The Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad

Scale: HO

The ‘Ma & Pa’ is a shortline railroad that ran from Baltimore, Maryland to York, Pennsylvania. This multi-level layout condenses the prototype’s 77 mile length with its countless curves and 111 bridges into a scale 6.5 mile point-to-point journey. This layout is designed for operation to reflect the prototype’s Timetable No. 61 in effect on Sunday April 30, 1950. The majority of the layout’s structures are scratch-built and along with 12 of the major bridges reflects the movement of a wide variety of goods to many types of industries. The towns of Baltimore, Glenarm, Long Green, Fallston, Vale, Bel Air, Rocks, Whiteford, Cardiff, Delta, Castle Fin, Bridgeton, Muddy Creek Forks, Laurel, Felton, Red Lion, Dallastown and York are represented on the layout.

Era/Locale: Maryland/Pennsylvania, April 30, 1950
Size: 12′ x 22′
Benchwork: 100%
Track: 100%
Scenery: 80%

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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