North American Rails - Railfan Guides
60 Photos included after text.
This site page features some of the models that I have built and some models of other railroad builders. Remember, I model the Illinois Terminal RR as if it never went bankrupt, and purchased by the Norfolk and Western. In my history of the railroad, I begin to alter its actual history in 1976 with its purchase of the central Illinois railroad the Peoria, Pekin and Union.
After that, the IT purchased the Chicago and Illinois Midland in 1978, and then in 1980, the IT was able to buy the Toledo Peoria and Western, followed by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas in 1982, and then finally in 1990, the Chicago and North Western.
These purchases put the once financially strapped railroad in the black and now it runs with the best of the other class one railroads today. Still somewhat centralized in its namesake Illinois, this railroad growth has broadened the IT reach west into the Powder River Basin and all around the midwest.
Still a connecting railroad, its growth outside of Illinois has also made the IT a major player in the east/west movement of commodities. Now the IT moves everything from coal and intermodal, to forest products, grains, liquids, and other goods.
I have also included models from my friend Roger Kajawa who has authored several magazine articles about his freelanced model railroad the Atlantic and Great Western, along with his new book on the history of the Toledo Peoria and Western.
His model work is excellent and he was eager to share his knowledge to a newcomer (me), years ago at the model railroad club we both were members of in Pekin, Illinois. I will always thank him for his help and kind words to me.
So on this site page I will feature photos of my model work of the original Illinois Terminal RR, along with the models of my freelanced (post 1982) Illinois Terminal. Some of those models will display my own engine ideas and all will be in the new IT paint scheme. I will show photos of other models of mine that I chose to model because I just plain liked the engine, or because I liked the paint job.
I am by no means a master modeler, but rather just enjoy the fun that model railroading offers me in expressing my creativity.
Copyright 2009 North American Rails. All rights reserved.
North American Rails - Railfan Guides