I've been a member of this forum for some time, however I have only recently become more active in it, and thought I ought to introduce myself a little. I grew up in New Hampshire, but I currently reside in eastern Montana, where I work as a Conductor for BNSF. In my spare time I do have some HO model trains and, when the weather is warmer, I also enjoy bicycling. I have both a mountain bike and a road bike, and go out on whichever I am in the mood for! The state park nearby has some great spots for quick, afternoon off road rides. I joined this discussion board quite some time ago, and really did not become very active with it. The site underwent some changes since I last looked at it, and so now I am refamiliarizing myself with it. The changes are nice, but at the same time it feels like I have joined a new website altogether. I am sure I'll learn my way around sooner or later!
Welcome aboard, from a former Montanan! I see your ARR avatar, is that what you model? Do you have a layout?
I have a model railroad room, but since I only recently moved here, it is, unfortunately, railroadless. That is a project for this summer though, get the railroad in there. It is a small spare bedroom, so it will be an L shaped switching layout. I have thought about modelling the Alaska Railroad, and I do have a few Alaska Railroad models, but currently BNSF and Amtrak represent the overwhelming majority of the fleet. It is a collection that started when I was about seven, with my uncle buying me some model trains. It has grown considerably since then!
Welcome from another eastern MT fella! Railfans are few out here in this country, it seems. Have you been to Jim's Junction in Billings, yet? Which part of Eastern MT do you get to drive?
Welcome from central Montana........ I won't be much help with you HO modeling since I do N and G, but I share your other hobbie. I haven't had much time to bike in the last year, but managed to get over to the Idaho-Montana border last summer and ride the "Hiawatha Trail".....a very fun ride thru tunnels and over trestles with lots of Milwaukee Road history thrown in on trail signs.
Ahh, yes. Jim's Junction has a great book selection IIRC. There's an awful lot of old MILW ROW mileage to explore in MT. Lots of things to see, especially on the western end and over Pipestone. The old NP Homestake Pass is mostly intact if you want to explore some NP. Mullan Pass is former NP, active MRL. There's a little HO scale model shop in Helena, too. An older gentleman runs it out of his garage, IIRC.
It has been a while since I have been to Billings actually. I did stop at Jim's Junction last time I was there, but I arrived about ten minutes after it had closed for the day. I'll be in Billings in about two weeks though, and I'll have to check it out if there is time, and it is open. I have heard there is a good hobby shop in Terry, somewhere on Logan Ave. Does anyone else know anything about it? Is it any good? Someone I work with mentioned it one day after we had been sitting in the siding there for hours. I would have gone to check it out, but figures as soon as he mentioned it the dispatcher called to move us! I need to get over there too, I just haven't yet. I would like to bike the Hiawatha Trail, a few people have talked about it and mentioned that it is a pretty good ride. Last summer I pretty much just worked, but I think this summer, if the weather is any good, I'll be taking a bit more time off to go do things like that. I'd also like to take a weekend off and go to Glacier Park again. It's been several years since I was there, and I've never been to Yellowstone, which is also within reasonable distance. There is a lot to do in the area I am finding, which I did not really realize before I moved here. I've only been in Montana about a year though, so many of the things remain on the "bucket list," but I'll get a few checked off, so to speak, this summer hopefully. I work out of Glendive. Right now I mostly make the run west, to Forsyth and back, although we run helpers east on the coal trains, to Fryburg, ND, which I manage to catch occasionally. We also just started dispatching the line north to Sidney, although Glendive crews only go as far as Crane, just north of Savage. Minot, ND, crews run everything north of there on that line. It's nice to see a few others on here from Montana! I don't meet too many people around here who have an interest in railroads.
Prairie Unique is the hobby shop in Terry, mostly R/C planes as there is an active club there in Terry. He has trains tho' and will order whatever you want. Dale is his handle and he has been there quite a while. As most shops in this area it has a little of a LOT. Books, MT gifts, hobby and he does uphostery! Am out of Glendive, too. Doing my own remodeling and handyman business which has been a huge blessing. I plan to go to the Helena Railfair for the April 29th show aas that is always a lot of fun. H How long have you been in Glendive?
The Helena show is usually quite a nice gathering. You'd meet folks from all over Montana there. Plus, it often draws folks from the west coast, Colorado, the Dakotas and even further east.
