Your favorite Michigan shortline to model ??

[PennsyHoosier]

Yes, the Pere Marquette was a Class I railroad.

jpaauwe, if you're interested, visit the Pere Marquette Historical Society website.

http://www.pmhistsoc.org/

Also, there is a yahoo group dedicated to the PM

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PereMarquette/

[ericboone]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jpaauwe

I'm not a steamer, but I always loved the pere marquette...hope I spelled that right[:I]

You did spell Pere Marquette properly. However, I don't think the PM counts as a shortline as in December of 1944, three years before the merger with the C&O, the PM owned or leased 1705 miles of track and operated on 1949 miles of track. The PM was a Class I railroad.

[potlatcher]

My first exposure to shortlines was a pair of articles in a 1981 Railroad Model Craftsman on the Lenawee County (prototype) and Lenawee Central (model) by Doug Leffler. That issue sparked an interest in shortlines that I haven't been able to shake since then. By chance, I ended up working in nearby Sturgis, MI for a couple years after college and became a fan of the Michigan Southern, with its small fleet of Alcos.

I'm back in the west now and happily modeling a western shortline, but under certain circumstances, I could easily see myself modeling a southern Michigan shortline. I don't know yet if I would faithfully follow a prototype or proto-freelance ala the Lenawee Central.

Tom

[cmgn8905]

I would say the Central Michigan which is now part of th Huron and Eastern.

[Catt]

I think I would like to do the Michigan Northern as if it still existed today.Does anybody know if there are decals available?

[mlehman]

A timely question for me, as I made my first extended visit to the U.P. last summer. I've been thinking of doing a Duluth, South Shore, and Atlantic module serving the waterfront and downtown area of Houghton. I might work some Copper Range in also, given they met there at the Portage bridge.

I have collected some DSS&A rolling stock and hope that Bowser/Stewart will eventually re-release their AS-616 or Atlas will do a RS-1 in DSS&A paint. Fortunately, the Soo Line Historical Technical & Society (http://www.sooline.org/home.html) and several websites (http://dssa.habitant.org/index.htm and http://www.copperrange.org/ among others) provide reference material.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL

[Anonymous]

Grand Rapids Eastern.

[csmith9474]

I would definately have to go with The Copper Range Railroad IF I modeled Michigan railroads. Dem Yoopers sure know how to run a railroad, hay??

[Anonymous]

I'm not a steamer, but I always loved the pere marquette...hope I spelled that right[:I]

[joseph2]

In the 1970's to early 1980's I used to watch the Michigan Northern.It used the Baldwin Sharks,RS12's,Alcos and Geeps.Went from Grand Rapids to Mackinaw where it connected to a coal burning,ice breaker car ferry.Second choice would be the E&LS,another Baldwin user.Haven't been up there for a few years.

[Soo Line fan]

I have 2 favorites, the Escanaba and Lake Superior and the Lake Superior and Ishpeming. I do not model either one, though.

Jim

[Anonymous]

I would do the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway.

[caboose63]

to anyone out there, including fellow michiganians, what is your favorite michigan shortline to model in any scale? i model in HO scale a former Manistee & Northeastern branch in Leelanau County. the name of my shortline is Leelanau County Railway.