Thanks so much for your comments. I appreciate you subscribing to my channel. I will be watching more of your videos ....... you have a very nice model railroad!! Mike
Amazing! Imagine all the planning, the work, the materials, the skills and the money involved in creating this HO layout. I have never seen a better one.
Hi Joshua - I very much appreciate your comments. Here is a link to a video that provides an overview of my layout and may give you some better overall detail of my model railroad: ruclips.net/video/Dnly6s5rbbM/видео.html Thank you for watching! Mike
Great run!! I enjoy taking the trips on this layout. The fact that it takes so long to get around makes the trip even better. We get to see the different cities and businesses that it covers. Can't wait for the next installment.
Hi Robert - Thanks for watching the video. Here is a link to a video layout tour that shows and describes locations on the model railroad: ruclips.net/video/Dnly6s5rbbM/видео.html Mike
I subscribed some months back. Don't think I've missed one video. Colorful, authentic layout - lots of positive-looking green areas, cool passenger stations, realistic train speeds and pro-quality camera work. I've learned so much about The Rock. Some other great ones I've seen: Fred Eisen's Chessie System, a Penn Central layout (w/ clean, shiny, black units (lol), and a Kansas City Southern layout w/ engines in the white "Ghost scheme." Long live the cab units! Not seen an Erie Lackawanna layout yet, though. It, too, is a fascinating railroad
Hi Tommy - I greatly appreciate you checking out my videos and thank you for your kind comments. There really are some great layouts on RUclips. You may be interested in looking at Bill Heiden's Milwaukee Road HO scale layout which is very impressive. Thanks, again, for your interest in my layout! Mike
a great layout I was having doubts about a single track layout but after watching yours i was encourage to continue with my plans thank you for such a wonderful piece of workmanship ,
Hi Steve - Thank you for watching and for your comments. I'm glad that the video may have helped you with some of the plans for your layout. Good luck with your future layout construction. Mike
That was fantastic. I especially love the long stretches of right of way rolling through the countryside. It's not often seen on model railroads. Well done!
Great pan shots. I like how you identify each town. I do now understand how Helix 2 works. I think you have a great layout! I always enjoy seeing all the "Old Fallen Flag" cars that you have in you consists. Thanks.
My grandfather work in those Amourdale Ks. yards when I was little in 1960. we use to go see him and he would let us "drive a yard switcher", dad had us on film doing that. Years later one of my jobs at the cat littler plant in Springhill Ks. was driving a trackmobile to move hopper cars from BN full of clay.
Thank you for appreciating the freight cars and time period. The 1960's were a colorful decade for the variety of railroads and equipment in existence at that time. Thanks for watching and for your comments! Mike
I said I am building a Rock Island lay out, but it is much smaller as I don't have the space, but it focuses on East Central farm land like Mason City and Charles City. No true replicates, but then how many people would know the difference? Love the Des Moines station as I went there in 1945 to watch for my father to arrive even though I was only 4 at the time I remember the men jumping from the train as it backed in over the Des Moines River bridge and come to a stop. Took the Rocket from there to Kansas City until 1957 when we bought a farm north of Charles City. Thanks again for sharing your lay out. Very well done and long!
Mike, I remember those cars at the MTry yard, I put them there!!! Another great video! Nice touch adding both the helices and staging yards! Need to get some more SOO rolling stock!!!. Booo CPR....yay..SOO!! laters, Wyatt
Absolutely beautiful model railroad you have created, I find it so relaxing to watch you run your Rock Island freight train. I would love to be able to see this magnificent layout in person. Also would you have any open autoracks with automobile loads to add to your freight consist? Thank you again for sharing. Best regards to you.
I sincerely appreciate your kind comments and thank you for watching the video. Yes, I have about 7 loaded autoracks and a number of empty autoracks. Here is a link to one of my videos showing a couple of loaded autoracks and some empty ones as well. It's not the best quality video: ruclips.net/video/IISfoJ88rfI/видео.html Thanks, again! Mike
I feel like I went somewhere - and that is exactly the theory and impression model railroad giant, Allen McClellend, was trying to create, according to a great article in a model railroad magazine, way back. Super video, great camera work! I love the F units. When I modeled the modern era on my N-scale empire back in the 80's/early 90's, I ran "Employee Specials" as an excuse the run F9's, lol! And, there's something to be said about the old Wine Red paint scheme. I like them with the stripes (F unit #4 in clip) better than the big yellow wings on the nose of the cab units.
Nicely done. *Like*'d the 'drone' footage 6:47 Must be sweeet to have such a lengthy (mainline) run *:)* Helix looks well built *;)* regards from Kelowna B.C..
