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This website has been archived from TrainWeb.org/soomodels to TrainWeb.US/soomodels.
In these pages are photos of his
layout taken
by John Proebsting back in July 2002 only months before he passed away. He
had sent those to me to put on this web site. Comments are by himself.
"The Soo Line
served a good part of Wisconsin. One of its primary routes ran between Chicago
and the Twin Cities. I model a segment of this line, between Neenah and Stevens
Point as it was in 1948. First generation diesels had appeared, but steam was
still very evident.
I have the good fortune to be working with a number of excellent modelers on
this project, some of whom live all over Northern Illinois and Southern
Wisconsin. We usually get together once a week.
The layout is HO gauge, mostly filling a 39 x 44 foot "L" shaped basement. It's
been under construction for about 10 years, following a year of planning. Towns
modeled include Neenah, Dale, Weyauwega, Waupaca, Amherst Jct, Stockton and
Stevens Point. Prototype track plans for each were used to plan the layout,
along with lots of photos. Except for a lower level staging yard and helix,
track is hand laid on individually cut stained basswood ties on a Homosote base.
The bi-directional single track main line has five passing sidings with Number
10 turnouts on all but one. Rail on the main line is code 70, painted and
weathered. Most of the industrial spur tracks are code 55. Minimum radius on the
main line is 53 inches, and main line curves have spiral easements and
superelevation. Control system is Digitrax DCC.
Many of the scratchbuilt tri-color diode signals have already been installed,
but block occupancy circuits are not yet built. Most of the depots and both
roundhouses (Neenah and Stevens Point) have already been built, but the big
depot at Stevens Point is yet to happen."
Fortunately several
parts of John's layout have survived having been given to his friends by
his family.
Obituary
John William Proebsting
Proebsting, John William of Woodstock, born in
Chicago, passed away
December 5, 2002, avid life long railroad
enthusiast, hobbyist and expert,
specifically with the Soo Line, where he was
President of the Soo Line
Historical and Technical Society.
John had just recently retired, and was looking
forward to finally having
more time to work on his model railroad, which
was a historically accurate
representation of the Soo Line facilities in
Neenah, Waupaca, and Stevens
Point. His layout was featured in the Kalmbach
publication Model Railroad Planning, a fact of which John
was very proud.
Although already
serving a Society president, he also volunteered
to be magazine editor for 'The SOO'. Through John's
leadership, the Society was able to continue to
publish one of the best
magazines of any railroad historical society.
Dennis Storzek
Big Rock, IL
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