Last Updated: 23 August 2009

Mark Nieting’s Chicago Terminal Railroad which is HO.

Having moved here to the land of no basements 3 years ago, my wife and I drove our realtor a bit nuts looking for the perfect “frog” (finished room over garage). When I saw this one, I knew I had the space that was right for a smaller railroad than the last few I had built. Growing up in and around Chicago and going to college there in the late 60s, I continue to be fascinated by the variety of railroads, the heavy industry, the terminal and switching operations and much more. This railroad is designed to provide that type of operation for a crew of 5 or 6 operators.

The basic premise: Milwaukee’s “Southeastern” came into Chicago from the south, where they operated a small yard in Harvey. There the Indiana Harbor Belt took over, traveling north. On the way the Harbor serves a large J&L steel mill. A variety of roads operate transfer runs typical of the era; pulling their cuts in and cab-hopping ‘home.’ A helix is now complete and an entire second level is being added, serving more industries before terminating in another staging yard. There is a provision made for continuous running for open houses.

In a nutshell:

• Prototypes: Milwaukee Road, IHB, EJE, Belt Railway, Penn Central and others.
• Era: 1968-72
• Scale: HO
• Size: 19x14
• Track: Codes 83 (running tracks), 70 yards, and some 55 in a few industries, plus code 100 in the non-visible portions (staging and the helix).
• Radius: 24 inch on the running tracks. The helix is 32 inch radius.
• Control: CVP’s Railcommand
• Operating: Car card and basic train order.
• Crew jobs: Dispatcher, J&L steel job, IHB Blue Plains yard job, MILW Harvey job, PC 34th St job (coming), local and transfer crews.

Photos by Chuck Davis.

Call board: lists the jobs, operators, times in and finished.

Looking along the IHB’s Blue Plains yard to the CHTT interchange on the left. The bridge overhead is the B&O Chicago Terminal line. (BOCT)

Milwaukee’s engine terminal. Usually a few local and road sets tie up and work both north to Bensenville and south to Latta, IN.

Milwaukee’s Harvey yard and a large flour mill.

Milwaukee’s Harvey yard.

IHB's Blue Plains yard.

More of the IHB's Blue Plains yard.

The lower 6 track staging yard is located in a closet.

Yard

More Yard

A leased CRIP geep works the J&L electric furnace.

J&L steel’s ‘lower yard’ along the blast furnace. (no flammables next to the “crap track.”)

A leased MILW H-10-44 pulls slag pots from the crap track.

The blast furnace (named “Lil-Reba”) and the helix behind it.

The Steel Mill.

Even More Mill

Billet mill with ingot buggies awaiting repair

Copyright © 2009

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