Hi Stacy - I appreciate your comments. I planned this layout for many years and am now retired and enjoying it every day. The first things I built were the two helixes as I knew these were going to take some time. Thank you for watching! Mike
Hello i am from the UK , i have just recently found your channel and i very much like the layout, it has a lot of great detail and keep up the great work. I have just started collecting Rock Island myself because of the different variety of loco's they had back then and used on the railroad, i just find it interesting and different to model on the layout. - Tom
Hi Tom - I appreciate you watching the video and offering your nice comments. I am glad to hear that you are collecting Rock Island equipment. The Rock Island had many varied paint schemes .......... most of them were not very fancy, but the locomotives always looked like they had put in a hard days work! Thank you much! Mike
Hi there cool layout question how many scale miles is your layout? If I had My own house I'd love to have something like this I rent so I have 2 4by8s with 1 2by2 between them single track layout with customers to swicth out have a great railroad day
Hi Lesa - The layout is about 12.8 scale miles including the track in both helixes. A train traveling at 30 MPH scale speed takes about 25 minutes to make one trip around the layout. Thanks very much for watching. Mike
Another interesting video. FYI, all Rock Island freights terminated at Inver Grove. They only ran transfers into the Twin Cities, oddly enough with the road power before it went back south. I don't recall ever seeing any CGW cars on RI trains since they were competitors, but you run what you have. It would have been nice to see what you could have done with Short Line Junction and Manly.
It's a funny thing, I am planning a layout in n scale. It's a branch line on the Santa Fe, it ran from Burlingame KS to Alma KS about 34 miles. It was called the Alma District. It stopped at Alma with an interchange with the Rock Island. Your wonderful layout will be an inspiration to me.
I subscribed to your channel and look forward to witnessing the progress of your model railroad. Thank you for watching and for your kind comments. Mike
Hi Mike, Another great video. I know it is hard to eliminate the camera shake as you moved along with the trains but the video is still very good. I can see David Barrow's influence on your track plan. I used one of David's yard designs for my first Hawksridge layout. I also like how you kept the backdrop scenery horizon low, very realistic. Thanks also so showing your helix and staging areas.-Tom
I am planning to take a video of my track plan and post it on my RUclips channel sometime soon. The layout room is 30' X 40' and the sharpest radius curve on the main line is 30". Thank you for watching and for your comment. Mike
Hi Todd - Well, comfortably, I can run about 6 trains with a couple of switch engines working in the yards. Technically, more trains can be run, but it gets to be a bit much for me. I do have operating sessions once in a while with about 10 people. Mike
Different loading devices. As shippers started demanding less damage to their shipments, the railroads and car builders started developing several methods to protect loads in boxcars. Evans "Damage Free" system was one of the more popular ones and CGW labelled boxcars with this equipment "DF." There may be a list somewhere...but I couldn't find one on the Internet! The C&NW Historical Society also keeps information on the CGW, maybe someone there would know them all.
Hi Todd - Many thanks to M Riha for providing a great response to your question about the "Big Letters" on the side of CGW boxcars. The large "C" on the side of the CGW 40' boxcars meant that the car was equipped with Compartmentizers to help restrain loads. Mike
This is a comment to not just this video. The weathering you apply is well done and sometimes subtle. Also, did I notice that the mainline curves are superelevated?
I appreciate your comment regarding the equipment weathering. It's nice to know that some viewers recognize it. Yes, the mainline curves are superelevated and, again, I appreciate your good eye. Thanks much for watching! Mike
Hi Aaron - The lower level is 40" off the floor and the upper level is 60" off the floor. This differential has worked well for me. Thank you for watching and for subscribing to my channel. Mike
Thank you for watching and commenting, Antoine. Yeah, that red signal was a blooper when I was shooting the video ....... oh well, I got lucky and didn't collide with another train. Mike
Hi Tom - Yes, I replaced the original MRC sound decoders with Tsunami sound decoders. The locomotives are Athearn Genesis models that were released by Athearn several years ago. Thank you very much for watching and for your comments! Mike
I was impressed! But I thought this was n scale not HO. Never the less, I enjoyed it very much. Very well running railroad buddy. Thanks for the trip. Bill
Hi Todd - I typically operate freight trains at about 35 to 40 MPH (scale speed) ........... sometimes 50 MPH. The occasional passenger train can run up to 70 MPH (scale speed), but more often about 50 MPH. Mike
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Nice layout. Thanks for posting. I especially liked the long runs through open scenery, resisting the temptation to cram in extra towns.
