Visit to Hi-Rail Modular Train Club in Griffith, IN (Pics & Video added)

Hi Art,

 

That's a perfect scene, love it !!!!!!!

 

Alex

Thanks, Alex.  I wish that more forum members lived closer so they could easily visit this layout.  If you are ever in the area, it is definitely worth your time.

 

Art

Art,

 

Thanks for taking the time to come out and visit us and thanks for posting the picture of Lenny's pride and joy. I am trying to set a date for the club to promote a "Grand Re-Opening" once we shake out the bugs and put the finishing touches on the steel mill.  We need to get clearence from the town of Griffith so we can offer food to the visitors.

 

If I may, can I ask you to fix the following statement in your OP:  "among their recent projects are completing a 20 car yard".  

 

Yes it would be a 20 car yard if we only put 1 car in each leg.  Actual capacity of the 20-track yard is about 600 freight cars.  That pencils out to twenty 30-car freights.

 

With as much time as Jim Williams is spending helping us, we may have to offer him a lifetime guest membership.  

 

Come back soon.  I plan on running the full 12-car El Capitan, with A-B-B-A Alco Warbonnets on the point, in October.  Probably the weekend of the 17th & 18th.  

 

So if anybody is looking for another reason to get the juices flowing the week before York... Visit us, we are FREE!

 

 

Jim - I meant 20 track yard.  Thanks for correcting me.  It's tough to get old. 

 

Art

Art,

 

That is a excellent picture to show what 21" scale passenger cars look like on 138" curves.

 

 

Great picture AND I am from that part of the country!!  Great group over there as I have heard lots of good things. 

 

Thanks Art for posting that beautiful picture....hope to see more and the video soon!

 

Alan

Art,

 

Thanks for sharing that info about the club. Love

the picture you posted and would love to see more

and any video you have.

 

I saw SantaFeJim's responses and sounds like they are planning

open house in the future. Does the club have a website?

 

Living in the "western burbs" how difficult is it to get to

their club?

 

Thanks Art for the posting, looking forward to more pictures

and info about the Hi-Rail Club.

 

Tom

Tom - This is a great club and is easy to get to.  If you take I-80 east and get off at the Cline Ave. exit, it is just south at 201 Griffith Blvd.

 

Here is a link to their web site which has directions and the schedule for their open houses.

 

http://www.hirailmodulartrainclub.com/

 

You should also try to join us for breakfast at the DuPage show.  It is next Sunday, Sept 13th.  We meet at The Verdict Restaurant at 7:00 AM.  It is located on County Farm Road, just north of Roosevelt RD.

 

Art

Jim - Most of us never get to see 138" curves on an O gauge model railroad.  That really makes long cars like the 21" passenger cars look good.  I wanted to complement you on your wide curves, but forgot to ask their radius. 

 

Art

Tom -

 

I don't know which "western suburb" you live in, but I will tell you this.  I live in Tinley Park and once I get on I-80 (at Harlem ave) it is only 20 minutes to the club.  So if you are in close proximity to I-55, I-355, I-294 or I-80 you can make it there in less than an hour.

 

YES, we have a website:  http://www.hirailmodulartrainclub.com/

 

Most of the pictures on our site are old.  That is on our to-do list to update before the October open house dates.

 

Here are the dates for the rest of this year.

 

Art,

 

It looks kike we were both responding to Tom at the same time.  

Art and SantaFe Jim,

 

Thank you for the info on the club location, schedule for

open house and breakfast invite!

 

I checked out the maps and I would jump on 294 S  at Ogden Ave.

Just few minutes to 80. So that should be an easy trip.

 

I look forward to coming to visit.

 

Art I will be out of town this Sunday but will take rain check

for October if you don't mind.

 

Thank you both.

 

Looking forward to seeing you guys.

 

Tom

"Come back soon.  I plan on running the full 12-car El Capitan, with A-B-B-A Alco Warbonnets on the point, in October.  Probably the weekend of the 17th & 18th.  

