kansas City


CGW in northern Missouri


CGW Snow Plow at CGW Yard in Kansas City


Crossing Battle Creek near St. Paul, MN


Crossing West Indian Creek at Nevada, IA


Dayton's Bluff near St. Paul, MN


Des Moines, IA


E8 and U25B at the Des Moines Station


F9Am 4152 & GP7 1277 at Clear Lake Jct.


GP9 #1321 at UP Yard in Kansas City


Hooping up train orders at Nevada, IA


Near St. Paul, MN


Nearing Inver Grove Yd


RI 120 passing under wagon bridge


Train #18 at Clear Lake Jct., IA


Train #18 at Des Moines, IA


Train #18 at Trenton, MO


Zephyr Rocket in southern Minnesota


Zephyr Rocket leaving St. Paul, MN