Thanks so much for your comments. I appreciate you subscribing to my channel. I will be watching more of your videos ....... you have a very nice model railroad!! Mike
My sentiments exactly. The layout evokes fond memories of the wide open vistas of the rural Midwest.
Amazing! Imagine all the planning, the work, the materials, the skills and the money involved in creating this HO layout. I have never seen a better one.
Hi James - Thank you very much for your nice comments which I appreciate! Mike
very very impressive layout I'd love to see a overview of the layout where you can see the detail of buildings better I'm blown away on everything
Hi Joshua - I very much appreciate your comments. Here is a link to a video that provides an overview of my layout and may give you some better overall detail of my model railroad: ruclips.net/video/Dnly6s5rbbM/видео.html Thank you for watching! Mike
Great run!! I enjoy taking the trips on this layout. The fact that it takes so long to get around makes the trip even better. We get to see the different cities and businesses that it covers. Can't wait for the next installment.
Glad you enjoyed and thank you very much for your comments! Mike
Very nice layout; however I would like to see and slowed down entering/leaving the yard/staging areas and a closeup of all the engines and freight.
Hi Robert - Thanks for watching the video. Here is a link to a video layout tour that shows and describes locations on the model railroad: ruclips.net/video/Dnly6s5rbbM/видео.html Mike
Love this video. Have watched it many times. Inspirational, has given me many ideas for my layout under construction. Thank you.
Thanks so much for watching the video and I appreciate your comments. Mike
I subscribed some months back. Don't think I've missed one video. Colorful, authentic layout - lots of positive-looking green areas, cool passenger stations, realistic train speeds and pro-quality camera work. I've learned so much about The Rock.
Some other great ones I've seen: Fred Eisen's Chessie System, a Penn Central layout (w/ clean, shiny, black units (lol), and a Kansas City Southern layout w/ engines in the white "Ghost scheme." Long live the cab units!
Not seen an Erie Lackawanna layout yet, though. It, too, is a fascinating railroad
Hi Tommy - I greatly appreciate you checking out my videos and thank you for your kind comments. There really are some great layouts on RUclips. You may be interested in looking at Bill Heiden's Milwaukee Road HO scale layout which is very impressive. Thanks, again, for your interest in my layout! Mike
a great layout I was having doubts about a single track layout but after watching yours i was encourage to continue with my plans thank you for such a wonderful piece of workmanship ,
Hi Steve - Thank you for watching and for your comments. I'm glad that the video may have helped you with some of the plans for your layout. Good luck with your future layout construction. Mike
Beautiful layout and rolling stock. Thanks for sharing
I appreciate your comment and thank you for watching! Mike
That was fantastic. I especially love the long stretches of right of way rolling through the countryside. It's not often seen on model railroads. Well done!
I appreciate you taking the time to watch my video and thank you for your comments. Mike
Great pan shots. I like how you identify each town. I do now understand how Helix 2 works. I think you have a great layout! I always enjoy seeing all the "Old Fallen Flag" cars that you have in you consists. Thanks.
Awesome layout my compliments sir one of the best👍
Hi gunny/ USMC - Thank you very much for watching and for your kind comment, I appreciate it! Mike
My grandfather work in those Amourdale Ks. yards when I was little in 1960. we use to go see him and he would let us "drive a yard switcher", dad had us on film doing that. Years later one of my jobs at the cat littler plant in Springhill Ks. was driving a trackmobile to move hopper cars from BN full of clay.
I appreciate you sharing the good memories you have of Armourdale Yard and the Rock Island. Thank you for watching. Mike
Great job! Especially impressed at the accuracy of the freight cars and appropriateness to the time period you are modeling.
Thank you for appreciating the freight cars and time period. The 1960's were a colorful decade for the variety of railroads and equipment in existence at that time. Thanks for watching and for your comments! Mike
This layout is awesome! Got me hitting up ole memory lane. Thanks for sharing this spectacular layout Sir.
Hi Chad - I'm glad you enjoyed the video and I appreciate your comments. Thank you for watching and for subscribing! Mike
A beautiful layout. Thanks for making and sharing the video.
Hi Jonathan - I appreciate your comment and many thanks for watching! Mike
Thanks for the train ride. It was also a nice overview of the layout. Thanks for sharing.
I'm glad you enjoyed it ........ thanks for watching and for your comments. Mike
Great video and modeling as always from you, an inspiration for this Rock Island modeler to start building his layout.
Hi Mark - Thank you very much for your comments and for watching my videos. I appreciate it! Mike
Great layout. Very well done and pictured.
