2026 National Narrow Gauge Convention in the Twin Cities

Featured

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…

Continue Reading 46th National Narrow Gauge Convention in the Twin Cities

Spotlight

Minneapolis Santa Fe & Pacific

Scale: HO/HOn3 The Minneapolis Santa Fe & Pacific layout is based on the AT&SF and D&RGW and with its many masterfully constructed and highly detailed buildings, bridges and…

Continue Reading Minneapolis Santa Fe & Pacific

Rio Grande Southern/GJP&MPRY

Scale: HOn3 & HOn30 The Denver & Rio Grande Southern, along with Gilpin, James Peak and Middle Park Railway have trackage rights on this layout. The layout features…

Continue Reading Rio Grande Southern/GJP&MPRY

Explore

Denver & Rio Grande Western – Royal Gorge Route

Scale: N Located in the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the Spring of 1981, this proto-freelanced layout endeavors to recreate the…

Continue Reading Denver & Rio Grande Western – Royal Gorge Route

Colorado & Rio Grande Southern

Scale: HOn3 & HOn30 Hard rock mining is the theme of this Colorado based layout featuring two levels of dramatic vertical scenery.…

Continue Reading Colorado & Rio Grande Southern

Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad

Scale: HO/HOn3 Placed in the Black Hills of South Dakota in the Autumn of 1903, this layout represents the prototypical operation of…

Continue Reading Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad

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