History of the CNW HO Lines RR




I started the CNW Lines RR about 7 years ago when we moved into our new home. Only a small section was used from a previous layout I had started in our last house for the CNW. The rest of the layout was built from scratch.
This is my 5th layout I've built since starting model RR at the age of 6. My first layout was a 4X8 Lionel layout and I gradually switched over to HO several years later because of the lack of stores in our area that carried Lionel merchandise.
The CNW Lines is a continuous loop single track mainline that currently serves 8 industries on individual sidings. Industries include: THE PINE VALLEY COOPERATIVE ELEVATOR, THE RIA INDUSTRIES CEMENT PLANT, JACOBS LUMBER & BUILDING SUPPLY, KUSTOM KABINET FURNITURE SUPPLY, FREDRICKSON SHIPPING AND TRANSFER, CONSOLIDATED PLASTICS, ANDERSONS & CO. STORAGE AND MOVING, AND THE EAGLE SPRINGS COOP.
The RR is broken into 7 individual blocks for switching operations while keeping a mainline train running if necessary. It is controlled by two TECH II Loco-motion 1500 controllers and also has a walk around throttle for swiching operations.
My layout is approximately 28'X 8'. It features one main yard at Eagle Springs that currently has a yard office, general maintenance shop, sanding tower and soon a diesel fueling rack. There are also two main sidings, one near downtown Eagle Springs that is used for switching at Jacobs lumber and building supply and also for the Kustom Kabinet Furniture Supply. The longer sididng is to the north of Eagle Springs and is used for switching operations at Fredrickson Shipping, Consolodated Plastics, and Eagle Springs Coop. The Pine Valley Cooperative has its own small branch that breaks into three switching sidings at the elevator for load-outs.
Currently I am trying to decide which direction to expand the layout for new industries. I have a kit for the Superior Paper Co. It appears that this is going to require a minimum of a two foot square addition to the layout to accomodate the entire facility. I have an area to the west of the Eagle Springs business district I may use that would also leave room for several other small business kits that I have to build in the future. Additionally I would also like to add a larger switching yard in the future to accomodate much of the rolling stock that I have. This may also be a feat in itself as I am running out of space in my layout room.
Occasionally on the C&NW lines you may see a Chicago Central train running on the line. I have also been a railfan of the CC&P RR for some years now, so of course I have a number of the distincive CC red engines in my line up of rail power. A few years ago my brother-n-law came accross a tremendous sale on Life-Like Proto-2000 GP-18's in various road names. Of course I couldn't pass up a great deal so I purchased a number of them and eventually painted them in the CC red. I was able to purchase HO decals of the Chicago Central lettering from micro-scale. Eventually I will be posting some pics of the CC engines in action on the layout. I also have a number of ribside and centerflow hoppers that I have painted and lettered for the CC that will be included.

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