Rock Island Model Rosters

[kf4jqd]

RI Video!

Has anyone seen "The Wheels of Progress. Rock Island " video? It has some interesting facts about the Rock Island. They were the leader in railroad technology! I just every Rock fan should have one! It's by Pentrex....about $20.00.

I like your new look too Mike!

Andy

 

[Wolv33]

Morning,

Andy... Nope never seen it. Though I am keeping a list of videos you mention.

Okay guys, I managed to get this Missouri map done, but be warned...it is HUGE!

nearly 800KB in size. I am just going to attach it, rather than embed the image.

At least I hope that is what will happen. It would take a while to load this everytime you checked for new messages.

Later guys.

Ooops! I read the byte count wrong. Sorry, I won't be able to upload the file afterall.

If you guys really want it, lemme know. I will send it via email instead.

Later.

 

[IMRL393]

Wolv -

How much of your RR will you actually have on the layout?

As I said, in my case, I will have the track along the Mississippi (West side) from Clinton, IA to the QCA to Muscatine to Fairfield as a start (Fairfield being built now!). AMTRAK and BN/SF will meet the ROCK at Fairfield and UP at Clinton. My trains support industires in this area. Later I may add track from Fairfield toward KC and down into Wichita.

So for sure I have Clinton, river, QCA, river, Muscatine (maybe), southeastern Iowa, and Fairfield.

What are you actually modeling ???

- George

 

[Wolv33]

George,

This is where I differ from you guys.

I am NOT modeling any prototypical area. But, to keep up the whole "corporate conglomerate", I have to put down the many roads I will have, and what their lines entail.

So far, I am mapping IL, MO, MN, WI, and AK. I have finished mapping MO. My MOPAC lines are done, and my ROCK lines are done. Now all that remains is the BN/BNSF which make up the rest of my RR (GN, BN, CB&Q, BNSF and ATSF). Amtrak is pretty much nation-wide, so I am NOT even going to bother with them.

You guys will just have to assign trackage rights to Amtrak in most of your stations.

On the MO map, I put in the MOPAC lines to KC, the BN/BNSF lines to KC and St Louis and Springfield, and the ROCK lines from St Louis to KC. However, in 2002 the ROCK has expanded trackage in MO. I took the old St L road and merged it with the ROCK. I think you will have to see the map to understand me.

Rest assured though, I do not go beyond KC for MOPAC or ROCK lines. I mean, not out of state anyhow. George, I guess we could meet up in KC or is that with Mike's RR? LOL!

I am NOT extending my track into IL, except for the ROCK being allowed trackage rights on the BN/BNSF's Aurora main. Galesburg will be my main yard to terminate at, since in REAL LIFE they are making that area much larger, and will not handle hump traffic in Chicago anymore.

Later guys.

 

[rockislandmike]

Do you mean St Louis San Francisco (Frisco), St Louis Southwestern (SSW or Cotton Belt), or another one I'm not thinking of right now.

 

[IMRL393]

Wolv -

I do what you do also, but on a smaller scale for my regional RIL. My map (see above) shows that my RIL is mostly throughout Iowa, with track from the QCA into Illinois to Chicago, track west of Des Moines to Lincoln, NE, track past Fairfield thru Missouri to KC and into Kansas to Wichita, and track in Minn. up to St. Paul.

HOWEVER -

I can't really model but a part of this RR system. The parts I stated in the last post.

So I ask again - what locations will ACTUALLY be on your layout?
If a section of track or a town is on the layout, where is it on a map (or vice-versa) ???

- George

 

[kf4jqd]

Map

Wolv:

I would like a map. kf4jqd@pcpros.net

Thanks,
Andy

 

[Wolv33]

George,

Again, NO PLACE exists for the area that I am modeling. If I went and decided to model a real prototypical area, I would have to rename all of my routes, my shippers, my industries, etc.

I do NOT want to do that. When I am talking about a system map, that is a MAP of the MWDLRR and MWE or Midwestern Enterprises. Eight roads make up the MWDLRR, and the MWE continues to look for more to add. Additionally there is the MWELX or Midwestern Enterprises Leasing Exchange, the leasing branch of the MWDLRR.