Hi James - Thank you very much for your kind comments and for subscribing to my channel ............ I appreciate it! Mike
Fantastic layout! Can't wait to go thru the rest of your videos. -Chris
Hi Chris - Thanks very much for the comment and for watching. Mike
I said I am building a Rock Island lay out, but it is much smaller as I don't have the space, but it focuses on East Central farm land like Mason City and Charles City. No true replicates, but then how many people would know the difference? Love the Des Moines station as I went there in 1945 to watch for my father to arrive even though I was only 4 at the time I remember the men jumping from the train as it backed in over the Des Moines River bridge and come to a stop. Took the Rocket from there to Kansas City until 1957 when we bought a farm north of Charles City. Thanks again for sharing your lay out. Very well done and long!
Memories are a wonderful thing and Des Moines in the 40's and 50's was a bee hive of activity. Thanks much for watching and for your comments. Mike
I only have one word... Wow!
Thank you for taking the time to watch the video. I appreciate your comment. Mike
Another great one! I never get tired of watching your videos Mike. Nice to see that Pennsy gon in the train this time. Ha Ha.
Hi Jerry - I'm glad you enjoy the videos and thanks so much for your comments. Mike
Mike, I remember those cars at the MTry yard, I put them there!!! Another great video! Nice touch adding both the helices and staging yards! Need to get some more SOO rolling stock!!!. Booo CPR....yay..SOO!!
laters, Wyatt
Hi Wyatt - I know I need to acquire some SOO power and I'll try to make this happen. Thanks for watching! Mike
Absolutely beautiful model railroad you have created, I find it so relaxing to watch you run your Rock Island freight train. I would love to be able to see this magnificent layout in person. Also would you have any open autoracks with automobile loads to add to your freight consist? Thank you again for sharing. Best regards to you.
I sincerely appreciate your kind comments and thank you for watching the video. Yes, I have about 7 loaded autoracks and a number of empty autoracks. Here is a link to one of my videos showing a couple of loaded autoracks and some empty ones as well. It's not the best quality video: ruclips.net/video/IISfoJ88rfI/видео.html Thanks, again! Mike
I feel like I went somewhere - and that is exactly the theory and impression model railroad giant, Allen McClellend, was trying to create, according to a great article in a model railroad magazine, way back. Super video, great camera work!
I love the F units. When I modeled the modern era on my N-scale empire back in the 80's/early 90's, I ran "Employee Specials" as an excuse the run F9's, lol!
And, there's something to be said about the old Wine Red paint scheme. I like them with the stripes (F unit #4 in clip) better than the big yellow wings on the nose of the cab units.
Hi Tommy - I appreciate your nice comments ........ thank you for watching! Mike
Nicely done. *Like*'d the 'drone' footage 6:47
Must be sweeet to have such a lengthy (mainline) run *:)*
Helix looks well built *;)*
regards from Kelowna B.C..
Hi Stacy - I appreciate your comments. I planned this layout for many years and am now retired and enjoying it every day. The first things I built were the two helixes as I knew these were going to take some time. Thank you for watching! Mike
Hello i am from the UK , i have just recently found your channel and i very much like the layout, it has a lot of great detail and keep up the great work.
I have just started collecting Rock Island myself because of the different variety of loco's they had back then and used on the railroad, i just find it interesting and different to model on the layout.
- Tom
Hi Tom - I appreciate you watching the video and offering your nice comments. I am glad to hear that you are collecting Rock Island equipment. The Rock Island had many varied paint schemes .......... most of them were not very fancy, but the locomotives always looked like they had put in a hard days work! Thank you much! Mike
I hope my layout looks half as good. Keep up the outstanding modeling!
Thank you very much for your comments and thank you for subscribing! Mike
Hi there cool layout question how many scale miles is your layout? If I had My own house I'd love to have something like this I rent so I have 2 4by8s with 1 2by2 between them single track layout with customers to swicth out have a great railroad day
Hi Lesa - The layout is about 12.8 scale miles including the track in both helixes. A train traveling at 30 MPH scale speed takes about 25 minutes to make one trip around the layout. Thanks very much for watching. Mike
Another interesting video. FYI, all Rock Island freights terminated at Inver Grove. They only ran transfers into the Twin Cities, oddly enough with the road power before it went back south. I don't recall ever seeing any CGW cars on RI trains since they were competitors, but you run what you have. It would have been nice to see what you could have done with Short Line Junction and Manly.
