In 1970 at the age 10 I rode the North Coast limited to Seattle with my
grandfather. This focused an intense interest on trains into me becoming an NP
fan and modeler. Throughout high school I avidly created HO scale models and a
layout. This all went an hold until 1989 when while working in Montevideo Mn I
discoverd a model RR club. A dormant interest was rekindled and old models came
out of storage. Living in a rural area with out a basement seemed to make
modeling hopeless so to find an active club in a town of 5000 was a miracle. I
quickly became fast friends with John Given (GN) and Bat Masterson (Q). We
would meet every Thursday and work on the layout and go out afterward and talk
trains until late. They became mentors gently pointing out mistakes and
directing me to info. Through them i learned about an NP historical society
which I joined and became very active. I planned to someday jack up my 1890
house and put a new basement under it and build my dream layout, the NP near
Paradise MT with the Marent trestle as it focal point. Bat told me if he ever
built a home layout he would recreate the Q line up into Laurel and always
pointed out the different interesting operational possibilities. Over time he
convinved me to change my focus to recreating Laurel MT and the lines coming
in. The club broke up due the one member, who owned the building, turning into
a total idiot. Bat moved to Lincoln NE and so all our late night bull sessions
were no more. In 1999 I got my new basement and began building. I made a trip
to visit Bat and he provided me with track diagrams and other info I still use
every day. In 2000 on the way to the NP Helena convention I follwed to Q up
from Denver and was stunned by the Wind River Canyon. I had to fit it and
Thermopolis into the layout. The layout began to take shape about the time I
got the very sad call about Bat's death. I was looking forward to having him
come and reveiw my progress, but now that could never happen. So in many ways
I'm building the layout Bat always wanted to build, although with most likely
more NP. I have done research into the Laurel area at the Minnesota History
Center were the NP records are stored. With the help of Jim Dick I have been
reading the General managers files concerning Laurel. These are mostly letters
back and forth between the NP, Q and GN GMs complaining bickering and
negotiating. If any one else is interested in this I could post some of the
less mundane stuff. It seems to me this yard was essentially the BN from 1909
on. As the convention chair for this years NPRHA meet in Billings I had hoped
to somehow include the Q but after last years debacle with the SP&S it wasn't
possible in any way. Maybe someday. Today as I'm about to spike down the track
in Themopolis, it strikes me as remarkable what started with someone casually
mentioning " theres a train club here in town" one day in 1989.
Jon Bratt
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