Minneapolis International
Welcome to Jerry LaChapelle's Minneapolis International model railroad, an HO-scale model of what he describes as a freelanced version of a real road that once existed in northern Minnesota. The rails of the Minneapolis International wound through the landscape from the Minnesota town of Bemidji to Brainerd and north to the border town of International Falls. It ran through many small towns and settlements that sprang up because of the lumbering industry activity in the early 1900s. While the town names are accurate, the setting is Jerry's personal approximation of how the area may have looked during the 1940s.
After being absorbed by parent Northern Pacific Railway in 1941, the Minneapolis International began to change from a railroad centered almost exclusively on lumber. As lumbering activity dropped off, the towns that were supported by the lumber barons fell on hard times. The advent of World War II also took its toll. Despite these challenges, the people in the area still depended heavily on the railroad to provide the necessary supplies for daily living and for transportation to urban centers. The railroad also did a substantial amount of tourism-related passenger business during the summer months, as the numerous lakes in the area provided recreational activities and were frequented by the public from the more populated cites to the west and south. As the population stabilized and became less dependent on lumbering, the railroad helped spur some growth by providing entrepreneurial businessmen with a means to bring new types of commerce to the area. It is this transition period that Jerry chose to model.
After being absorbed by parent Northern Pacific Railway in 1941, the Minneapolis International began to change from a railroad centered almost exclusively on lumber. As lumbering activity dropped off, the towns that were supported by the lumber barons fell on hard times. The advent of World War II also took its toll. Despite these challenges, the people in the area still depended heavily on the railroad to provide the necessary supplies for daily living and for transportation to urban centers. The railroad also did a substantial amount of tourism-related passenger business during the summer months, as the numerous lakes in the area provided recreational activities and were frequented by the public from the more populated cites to the west and south. As the population stabilized and became less dependent on lumbering, the railroad helped spur some growth by providing entrepreneurial businessmen with a means to bring new types of commerce to the area. It is this transition period that Jerry chose to model.