2026 National Narrow Gauge Convention in the Twin Cities

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46th National Narrow Gauge Convention in the Twin Cities

The 46th National Narrow Gauge Convention will be held in Bloomington, Minnesota from September 2nd through the 5th, 2026. Please join us in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” for the 46th National Narrow Gauge Convention! Once again, our convention will be hosted at the DoubleTree—Bloomington—hotel, the largest convention facility located outside of the Twin Cities…

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Spotlight

RGS Ridgway to Dolores

Scale: HOn3 & HO The HOn3 version of the RGS runs from Ridgway to Dolores and includes a 10′ x 4′ freelance logging operation that is completely detailed.…

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San Juan del Oro, El Siswoki

Scale: HOn3 & HO There are two layouts, one standard gauge, the other narrow gauge. The standard gauge layout features the sister city of Nolehagas, located on the…

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Explore

Dolly Varden Mine Railroad

Scale: On3 The Dolly Varden Mine Railroad was built to serve the Dolly Varden Mine, one of the richest silver lodes ever…

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Overlook Northern Railway

Scale: G The Overlook Northern Railway depicts the St. Croix River Valley. It travels over bridges and tunnels through picturesque gardens set…

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Rio Grande Southern Lizard Head Division

Scale: HOn3 & HO These beautiful HOn3 Rio Grande Southern and HO Milwaukee Road Shullsburg layouts are certainly well known by those…

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From Minnesota Digital Library:

“The growth of Minnesota can be tied directly to the growth of railroads. The railroads supported farmers, millers, miners, and loggers by moving the raw materials they produced to sell at markets. In turn, the railroads brought other goods and products to the people to build their homes, businesses, and towns. Railroads also brought immigrants to settle the land and provided jobs and income to laborers and investors.

Three of Minnesota’s major railroads were the Northern Pacific, the Great Northern, and the Soo Line. While these three were not the only railroads that operated in Minnesota, they had a major impact on the state.

The U.S. Congress chartered the Northern Pacific Railway in 1864 to build a transcontinental railroad from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast. When it was completed in 1883, the railroad had laid nearly 6,800 miles of track through Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Its headquarters were in St. Paul, Minnesota.”

From ThievesRiver.com:

1) Uff da

Background: A Scandinavian import, particularly from Norwegian, “uff da” is widely used to express dismay, exhaustion or sometimes even relief. It embodies the stoic yet expressive nature of Minnesotans.

Example: “Uff da! I forgot my wallet at the cabin. Now I can’t pay for the meat raffle tickets, gosh darn it!”

2) You Betcha

Background: This phrase epitomizes the friendly and positive attitude of Minnesotans. It’s often said with enthusiasm and is used to mean “absolutely” or “you can count on it.”

Example: “Do you want to come to the hockey game this weekend? Grain Belts are on me!” – “You betcha!”

Read more at ThievesRiver.com