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The Lake County Model
Railroad Club exists for the benefit of and promotion of model
railroading.
The club was founded as an HO
scale club and became operational in 1971. It has occupied its
current site since then. The basic layout design for the
approximately 360’ mainline has been in place since 1971. Many
sections of the layout have been changed over the thirty-two year
existence of the club.
The layout is set in the
transitional period of steam changing over to diesel.
So the period modeled is late 1940’s plus or minus 20 years for
rolling stock and motive power. The bi-level yard on the left
side of the layout was added in 2002. This was the third yard
redesign and rebuilt for the club in that area.
As members come and go the
layout goes through changes. When first started the Soo line
railroad had a major influence on the structures and town names
used on the layout. By the late 70’s the railroads operating in
the Pacific Northwest held influence. In the mid 90’s the
railroads operating in the front range of the rocky mountains of
Colorado had their day. Today, railroads operating out of Chicago
hold influence. The layout today reflects an operation from the
town of Wauconda Illinois to Madison Wisconsin.
The layout is a single track
360’ mainline with six passing sidings averaging
20’. Bench work is of L-girder construction. Homasote is used as
a railroad base. Parts of the layout have hand laid track and
hand built turnouts (switches) built in code 83 rail. Code 70 is
used in yards and sidings with a few sidings in code 55. The
layout has 149 turnouts of which 35 are controlled electrically.
There are 3 off mainline staging yards and 3 interchange yard
points on the layout. The minimum mainline radius is 48 inches.
The maximum mainline grade is 1.25%.
The layout was converted to
Digital Command Control (DDC) for train operation in 2000.
Since the layout is always
changing there is no estimated finish date.
The public is welcome to
visit the club on Friday evenings. If you desire information
about membership in the club, visit our
guestbook. |
