Bob Lehnen's
Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad
(C&EI)

Layout Description:
The Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad (C&EI) is an HO scale model railroad based on the prototype C&EI, as it existed at the end of World War II until its incorporation into the Missouri Pacific Railroad in the late 1960s. The current C&EI layout models the prototype's mainline from Chicago to Evansville, Indiana, in the 1950s. It includes the key operational points of Watseka, Hoopeston, and Danville in Illinois, and Cayuga, Clinton, Terre Haute, Sullivan, Vincennes, and Princeton in Indiana. Additionally, the Mt. Vernon, Indiana branch via Poseyville, Indiana, is modeled.

The layout is a point-to-point, two-level design with staging areas at Chicago and Evansville. A helix between Clinton and Terre Haute permits trains to move from the lower level at 40 inches to the upper level at 60 inches.

Design and Construction:
Construction on the C&EI began in the fall 1999 and is being built in two stages. Stage 1, finished during the summer 2007, has the mainline completed from Chicago staging on the north end to Evansville staging on the south end. Operating sessions support up to 16 people, including a dispatcher, two yardmasters, four road crews of two people (engineer and conductor), and many local jobs and extras. Train control is by DCC manufactured by North Coast Engineering (NCE) using both wireless and tethered cabs. Stage 2 will complete the remaining portions of the railroad, mostly the Mount Vernon, Indiana branch and Oaklawn Shop tracks, and install RailOp software to control car movements. About 10% of scenery was completed at the end of Stage 1.

The layout includes historically correct rolling stock, scenery, and structures. Operations are based the prototype trains and industries of the era modeled. Among the traffic run during operating sessions is the extensive C&EI passenger business linking Chicago and Florida as well as the joint trains operated with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad that linked Chicago with Atlanta, New Orleans, and cities in the southeast. Named trains included in operating sessions are the Whippoorwill, the Meadowlark, The Georgian, the Humming Bird, the Dixie Flyer, the Dixie Mail, and the Dixie Flagler. Additionally, operating sessions model the C&EI's extensive coal traffic originating in western Indiana and eastern Illinois, the manufactured goods produced online, its agricultural and food businesses, and its famous Trailer-On-Flat-Car (TOFC) Piggyback Flyer trains.

Support from the C&EI Operations and Maintenance Groups
Construction and operation of this layout are done with the assistance the C&EI Maintenance and C&EI Operating Groups. Ron Campbell developed the initial layout design. Baron Simmerman designed and supervised the construction of the benchwork. Stan Krasienko, Steve Johnson, Al Kohut, John Munson, and Ken Osiecki assist with the development and management of operations. Rich Bourgerie provides professional quality photographs. Many other people selflessly donate their time and talent to maintain and operate the C&EI. Without their continued help and support, the C&EI would not be a reality.

(Updated July, 2007)

Bob Lehnen, Indianapolis, Indiana

C&EI Railroad Historical Society - http://www.ceihs.org/