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The prototype Hills Line is a combination of the CRANDIC Railway's original interurban line between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, Iowa and the Rock Island's ex-BCR&N line that ran between Elmira and Iowa Junction, Iowa. Both lines are well past the century mark, and therefore littered with railroad relics. I knew from the outset that … Continue reading Evidence of Things Not Seen
Progress continues on the City Carton area of The Hills Line. Previously I had wrapped up building and painting the large parking lots and numerous roads in the space, as well as constructed the support warehouses for the complex. After the paint and striping was dry, I weathered everything following methods developed by Lance Mindheim. … Continue reading Blend
I'm having to relearn how to model large expanses of concrete and asphalt. On the IAIS Grimes Line I was able to construct the eight-foot long Swanson Boulevard that ran parallel to the PDM Spur out of a single piece of styrene, thanks to a local plastics supplier offering single-sheet purchases. For The Hills Line, it … Continue reading Concrete Jungle
"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
The Hills Line 