Years and years ago, I worked for the Santa Fe railroad as a computer programmer and was a foamer. I was told by one who knew much more about operations than I that when some cars absolutely had to go out, they would be placed on the head-end of a piggyback train. They would be on the head-end so that they wouldn''t be forgotten. Thanks for the realism in your piggyback consist.
As someone who has only been in the hobby for 2 years I’m learning so much from all your videos. I also model Rock Island in HO and dream of such a large layout one day. Keep up the excellent work!
Thank you very much for your nice comments and best of luck with your Rock Island layout. It’s great to know that there are others working to preserve the memory of the Rock Island in scale form. Mike
One of the best HO layouts I have seen on UA-cam- love Midwestern railroading from this era and especially the RI, despite having no major connection to it. I just think you've done a fantastic job capturing the essence of the Midwest and the 1970s.
Beautiful layout with well-done locos and rolling stock. I especially appreciate seeing someone modelling the Rock. I grew up in northern Illinois on the Rock Island double-track main west of Chicago. We were well west of Blue Island and Joliet and the freight and passenger trains flew in both directions. Sometimes a passenger train came in so hot it would overshoot the station! The freights ran so fast it sometimes was difficult to count the cars. Great fun for a teen-aged rail fan. Thanks much.
Enjoyed your story about living near the Rock Island and watching trains fly by ....... that's a great memory. Thank you for watching and for your comments! Mike
BEAUTIFUL: finally a magnificent model railroad that appears to be REAL! The rolling stock is aged, weathered, it's dirty, rusted, and graffiti - one of the few model RRs that reflect reality today. Thank you Mr. Rimodeller - one of the very best!!
WOW! What an awesome video! This was like watching a Green Frog video "Rock Island Odyssey". I know I have said it before, but everything flows perfectly together on this railroad from period correct equipment to vehicles, structures, beautiful scenery and perfect weathering. Keep them coming Mike! BTW I am still waiting to see a Rock Island C-415 in one of your videos, you know they had 10 of them and they are such a oddly cool locomotive. LOL I had to tease a little.
Hi David - A C-415 would be nice, but I can't promise that one will make an appearance anytime soon 😊. I appreciate your comments and thanks for watching! Mike
Very nice Ops video, thank you for sharing it with us! I have an Atlas/Kato Rock Island RS1 that runs like a top and I love running it on my CNW layout as a "leased power" unit.
Another fantastic video, Mike. I wished I lived closer, I think it'd be awesome to operated on your system. Great weathering on the diesels, and I really liked the weathering on the cement hoppers the northbound picked up. You are a top notch. modeler.
I always like seeing photos with UP and CB&Q GP20’s in lash ups on the run-through freight trains from Chicago to Grand Island and points west in the 1960’s. Thanks for watching the video. Mike
Thank you for sharing. It was really nice to see the ELSDP-45 show up on Rock Island today. I trust the EMD ran well for you on this trip? Enjoyed the catch.👍
Thanks, Gary. I knew you'd appreciate seeing the ELSDP-45 in action. That particular locomotive is a great puller and runs like a top! I always appreciate you watching and commenting. Mike
Another great video of your awesome layout. What divisions made up the Mid-Continent route? I do like how you have modeled the one station that has the figurine "hooping" up orders. Doing a session like this, have you ever considered just writing up some "orders" pertaining to the trains, just to show us. Too bad you could not get some "flimsies."
Hi Todd - I do use train orders during formal operating sessions and I actually have some original Rock Island flimsies. I'll keep your suggestion in mind about showing an issued train order during a formal operating session. Thank you for your comments! Mike
Hi Mark - Thanks for watching and for your comments. I painted the fascia with semi-gloss Glidden paint called "Birds Nest" that I had mixed at Home Depot. Birds Nest was one of the color samples offered in their color card selection. Mike
You're correct, the Rock Island did not opt for dynamic brakes. I think one of the reasons was their concern about the impact of dynamic braking on the track structure. Mike
Hi Jerry - Yes, the Rock Island had some run-through agreements with EL in the 1960's and early 1970's. EL power was common on the RI in the Chicago area and you'd see EL power elsewhere on the system on occasion. Thanks for watching. Mike
Hi there, as you are big fan of the RI I wonder if you can help me out. I am modelling a Southern Pacific lay-out in the '70 and '80. I am looking to buy a RI locomotive but I don't know about the paintscheme in these years. Red and yellow or brown and yellow?