If I picked an area, say in between Kansas City and St Louis, I would have to change the name and type of all my industries to fit that area. Well, wouldn't I?

I like things just the way they are right now.

The "prototypical" theme is there in the Road Names, the operations of the fictitious railroad and how the railroad manages area. I do not see a need for modeling any particular geographical region.

Sorry guys. But as we always say, no such thing as MRR police.
I run my railroad the way I want, as do you guys.

If on the off-hand that I can come up with a fictitious area inside a prototypical area, then by all means...I would have to say between Central Missouri and Central IL, NOT including any owned lines. My lines would branch out into WI, MN, AR, MO and IL.....with additional areas such as CA, OR, WA, MT, and WY...and to include trackage in KS, OK, NM, TX and NB.

Later guys.

 

[rockislandmike]

You can email me the map too, wolv, I'm kinda curious.

Got notices today that *three* of my orders were shipped - Amazon.ca; internettrains.com; and Walthers. No Rock locos, but a couple of MOPAC's, cabooses all around (Santa Fe, Rock, and Colorado & SOuthern), some decals, and from Amazon.ca, one of the supposed MoPac bibles, "Missouri Pacific Freight Trains and Equipment". The other bible, written by Kevin EuDaly, is inbound from an eBay auction. Soon I will have at my disposal all kinds of info about MOPAC locos. Yes, I will be the one people ask questions of - ha ha ha ha ha (evil laugh).

BTW, one of my recent orders included an Atlas ACF 60' Auto Parts Car - RI #33814. Nice looking unit, boxcar brown with white lettering. Metal wheels, kadee-ready coupler boxes, fully functioning doors.

BTW2, wolv was mentioning about 89' boxcars and the like. Since I model 1980, wolv, those would be rare at best, and I don't plan to run any of those. 60' would be about the max rolling stock I'm going to use. Hence the 22" radius on the garage layout. MOPAC in Phase II will use 30" radius curves except for the end loops.

Must be off - my "to do" list is quite lengthy tonite.

 

[rockislandmike]

Ran the new SD40-2 for an hour and a bit tonight, then put it through its paces.

- it does seem more powerful than its GP38-2 counterpart (#4310, The American Railfan) - this could simply be extra weight, I'll have to put it on a scale tomorrow.

- it also seems to function better at lower speeds than most Athearns I have been witness to.

- however, it's also noisier than my GP38-2. It's not like it's making a *racket* or anything, but the difference is noticable.

 

[IMRL393]

Ok wolv !

I THINK I know what you are doing now.....

But I guess I don't understand how that translates into a layout.

Guess I will see once you have it done!

I'm too location / map dependent, I suppose. When I read a novel that involves travel (LOTR, etc.), I follow every step on the map! So the map doesn't have to be "real", but it helps me visualize the journey and, for me, is fun to follow. So I do this with my layout - things are in an exact place. Real or not. For example, there was never an AMTRAK station in Fairfield that met Rockets, nor will MY "Fairfield" look anything like the real one ... BUT that is really where the old RI track crossed the (now) BNSF track, and there probabily WAS a depot there (the city map shows a "W. Depot Drive" in that area!). So it's a fun location to choose as my RI / AMTRAK / BN-SF meeting spot.


But that is me ... each to their own ! No MRRP !!!

Let us know how it all works on your layout sometime!!!!!


- George

 

[IMRL393]

Wolv -

I can run any rolling stock Mike can run in 1980.

There ... isn't that simple ??!!


***********************************

Mike -

Thanks for the SD40-2 report!
Hopefully the noise will die down once you break it in.

*************************************

Andy - HELP!

*************************************

Looks like my Zephyr won't arrive 'till October!

Tony's told me that they only got FIVE in! I must have been number 6 or so ... ordered it in mid-June!




Later!

- George

 

[Wolv33]

George,

No problem there. As I said before, IF I could model a fictitious area inside a prototypical area....say there are a few towns that I made up, but I put them on the KC to STL ROCK sub, and they not only span the lower MOPAC Sedalia to Jeff City sub, they also stretch to BN/BNSF's W. Quincy, MO and down to Springfield, MO. Still, the towns are made-up.

This area would make the most sense, since I have selected UP, SP, CSX, DRGW as secondary roads (staging trains).

