| Last updated on January 19, 2021
The HO Mineral Range & Lake Michigan model railroad track plan is set in Great Lakes iron ore country
John Armstong had produced hundreds of model railroad track plans published in magazines and books, and in fact, earned the nickname “Dean of Model Railroad Track Planning.” He drew this never-published Mineral Range & Lake Michigan RR for a paying client, but it was apparently forgotten for many years in a home in a Chicago suburb.
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I lived near the Michigan UP in Pembone Wi, a junction of SOO and MILW. I like the idea of LSI, SOO, CNW, and MILW equipment being complimentary to the layout. CNW and MILW often pooled their locos and rolling stock in this area.
Wonderful find. However, upon opening, we immediately see a right hand turnout at the end of a left hand curve resulting in an S curve. I'd have thought John would have placed a left hand turnout at the end of the curve to avoid the S curve. (Yes, then you'd have a grade crossing on a siding, but being the designer of this world, he could have moved the road.) Anyway, it's still a masterpiece of a drawing and would look wonderful framed.
That's a work of art. Computer programs are useful BUT this is the demonstration to do a masterpiece one can do without
What master. I was fortunate to visit his layout once to see his handy work first hand
Awsome plan if you have the room.
I was looking for a date on the drawing. Any ideas on when the plan was produced? With the staging and interchanges it has a really nice operating potential. Amazing to see the technique and hand lettering used to create the plan. It is a work of art.
@ Thomas
Armstrong sometimes created mashed-up names for towns derived from multiple prototypes or playing multiple roles. For instance, "Wincrosse," on his Upper Mississippi Railroad, is, as he wrote, "an obvious amalgam of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Winona, Minnesota."
I suspect the same is true of Ishcanaba: Escanaba and Ishpeming. It is, as the great man might have said, "Escanaba-ish."
Thanks, MR!
It's great to know about the printer. I have always wounder about that. This is great thanks.
It´s wunderfull. Very realy, Top
Does anyone have any idea why he used "Ischcanaba" instead of the real city name of Escanaba?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escanaba,_Michigan
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Chicago_and_North_Western_Railway_Station_Escanaba_Michigan.jpg
Print the "Mineral Range Lake Michigan digital scan" file on 8.5 by 14 legal size paper, BUT tell your printer that it is a "custom" size 8.5 by 13.12 paper and you will end up with a printed drawing that is almost exactly 1/4 inch to the foot scale so you can use a standard architect's scale directly on the print to measure it.
(It works on my Canon S520 printer, so I think it will work on any other ink jet printer as well.)
Thanks for printing this. It says it was drawn for "Potter Palmer of Lake Forest ILL." Does anyone know if it was ever built? I also would like to know more information on how it was rediscovered.
Very beautiful, and do able plan.
Great
Absolutely brilliant design!
Dennis, the plan has 12" squares (listed a couple of lines under the layout and client's name) so if I counted correctly, the layout seems to be about 24×44 feet, in a room about 24×50 feet.
Nice plan.
Any idea on the size? (foot print).
excellent
Interesting layout….think I will try this one out.