In the 1970 to 1980 era, you could find about any of the paint schemes on the Rock Island. However, from about 1970-1975 the red and yellow, as well as, the maroon (often mistaken for brown) and yellow with speed lettering on the hood would be appropriate. Then, from 1975 until 1980 (when the Rock Island shut-down operations), the blue and white scheme would fit into the picture (this is the scheme that many refer to as "Bankruptcy Blue"). Hope this helps. Good luck with your SP model railroad! Mike
The sidings vary in length from about 12 feet to about 35 feet and trains can meet in each of the helixes as well (siding capacity in helixes is 100+ cars; however, I don’t run trains that long). Thank you for watching the video. Mike
Trains that operate from one railroad to another may keep locomotives intact instead of changing them out at an interchange point. Pooling power is a common practice among the railroads. Each railroad tracks the number of hours that their power operates on a foreign railroad and hours that foreign power operates on their property. Tracking the hours allows the railroads to balance the time that their locomotives operate on a foreign property (example: railroad X locomotives operated 500 hours on railroad Y; therefore, railroad X is owed 500 hours of railroad Y’s locomotives operating on railroad X’s property). Thanks for watching the video. Mike
Beautiful Rock Island Layout
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I thought the Union Pacific And Rock Island tried to Merge in the 1960s
Amazing 👏 ❤
Years and years ago, I worked for the Santa Fe railroad as a computer programmer and was a foamer. I was told by one who knew much more about operations than I that when some cars absolutely had to go out, they would be placed on the head-end of a piggyback train. They would be on the head-end so that they wouldn''t be forgotten. Thanks for the realism in your piggyback consist.
I very much appreciate your comments and thanks for watching! Mike
As someone who has only been in the hobby for 2 years I’m learning so much from all your videos. I also model Rock Island in HO and dream of such a large layout one day.
Keep up the excellent work!
Thank you very much for your nice comments and best of luck with your Rock Island layout. It’s great to know that there are others working to preserve the memory of the Rock Island in scale form. Mike
Fantastic layout! World class modeling. Thanks for sharing!
I appreciate your comments and thanks for watching the video. Mike
That Union Pacific GP20 is beautifully detailed and weathered...
Thank you!! Mike
Wondeful Paint scheme ❤❤❤
Another wonderful video of your layout. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Loren! Mike
One of the best HO layouts I have seen on UA-cam- love Midwestern railroading from this era and especially the RI, despite having no major connection to it. I just think you've done a fantastic job capturing the essence of the Midwest and the 1970s.
I really appreciate your kind comments and thank you for watching the video. Mike
igrew up in blue island il where the rock island had a major yard love seeing rock island trains at work
Thank you for watching the video and for your comments. Mike
Excellent modeling and trackwork!
Thank you very much! Mike
Great action and cool video 👍
Thank you! Mike
Beautiful layout with well-done locos and rolling stock. I especially appreciate seeing someone modelling the Rock. I grew up in northern Illinois on the Rock Island double-track main west of Chicago. We were well west of Blue Island and Joliet and the freight and passenger trains flew in both directions. Sometimes a passenger train came in so hot it would overshoot the station! The freights ran so fast it sometimes was difficult to count the cars. Great fun for a teen-aged rail fan. Thanks much.
Enjoyed your story about living near the Rock Island and watching trains fly by ....... that's a great memory. Thank you for watching and for your comments! Mike
BEAUTIFUL: finally a magnificent model railroad that appears to be REAL! The rolling stock is aged, weathered, it's dirty, rusted, and graffiti - one of the few model RRs that reflect reality today. Thank you Mr. Rimodeller - one of the very best!!
Your comments are very much appreciated. Thank you! Mike
Open auto racks brings back memories of watching Penn Central and early Conrail in my much younger days. Excellent video as always.
Thank you for watching and I very much appreciate your comments. Mike
Always amaze by your layout and trains!.
Thank you very much ...... I appreciate it! Mike
Awesome layout! Love the scenery and track work!
Thank you very much! Mike
WOW! What an awesome video! This was like watching a Green Frog video "Rock Island Odyssey". I know I have said it before, but everything flows perfectly together on this railroad from period correct equipment to vehicles, structures, beautiful scenery and perfect weathering. Keep them coming Mike! BTW I am still waiting to see a Rock Island C-415 in one of your videos, you know they had 10 of them and they are such a oddly cool locomotive. LOL I had to tease a little.
Hi David - A C-415 would be nice, but I can't promise that one will make an appearance anytime soon 😊. I appreciate your comments and thanks for watching! Mike
Awesome running session, love the sd40-2’s. Thanks for sharing. Ben.
Thanks for your comments. The SD40-2's are one of my favorites .... such a classic locomotive. Mike
Just a beautiful layout. Great video and thanks for sharing. Dave
Thank you, Dave, I appreciate your comments! Mike
Thank you for sharing this video! Amazing consists and trains on your absolutely beautiful layout.
I appreciate your comments and thanks for watching the video. Mike
Awesome video love the IC auto rack
Thank you, Eric, I appreciate it. Mike
Beautiful layout...thanks for sharing
Thank you for your comment and for watching the video. Mike
Very nice Ops video, thank you for sharing it with us! I have an Atlas/Kato Rock Island RS1 that runs like a top and I love running it on my CNW layout as a "leased power" unit.
Thank you for watching the video and I thanks for your comments. Mike
One of the best layouts ive ever seen in my opinion, I also enjoy this because I live where these trains operated.
Thank you, Tanner, for taking the time to watch the video and thanks for your comments. Mike
What a terrific layout!
Thank you very much! Mike
Another fantastic video, Mike. I wished I lived closer, I think it'd be awesome to operated on your system. Great weathering on the diesels, and I really liked the weathering on the cement hoppers the northbound picked up. You are a top notch. modeler.
