"We're gonna light up the dark of night like the brightest day in a whole new way" -Joe Raposo/Children's Television Workshop- The formal owner of the prototype Hills Line is the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy. Considering its history as an electric interurban, the ownership makes sense. And considering … Continue reading The Electric Company
Model railroading, from a retail perspective, largely remains a cottage industry. While there are a growing multitude of large hobby conglomerates, most of the smaller items you see on layouts come from mom-and-pop operations. Those small businesses are helping me detail warehouses on The Hills Line, and it's always fun to see how these little … Continue reading In The Details
On the IAIS Grimes Line I was able to make significantly-sized photo backdrops work for non rail-served buildings, notably Reams Foods in Clive. For The Hills Line, I'm finding better success with building flats or partial structures. I'm chalking up the change to the difference in industries between the two locales. I used Pikestuff building … Continue reading A Thicker Backdrop
With the signature scene of The Hills Line complete, it's time to switch gears and model some of the industrial aspects of the industrial spur. The portion of Iowa City south of downtown is a motley collection of commercial and light-industrial warehouses. This is a change from the IAIS Grimes Line, which I always referred … Continue reading Change of Pace
