Future HO Layout Plans

I'm planning on rotating decades once a year with something in the 30's, late 40's, mid fifties and 1960 and a pre 1910 Iowa Central period. I'll pick out 5 specific years later. Still haven't decided on an area other than my old home town area of Eldora, Gifford and Steamboat Rock since this is the area I know the most about. I may possibly do Marshalltown to Ackley or Albert Lea. My favorite periods will be the 1910 Iowa Central and late 50's with the 40's and 1960 to accomodate the neat equipment that's available.

The M&StL time freights plus some passenger and locals as well as a crossing and interchange with the C&NW should provide plenty of operation for a smaller layout. An occasional Rock Island, C&NW or Illinois Central might get re-routed during washouts or wrecks on their home rails as has happened in the real world. In the 30's there will be an occasional circus train too.

Industry in the area will be:

• coal to the Iowa State Boys Reform School in Eldora
• coal for electric plant in Eldora (on the CNW) and local coal dealers
• grain in Eldora, Ackley and Steamboat Rock
• clay tile (early 1900's) from Eldora
• oil track in Eldora
• livestock in Gifford
• L.C.L and express for Eldora, Steamboat Rock and Ackley
• team track in Eldora and Ackley
• C&NW interchange in Eldora or Gifford
• Illinois Central interchange in Ackley
• lumber yards in Eldora and Ackley
• concrete from Mason City for highway projects in Ackley (US HWY 20) and Eldora (State HWY 175)
• Ice in Eldora. The Iowa Central papers mention icing refers as needed. Ice from Pine Lake. The ice house is still in Eldora.

I just purchased a Letter from 1908 written by Former Iowa Central President Edwin Hawley discussing the connectiing of 3 railroads to make a line from Iowa and Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

A big influence on my modeling will be a box of Iowa Central papers that was left to the Eldora Welcome Center/Railroad Museum. I'm currently cataloging and copying them for the museum and would like to put together a report of the contents once it's organized. The papers seem to be from 1895-1900. They consist of all of the correspondence between the agent and shippers, passenger dept., mechanical dept., freight dept., other railroads, passengers, track gang and more.

My first kitbash attempt. M&StL Mogul #304

Next...a caboose. Then either a consolidation or the Budd RDC-4 doodlebug since I already have them. Or I might work with Joe Binish on an F-3 or SD-7.

The old basement empire.

Do you have any ideas for building an HO scale GE Gas Electric or RDC-4 ?
Please let me know if you have ever tackled this project and what kits/parts you used.
Pictures are welcome too.
Cash mstl@eldora.net

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