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tverskaya

Member
Dec 28, 2005
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"A little layout with a few industries and maybe a passenger terminal"

Amazing stuff. Would love to see this in real life.
 

LoudMusic

Member
Jul 21, 2006
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TruckLover said:
It is the biggest layout I have ever seen.

http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/great_train_story/index.html

Click on the Tour, Fun Facts, History and Making Of buttons at the top of the web page to see what I am talking about.


Before I even saw your link my first thought was, "I wonder if he's seen the layout at the MSI in Chicago ..."

HA HA HA!

I've been there, twice! And I'm a 12 hour drive from the museaum. It's incredble, plain and simple. The work is master level and the size of the exhibit is just amazing. You can walk around it for hours and not see everything. They could probably run full sized (110 cars!?) trains and still have it look normal (probably 60 to 70 comfortably).

Anyway, I'm going to begin posting my (38) pictures of the MSI's Chicago to Seattle mega-layout.

Our transportation to the MSI.
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The MSI's front door. "Flight" was their big exhibit at the time.
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A view of the middle of the layout, pasture lands in the Dakotas.
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A couple of Amtraks cross eachother, with auto-racks in the background.
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My wife :) She's watching a mixed freight train cross the plains. You can see the Rockies in the background. This also shows how much physical access you have to the layout.
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Santa Fe coal drag making its way under a bridge through the foothills.
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Same train after the bridge.
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Same train under the BIG bridge. Unfortunately I have no pictures of the big bridge. I think I remember it being difficult to get in the frame due to the sorounding layout.
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Cargo ship in Seattle. Smith Tower is easily visible here.
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ImageShack is currently not responding to upload requests ... more in a few moments
 

LoudMusic

Member
Jul 21, 2006
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A pair of BNSF locos pulling double stacks through Seattle with an Amtrak in the background. Looks like the lighting crew needs to straighten up that yard light.
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Downtown Seattle
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Tripple-track tunnel entrance with a siding leading to some lumber industry
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The lumber stuffy
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What's this? Same Santa Fe coal train headed back to Seattle. But looks like he forgot to dump his load in the East. It's headed into the other side of that tripple-track tunnel.
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Amtrak coming around the bend. Looks like some coal cars getting loaded up in the background.
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Chicago yard.
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Amtrak speeding outof the city and into the plains.
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Coal train loading up
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Chicago burbs in the forground, Chicago downtown in the background, short double-stack rolling through the middle.
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More of the same
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Rows of houses
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Another angle
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More on the way ...
 

jetrock

Member
Dec 18, 2003
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Visit site
MSI's layout is pretty darn impressive--on a trip to Chicago a few years ago, my wife wanted to get her photo taken in front of the Sears Tower. We never found a spot for a suitable shot, so I took her photo in front of the model Sears Tower on the layout instead!

MSI also has the Pioneer Zephyr, fully restored and visitable. Very sharp-looking--Art Deco design still looks modern today!
 

LoudMusic

Member
Jul 21, 2006
620
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In downtown Chicago, the L.
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Older buildings in Chicago
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Tall buildings in the back from left to right starting with the black one; Sears Tower, AT&T Corporate, Chase Tower
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Commuter train zipping by - can you spot it?
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I'm not sure if it's proper to post the nickname for this building, but I felt compelled to post the picture of the model.
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Lunch!
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A good view of the model's skyline
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Partial skyline with Rockies in the background
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LoudMusic

Member
Jul 21, 2006
620
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Ladies and Gentlemen, the Sears Tower in HO scale
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Amtrak litterally zooming by
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Small town in the plains, school busses, and the Rockies on the horizon
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More ...
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Big Brother is watching
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More from above
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Chicago at night (they cycled the lights, it was nice)
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Chicago during the day
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LoudMusic

Member
Jul 21, 2006
620
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I'd really like to see a track plan for this beast. It's not the biggest layout I'm aware of, but it's the biggest one I've seen in person.
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
Apr 14, 2006
4,073
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Rancho Santa Margarita, Cali.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW

Thank-you so much for that photo tour. MSI's layout is truly amazing and I hope I get a chance to see it in person. :D :D

A track plan would be so cool because there is just so much.