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 a C&NWRR subsidiary with its dual and narrow gauge rail service to gold mining and milling operations based out of Deadwood, South Dakota, and extending up the gulches to the west.

The layout is photo-finished and “complete” with full scenery. It is fully operational, emulating the prototype’s track layout and traffic patterns. Locomotives are sound-equipped, and dozens of scratch and kit-bashed rolling stock are in use. Industries, mines, and supporting structures are also prototype-based. Many prototype photos show actual scenes that can be compared to the models featured on the layout.

Era/Locate: 1902-03 Black Hills of South Dakota
Size: 10’ x 40’
Benchwork: 100%
Track: 100%
Scenery: 100%

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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