Thanks for sharing this awesome layout you have, been thinking about switching to HO because Rock Island is easier to find, again thanks for sharing
I appreciate your kind comment and thank you for watching. Mike
It's a funny thing, I am planning a layout in n scale. It's a branch line on the Santa Fe, it ran from Burlingame KS to Alma KS about 34 miles. It was called the Alma District. It stopped at Alma with an interchange with the Rock Island. Your wonderful layout will be an inspiration to me.
I subscribed to your channel and look forward to witnessing the progress of your model railroad. Thank you for watching and for your kind comments. Mike
Hi Mike, Another great video. I know it is hard to eliminate the camera shake as you moved along with the trains but the video is still very good. I can see David Barrow's influence on your track plan. I used one of David's yard designs for my first Hawksridge layout. I also like how you kept the backdrop scenery horizon low, very realistic. Thanks also so showing your helix and staging areas.-Tom
Greetings Tom - I really appreciate your observations and comments .............. thanks much! Mike
nice layout .. do you have an overview of the layout. also how big is your layout and what size radius curve are you working with
I am planning to take a video of my track plan and post it on my RUclips channel sometime soon. The layout room is 30' X 40' and the sharpest radius curve on the main line is 30". Thank you for watching and for your comment. Mike
THANK YOU...for sharing.
You are welocme; thanks for watching. Mike
How many trains can you run at one time? Do you have "meet" nights? Where a group of "Train nuts" come and run?
Hi Todd - Well, comfortably, I can run about 6 trains with a couple of switch engines working in the yards. Technically, more trains can be run, but it gets to be a bit much for me. I do have operating sessions once in a while with about 10 people. Mike
Another question, why did the CGW have the different Big Letters on the side of their boxcars and what did they stand for?
Different loading devices. As shippers started demanding less damage to their shipments, the railroads and car builders started developing several methods to protect loads in boxcars. Evans "Damage Free" system was one of the more popular ones and CGW labelled boxcars with this equipment "DF." There may be a list somewhere...but I couldn't find one on the Internet! The C&NW Historical Society also keeps information on the CGW, maybe someone there would know them all.
Thank you for the info.
Hi Todd - Many thanks to M Riha for providing a great response to your question about the "Big Letters" on the side of CGW boxcars. The large "C" on the side of the CGW 40' boxcars meant that the car was equipped with Compartmentizers to help restrain loads. Mike
This is a comment to not just this video. The weathering you apply is well done and sometimes subtle. Also, did I notice that the mainline curves are superelevated?
I appreciate your comment regarding the equipment weathering. It's nice to know that some viewers recognize it. Yes, the mainline curves are superelevated and, again, I appreciate your good eye. Thanks much for watching! Mike
What rail line is represented that the Rock crosses over after it exits the helix, just before the Des Moines river?
Hi Todd - The rail line is a branchline of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. Mike
Another great video!
I appreciate you watching and commenting. Thanks! Mike
Nice wish I could have been so lucky
Could I ask what did you set your levels to? Like is the middle level 35 inches off the floor and what is the height of your top level?
Hi Aaron - The lower level is 40" off the floor and the upper level is 60" off the floor. This differential has worked well for me. Thank you for watching and for subscribing to my channel. Mike
Agree with Joe Madej, however, it's a pity your signals don't really influence trains!
Thank you for watching and commenting, Antoine. Yeah, that red signal was a blooper when I was shooting the video ....... oh well, I got lucky and didn't collide with another train. Mike
Did modify the sound in the locos? They seem to have a bit more bass than usual. Loco manufacturer? Great Video of a great layout.
Hi Tom - Yes, I replaced the original MRC sound decoders with Tsunami sound decoders. The locomotives are Athearn Genesis models that were released by Athearn several years ago. Thank you very much for watching and for your comments! Mike
Thank you. You have done a super job and captured the "feel" of Iowa and the Rock Island.
I was impressed!
But I thought this was n scale not HO.
Never the less, I enjoyed it very much. Very well running railroad buddy.
Thanks for the trip.
Bill
Hi Bill - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video and thank you for watching! Mike
You are welcome sir,Yes I'm subscriber,
Lol
question did you a cork road bed ?
Yes, I used cork for the roadbed. Thank you for watching. Mike
@@rimodeler7963 thanks for your reply
This is my grandpa’s train track
Is this a model railroad club?
Hi James - This is not a club layout, it is my personal layout. Thank you for watching. Mike
At what speed do you run most of your trains?
Hi Todd - I typically operate freight trains at about 35 to 40 MPH (scale speed) ........... sometimes 50 MPH. The occasional passenger train can run up to 70 MPH (scale speed), but more often about 50 MPH. Mike
Iowa river.....sorry