Thanks very much, John! Mike
Awesome video and trains :)
Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and I appreciate your comment. Mike
Love the multi coloured consists Mike. Looking good! -grant
Thank you, Grant …… I appreciate it! Mike
great layout and vid
Thank you! Mike
.Very nice, like !!!
Thank you! Mike
Love those open auto racks.
The open auto racks loaded with vehicles always intrigued me. Glad you liked seeing them on my layout and thanks for watching. Mike
Nice layout!
Thank you very much! Mike
Excellent!!! Prototype + Modelers License + Great models + Great Layout!! Be careful having this much fun might be illegal!!!
I like it ..... "having this much fun might be illegal!" ....... that's a good one. I appreciate your comments and thanks much for watching. Mike
XLNT videography as well as grt trains and layout. Rock on!
Much appreciated ...... thank you! Mike
As a UP fan I really liked seeing the GP20. I remember those when they were the hot items on the UP.
I always like seeing photos with UP and CB&Q GP20’s in lash ups on the run-through freight trains from Chicago to Grand Island and points west in the 1960’s. Thanks for watching the video. Mike
Nice op. session.
Thanks for watching the video! Mike
Thank you for sharing. It was really nice to see the ELSDP-45 show up on Rock Island today. I trust the EMD ran well for you on this trip? Enjoyed the catch.👍
Thanks, Gary. I knew you'd appreciate seeing the ELSDP-45 in action. That particular locomotive is a great puller and runs like a top! I always appreciate you watching and commenting. Mike
Awesome layout 👌 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃👍
Thanks so much! Mike
Another great video of your awesome layout. What divisions made up the Mid-Continent route? I do like how you have modeled the one station that has the figurine "hooping" up orders. Doing a session like this, have you ever considered just writing up some "orders" pertaining to the trains, just to show us. Too bad you could not get some "flimsies."
Hi Todd - I do use train orders during formal operating sessions and I actually have some original Rock Island flimsies. I'll keep your suggestion in mind about showing an issued train order during a formal operating session. Thank you for your comments! Mike
Another great video. The layout looks great. What color is your facia? I see brown but do you remember the mix? Thanks.
Hi Mark - Thanks for watching and for your comments. I painted the fascia with semi-gloss Glidden paint called "Birds Nest" that I had mixed at Home Depot. Birds Nest was one of the color samples offered in their color card selection. Mike
Also I noticed that some (if not all) of the Rock Island EMD's don't have dynamic brakes. The Rock must have been trying to save money.
You're correct, the Rock Island did not opt for dynamic brakes. I think one of the reasons was their concern about the impact of dynamic braking on the track structure. Mike
Nice video Mike.
? Watched a video on the Mid Continent and saw a EL C425 on a Southbound out of St. Paul. Did the Rock borrow power out of Chicago?
Hi Jerry - Yes, the Rock Island had some run-through agreements with EL in the 1960's and early 1970's. EL power was common on the RI in the Chicago area and you'd see EL power elsewhere on the system on occasion. Thanks for watching. Mike
Hi Can you tell me what brand of GP35's you operate?they look great!
The GP35’s in this video are KATO models. I also have Athearn and Walthers GP35’s. Thank you for your comments and for watching the video. Mike
🙂👍😍
Hi there, as you are big fan of the RI I wonder if you can help me out.
I am modelling a Southern Pacific lay-out in the '70 and '80. I am looking to buy a RI locomotive but I don't know about the paintscheme in these years. Red and yellow or brown and yellow?
In the 1970 to 1980 era, you could find about any of the paint schemes on the Rock Island. However, from about 1970-1975 the red and yellow, as well as, the maroon (often mistaken for brown) and yellow with speed lettering on the hood would be appropriate. Then, from 1975 until 1980 (when the Rock Island shut-down operations), the blue and white scheme would fit into the picture (this is the scheme that many refer to as "Bankruptcy Blue"). Hope this helps. Good luck with your SP model railroad! Mike
@@rimodeler7963 Thx.
😊
Thanks for watching, Randy! Mike
Is this a club layout?
No sir, this is my layout on the second floor of our home. Thank you for watching the video. Mike
How many feet are most of your sidings?
The sidings vary in length from about 12 feet to about 35 feet and trains can meet in each of the helixes as well (siding capacity in helixes is 100+ cars; however, I don’t run trains that long). Thank you for watching the video. Mike
Please post a track plan.
Here is a link to a video I did on the track plan: ua-cam.com/video/ZzyqaoF6fsw/v-deo.html
Thank you :) @@rimodeler7963
Why do railroads do foreign power
Trains that operate from one railroad to another may keep locomotives intact instead of changing them out at an interchange point. Pooling power is a common practice among the railroads. Each railroad tracks the number of hours that their power operates on a foreign railroad and hours that foreign power operates on their property. Tracking the hours allows the railroads to balance the time that their locomotives operate on a foreign property (example: railroad X locomotives operated 500 hours on railroad Y; therefore, railroad X is owed 500 hours of railroad Y’s locomotives operating on railroad X’s property). Thanks for watching the video. Mike