I could then include the entire BN/BNSF trackage up to Aurora and into MN-North; the KC into yours and Mike's lines all the way through KS, OK, TX, NM and CO....up to CA, OR and WA, then back through ID, WY, MT and NE-West, to Arkansas-South, to TN-East.

Does that sound any better?

With the trackage into IL, then the C&NW, CN, CP, NS, Conrail, SOO, ILC, and GTW secondary roads would also make sense. I have seen all of these in the Galesburg yard at one time or another.

Truly though, I could NOT follow the actual trackage plan, since my layout design is near completion and soon will be time to begin laying the benchwork. Trust me, after designing all that track, you do NOT want to go changing it. LOL!

Lemme know what you think of all that. At least that idea makes sense to me.

Mike and Andy, I will send each of you a copy of the MO map. George, you want a copy too? Just email me George, since I am not sure when I will be back here to check messages.

Later guys.

 

[Wolv33]

George,

When you say you can run any rolling stock Mike can, are you referring to my idea of having some of each other's rolling stock on our own layouts, or that you are NOT running any 89' cars?

Thanks.

later guys.

 

[IMRL393]

Wolv -

Yes, that sounds better!

Now, me, I would draw in the fictional towns on a map to know where they were, if / when you have them!

In answer to your question: YES

(YES I'm in favor of having some of the other's rolling stock, and YES I can run the 89', but I can also run the smaller rolling stock within the time era that Mike can/will run if you want.)


There!

Clear as mud !!!

- George

 

[Wolv33]

George,

Did you want the map of MO that I edited, sent to you? I tell ya what. I am just going to send it to you. If you dont want it, then just delete it.

Yes, I would put those "fake" towns on the map, just like I did for the system map at my site. In fact, that is actually "the map" with the names of the towns and cities and any special facilities on the layout. It is located on the system map page of the MWDLRR site.

I still have to come up with the industry list for the layout. I am still compiling structures and buildings and computing necessary available space for such.

LOL! I knew you could run smaller than 89', was just trying to figure out what you meant is all.

I am glad that you like my idea of running each other's rolling stock on our layouts. Perhaps these should be unique numbers, that way no one has duplicates.

Later guys.

 

[IMRL393]

Wolv -

To be clearer, I can run cars shorter than 89' IF they were still in use in the year 1980 (Mike's era). If discontinued by 1980, I don't want them on the layout, as by 1996 they would really be out of place!

Is that better ???

- George

 

[rockislandmike]

I'll try to remember that when I have the decals made up guys, and make sure they're fairly recent for my layout (i.e., 1975 or so), so that they're still appropriate to your guys era.

BTW, one more note on the Athearn SD40-2. I didn't think of it at the time, but it actually "coasts" after you cut power to it. Takes a little getting used to, and it doesn't go for a long distance, less than a foot I'm sure, but it's pretty kewl. I don't remember other locos doing this as much, unless I have the "momentum" function turned on.

My in-laws came over last night, too. My FIL specifically was *very* enthused by the layout; apparently he wanted to get into the hobby once himself. I may just suck him back in, heh heh. I had the SD40-2 and dummy GP38-2 leading the "big blue consist" around for effect.

 

[TinGoat]

Coasting along and local maps...

The brass flywheels will cause your loco to coast after the power is cut.

The flywheels were developed in part for people who still use Cab Control, but wanted more realistic running. It is a mechanical as opposed to electronic momentum feature.

As far as prototype vs. freelanced layouts and mapping. The free lancers can specify a general region. i.e. north-west or eastern corridor, and then say that it is plausible that there may be a connection to prototype locations somewhere just off the side of their layout.

Is anyone out there a The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy fan? If you are, then you will understand what I am going to say...

How about any Robert A. Heinlein fans. I am refering to The Number of the Beast and other Lazurus Long type stories.....

Since the Earth is in the "Plurals" region of the galaxy, their are quite a few alternate realities (dimensions) that converge here.
Your freelance railroad might be right on top of a prototype location, but shifted slightly to the right or left of our "reality". With the right transter facility, you could interchage with eachothers layouts.

Remember... Model Railroading is Fun!!

NMRRP!

Imagination rules!

 

[IMRL393]

SnGoat -

I grok it !



- George