The Milwaukee Road depot in Harlowton (along with the museum and Boxcab), the NP depot in Livingston, and the Milwaukee Road Lil' Joe and E9 in Deer Lodge are also fun stops. If anyone makes it to Helena for the train fair, I should be there with the NTRAK club......look me up. The little HO shop in Helena is gone......the gentleman who ran it died a while back......he had a lot of old out of production Walthers kits and car kits. It was a neat shop.
Sad to hear about his demise. Comes to us all one day. Have been to the Helena fair in the past. The last time was in 98! Went several years running when in Livingston as Sleeping Giant RR custom paint and detailing. Did mostly HO diesels and N diesels, but it was a lot of fun! Hope to see y'all there, as I will have 2 tables, i think. My wife is joining me too!
I have been in Glendive almost a year, I moved here last February to start training with the railroad. I like it, it is a nice town, the only rather inconvenient thing is that it is not really close to anything! I grew up 45 minutes from Boston, and I thought I lived in a small town (of 90,000) then! I've been wanting to check out that store in Terry, the Prairie Unique, for a while now, but I just have not had a chance. I may do that today if I have a little extra time, since it appears that I am off! I have also been wanting to go west and see the various Milwaukee stuff, like the box cabs and the Little Joe. I think that will be a trip for this summer. My wife wants to take a trip to Glacier Park, and we may have to fit in the Milwaukee sightseeing into that trip. It would certainly help break up a long drive, if we decide to drive. She was also talking about driving to Wolf Point and then taking the train. Either way, I'll have to take some time off and see the Milwaukee stuff. I have also been wanting to drive the old right of way between Terry and Tusler. Supposedly it is intact and is not a dirt road, appropriately called Milwaukee Road. It crosses the Yellowstone River just west of Terry, on the old railroad bridge (MP 44 on the Forsyth Sub), and again just east of Tusler (MP 68 Forsyth Sub), also on the old railroad bridge. I have driven across the bridge at Tusler, but I haven't driven the rest of that road, yet. It is interesting to talk to a few of the old heads at work, because they all seem to know someone who worked for the Milwaukee before they shut down. I guess a few Milwaukee employees went to work for the BN when Milwaukee ceased to exist. I think at this point all the former Milwaukee employees have retired, but I still hear a few of their stories occasionally, as they've been "passed down" by some of the old heads. I'll have to put the Helena show on the calendar, and try to lay off a couple days for it. I've been wanting to go to a train show lately. I lived in Utah before moving to Montana, and I was usually able to find two or three shows a year to go to there, without driving more than an hour. But I have no idea where or when any are in this area, although I figure I'll have to drive a bit farther for them! Does anyone know of any other shows in the area? I have heard rumors that there is occasionally one in Miles City, but I really do not know anything else about it. I wouldn't be surprised if Billings or Bismarck had one sometimes too, as they are bigger places. I miss out on hearing about some of this stuff, since most of my coworkers, which are the people I spend the most time with, have little to no interest in railroading or model railroading.
A fair number of MILW folks went to BN, to finish out their careers. There are still a very few left. I know a couple are possibly still on MRL. If you are going to Amtrak the High Line, you'll be 2-3 hours drive away from most MILW, for any side trips. If you can take the train one way and then spend a couple of long days working back the other direction in a car...? Seems like it might be better for two trips? Possibly west to Whitefish, spend a night, then early morning go back east in daylight again? I'm not sure if anything is still happening in Livingston. They used to have a small show the day before Helena. There is an active NTrak Group in Bozeman and they may have a setup or two aside from Helena. Otherwise, there is a small meet in Missoula every September. Beyond those, is one or two in Spokane. A couple of fair sized ones in Washington- Monroe, coming very soon and the Boeing MRRC in Kent next Fall. Plus a few others. But then we're getting into looong commutes and might as well also head to places such as Denver.
There used to be a show in Billings every year, too. Have never heard of a show in Bismark. There used to be a hobby shop down by the depot in Williston,ND, but I don't know if it is still open. Am going to Jim's on Wed this week, so I will try to ask him. Closer to us there is a Shop up in Sidney, too, Ribbons n Rails downtown. The basement is a train shop, HO and Lionel RR room! So, THAT is a lot of fun to browse around in, even if there is no N-scale stuff.
