Kenneth Rodig

Ken Rodig served as IBLS Midwest Secretary from 1996 until the IBLS was dissolved in 2003.

Early Interests

Model trains have always held Ken’s interest, starting with his father’s Lionel® set around the family’s Christmas tree. While he also models in other scales (he had an HO scale home layout and is in the process of building a G scale) Ken was hooked on live steam trains after running a friend’s live steam locomotive. Ken has been a member of MLES since 1984, and the Club’s secretary since 1987.

Ken Rodig - This is a new prototype of the famous SW1 switcher locomotive. Four gear case axle drives provide plenty of tractive motive power on this compact 1.5" scale electric powered locomotive. The 110 watt sound system provides the most realistic effects of an actual SW1 diesel locomotive. Road colors represent the "Ironwood System" which was noted for their longtime rail service to the paper industry.
Ken Rodig at the throttle of Ten Wheeler No 2372 at the MLES Railroad Park.

IBLS Secretary, Midwest Region

Ken Rodig wrote, November 2019:

I hope this note finds you in good health. It's been a while since having any contact with the IBLS (wait, I WAS the IBLS in the Midwest!) however it was dissolved a number of years ago as you very well know, by the secretaries at the time. By the way I wasn't for it, but was out voted by the other 3. I enjoyed serving as a secretary and didn't really what to give it up, but I promised the others that I would uphold their wishes.

I'm proud to have been asked by Ralph Tucker to take over for him back in the day. Never met Dick Thomas but talked to him on the phone a number of times years ago. Went to the Pennsylvania Live Steamers 50 Anniversary meet and met Bob Hornsby. Ran his beautiful Pennsylvania Atlantic.

Just thought that you might like to know that there's still one of us old secretaries still around and kicking in the hobby.

2-4-4T No 3

Ken Rodig wrote, November 2019:

In the past six months I got a call from an old friend that the first engine I built and sold back around the time I became a secretary was sitting in a shed up in northern Wisconsin rusting away. I got in touch with the individual and asked if he did indeed have it and if he'd be interested in selling.

Well long story short, I got it back and am now in the process of rebuilding it to it's former glory. Having owned seven 1.5 inch scale locomotives, six of which I built and one I rebuilt, four of them steam, two of which I never finished before selling them, one used and rebuild and now sold, I've never got out of the hobby.

I still own the SW-1 diesel in the picture on your site, one of the two I built, and a dozen cars. But I've been out of steam for a couple of years now having sold the big 4-6-0 I bought used a number of years ago, and ran for years.

So I'm back in steam again with my original locomotive. It's in pretty sorry condition and is requiring a boiler fix and a number of engine repairs, before it'll run again, but run again it will and I'm not selling it a second time. It'll go to my grandson this time.

I hope to have it running by the end of the summer next year for the Discover Live Steam meet at my home club, the Milwaukee Light Engineering Society and I'm looking forward to making it out to Train Mountain for the next big meet in a couple of years. The nice thing about my first steam engine is that it's small enough to fit into my wagon along with a riding car and caboose. Great traveling with out a trailer. The engine is a 2-4-4T. I built it up from a Allen Models Chloe drive, with over sized boiler and a larger water tank. A nice little Forney with great steaming capabilities.

Ken Rodig with his No 3 Forney in 1.5 inch scale at the St Croix 1992 Fall Meet.
Ken Rodig's No 3 after it was "rescued" from a barn in 2019.
Starting restoration of No 3 in Ken Rodig's shop, 2019.
No 3, boiler removed, restoration underway.