 

So if anybody is looking for another reason to get the juices flowing the week before York... Visit us, we are FREE!""

 

 

 

Rich,

 

If you bring your ABBA F3's please have them programmed so that BOTH powered units are engine #22 OR if you make a "lash-up" assign the TRAIN #6.  Those are my Command Control ID numbers.

 

Tom,

 

I don't know how far you live from Ogden & I-294, but I checked mapquest and from that intersection to Griffith it is only a 39 minute trip.

 

Hope to see you soon.  When you get there ask for Santa Fe Jim.

 

 

Here are some more pics of the layout.

 

 

 

 

 

SantaFeJim,

 

Thank you, hope to be there for the October shows,

will ask for you.  Looking forward to the visit.

 

Tom

Nice work. What are the track centerline spacings here?

The outer curve is 138, what are the center and inner ones then?

Thanks

BobbyD,

 

Track spacing:  Inner Main to Center Main is 4 inches.

                     Center Main to Outer Main is 5 inches.

 

Curves are 138 outer main, 128 center main and 120 inner main.

 

No problems with Big Boys, DDA40X's, 86' Hi Cube Boxes,  or 2-8-8-2 Mallets.

Hello SantaFe Jim, from what I've seen looks like a great layout. Please tell me what the dimensions of your club layout are.

Thank you-

 

 

Paul,

Outside dimensions are 60' x 40'.

The Inland Steel Mill facility is 4' x 100'.

In addition, there is over 600' of display shelves, fully loaded.

I had to see just how far away you are, because this layout is amazing! Alas, eight and a half hours 

Here is our latest addition.  A professionally disigned, built and installed control panel that will route power and control the 20 switches in our new storage yard.  In addition, it will control the 10 newly installed switches on the main lines that handle the routing and track assignments for our trains.

 

 

 

This panel was built and installed by Jim Williams the President of Dream Layouts in Illinois.   

 

 

Here is a picture of the yard throat taken three months ago.

 

 

Here is the South half of the yard.  The North half is almost a mirror image 20-tracks averaging 30 feet each.

 

 

We still have structures to add and scenery to finish.  We hope to be ready for the October open house dates.
 

Thank you very much for the info. Very impressive layout!

Yes, Yes, Yes, this is a very Impressive Layout, Well Designed, and it looks like a Scale Operation.....I would love to see this layout in person, so If someone has the address, my email is in my profile....Send the address....Thank You Art for posting. WOW!!!

Larry,

Our address is:

201 Griffith Blvd.
Griffith, In.

Thanks SanteFeJim, I will come to see your club layout sometime early next Year. It will be in May/June, probably. I will email you if your address is in your profile. Thanks very much for the club layout address. Your Tennessee Connection. Leapin Larry

 

Sounds like a plan.  Maybe you can gather up a few friends and bring them alone.  Yes, my email address is in my profile.

 

Looking forward to your visit.  On the return trip, maybe you can catch "The Last Train to Clarksville".  

 

SantaFeJim

As advertised, here is a short video of Lenny's California Zephyr running on the beautiful 138" curves.

 

 

Art

Art, excellent video; thanks for shooting and posting it.

Hi Art.

     Cool YT Video.

• Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway

 

Way to go Art !!!

 

I would show this to Lenny, but I'm afraid he would wet his pants.  

Here are a few different perspective pictures.  Normally I like to take pictures of the trains and scenery at a rail fan's angle that makes them look as realistic as possible.  But for some reason I felt like documenting a broader perspective that showed the club's size and members as they interacted with each other and visitors.

 

 

 

Art

Great layout, photos, & video.

Wow! Those 0138 curves make the difference with scale passenger cars.

Art,

 

Great pictures and video, thanks for posting !!!!!!!

 

Alex

GUYS,

 

The pictures are a LOT better when you click on them to e-x-p-a-n-d them.