What is the Chicago Valley Railroad?

So, where is this train going....?

Eastward view from the center platform, Kedzie station, UP West Line.

Chicago Valley Railroad is the online home for my HO scale model railroad and my dabblings in trainspotting.  In this blog you'll find posts on 3 main topics.

1-Information on model railroading on a budget.  I'm building my "Chicago Valley Railroad" layout as affordably as possible.  As I build my layout I'll share what I've learned from the process and from other model railroaders. 

2-Pictures of Chicago Railroads.  Living on the west side of Chicago, I see many railroads every day. I've been taking pictures of locomotives, rolling stock, industry, infrastructure and anything else that interests me and relates to railroading.  Expect lots of pictures of Chicago railroads. 

3-Scale comparison pictures of toy die cast (Matchbox, Hot Wheels, etc..) alongside HO scale figures and vehicles.   A surprising number of $1 toy trucks are well sized for HO scale railroads. 

Why "Chicago Valley"?
"Chicago Valley" is descriptive and a bit of a joke. On the practical end, the name suggests the urban Chicago scenery and hilly terrain that will both be contained within my fairly small layout.  

Really, though it's a bit of humor about the fact that -despite the state essentially being flat- so many Chicago suburbs have names suggesting a higher elevation than Chicago.  Mt Prospect, Prospect Heights, Chicago Ridge, Chicago Heights, Arlington Heights, Park Ridge, Hillside etc...   

One might suggest that these towns are compensating a bit for being mere suburbs of the greatest city on earth!