Mike Armstong’s Rock Island Railroad Mid-Continent Route (HO)

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 will 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 to 1974

Style: Around the walls, walk-in

Mainline run: 777 feet

Minimum radius: 30″ on mainline

Minimum turnout: no. 6

Maximum grade: 1.96%

Benchwork: Open grid

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

Road bed: cork on 3/4″ plywood

Track: Micro-Engineering code 83 on mainline 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

Hours Open: 3:00 to 9:00 pm

Handicap Accessible: No

Parking: Street

Entry: Door by the garage, then up the stairs