Layout ideas: Elgin, Illinois industrial circle

Paul Behrens's book Steam Trains to Geneva Lake: C&NW's Elgin - Williams Bay Branch contains wonderful maps of this branch line including one on page 89 of the complete circle in downtown Elgin that served a number of factories and businesses.

It's really an oval with dimensions of two by three city blocks and traversed a small branch of the fox river with two bridges. It's a perfect concept for the traditional model railroad oval on 4 x 8 sheet. The line from West Chicago to Lake Geneva would be one side of the oval and the brick Elgin station sat just east of the oval.

It looks like Elgin's Hemmens Auditorium and new Library occupy most of this site but I'll try and get down there with a digital camera. I'll also check the Elgin Historical society for any photos or plans they might share.

Last train ran on this line in the late 1980s so this layout could cover a number of eras.