Souris Valley Model Railroad Club

05/24/2026

Ok folks, we need to have a serious talk from the basement railroad.

We know the layout is full of awesome scenes. The rivers, the trees, the farms, the little details hidden everywhere... half the fun is getting close and seeing how it’s all built. But those “Please Don’t Touch” signs are not decoration. Yes Nancy, that still means you.

For the third week in a row, parts of the layout have been intentionally damaged by both adults and children. Over the years we’ve had vehicles moved, pieces of buildings disappear, people reaching into scenes, and even attempts to run trains without permission. Apparently Farmer Mike’s deer have become the most pettable wildlife in Ward County.

We open the club during museum hours because we genuinely love sharing model railroading with the public. We enjoy answering questions, explaining scenery techniques, showing how operations work, and introducing people to the hobby. That’s what this is supposed to be about.

But the damage is becoming expensive and frustrating. If parents cannot keep children from climbing on or touching the layout, and adults continue ignoring the rules, we may be forced to close the club to the public during open hours. That is absolutely not something we want to do.

The club is not funded by the museum. Everything you see on the layout was purchased, built, donated, or maintained by club members. The locomotives, control systems, track, scenery, buildings, and countless tiny details came from member dues, donations, and a lot of personal time and money.

Please help us protect the layout so everyone can continue enjoying it for years to come.

Look with your eyes. Not your hands. 🚂

05/23/2026

Some people collect stamps.

Some people golf.

And some of us spend three hours debating whether the freight should be spotted on Track 2 or Track 3 like it’s a federal investigation. 🚂

Model trains: you either love them… or you just haven’t watched a tiny switcher drag a cut of cars through a perfectly weathered lumber yard yet.

The Souris Valley Model Railroad Association layout keeps growing, one rail, one scene, and one “I’ll just buy ONE more locomotive” at a time.

Come see what all the fuss is about down in the basement of the Railroad Museum of Minot. Warning: side effects may include sudden opinions about paint schemes and an uncontrollable urge to say “that’s actually N scale.” 😄

Open Saturdays 11-5.

03/31/2026

We don't recommend this shirt, but if you get kicked out for wearing it, we have a couch, and some scenery that needs done.

03/30/2026

While we will not have eggs hidden, we love this idea!

🥚🚂 ATTENTION ALL EGG ENGINEERS 🚂🥚
We’ve got a situation…
Somewhere in the Railroad Museum, eggs have gone off schedule.
📅 Saturday April 4th| 11AM – 3PM
💵 $5 Admission
Your job:
Find an egg.
Bring it to the front desk.
Collect your reward like a properly routed freight.
No switches required. No dispatch clearance needed. Just good eyes and a little luck.

03/14/2026

🚂 Things That Go Off the Rails
Many folks around the Des Lacs Valley remember the derailment near Burlington on May 1, 2022. Early that morning, an eastbound freight train left the rails between Minot and Des Lacs, with 11 cars piling up and several catching fire. Thankfully, there were no injuries, though firefighters and railroad crews had their hands full getting everything under control.
While derailments like that are rare on the real railroad, they do occasionally remind us that railroading is serious business.
Fortunately, here at the Souris Valley Model Railroad Association, when something goes off the rails it usually just means a club member has to reach into the layout and put the car back on the track. No wreck cranes, no investigations… just a gentle nudge and trains are rolling again.
If you’d like to see trains running the way they’re supposed to, stop by and check out the layout today from 11–3.
And remember… on our railroad the biggest derailment hazard is usually running a train a little too fast through the Gassman Coulee curves. 😄

02/14/2026

🚄 Blink and you might miss it!
The Shinkansen made a special appearance on the Souris Valley Railroad layout, stretching its legs and showing off some serious speed. Check out the video featuring this high-speed visitor racing around the railroad at a scale 190 miles per hour. Let’s just say… our freight crews barely had time to grab their coffee before it was already past the next town.
Have you ever seen something this fast on our layout before? Tell us what other surprise equipment you’d like to see make a run on the Souris Valley Railroad!

02/13/2026

Souris Valley (SV) 94021 has officially made it back home to Minot after quite the journey west.

While a few of our club members traveled out to watch operations on the Southern Pacific Tillamook Branch, SV 94021 was busy earning its mileage. The car was loaded with fresh Douglas Fir out on the coast and began the long trip east, working its way over the Cascades, across big sky country, and tackling Marias Pass along the way.

After thousands of rail miles and plenty of mountain railroading, SV 94021 was finally set out at the SOO Tower Interchange right here in Minot, looking travel-worn but proud. Safe to say this boxcar has seen more scenery in the last week than most of us have all winter.

Our railfans tried to keep up with it trackside, but between missed radio calls, “just one more photo” stops, and the universal belief that the next train is always better, we’re pretty sure the boxcar beat them home by a few hours. Either way, SV 94021 is back where it belongs… and yes, the first question everyone asked was, “Did anyone get a horn echo video on Marias Pass?” 🚂🌲

Huge shout out to Southern Pacific tillamook branch, Andrew Davenport, James Kruchten, and John Doyle for making the trip possible. It is always enjoyable taking club cars "on the road"

02/08/2026

🚨 Souris Valley Boxcar Recovery Mission: SUCCESS 🚨
Three of our club members were dispatched to northwestern Montana to assist with operations on the legendary Southern Pacific Tillamook Branch. While on assignment, they picked up a hot lead on the missing Souris Valley boxcar.
The car was spotted transversing the line from Portland to Tillamook, clearly enjoying the Pacific air a little too much. It was promptly detained, loaded with fresh-cut Oregon timber, and placed on the first authorized movement back home.
The boxcar is now en route to the Souris Valley Railroad, slightly heavier, smelling faintly of evergreens, and with a renewed appreciation for North Dakota winters 🌲📦🚂
More details soon… we’re still reviewing the trip reports.

02/07/2026

🚨 SOURIS VALLEY UPDATE 🚨
The club will be closed today.
Why? Well… the word reached us that a Souris Valley boxcar has gone missing.
Last seen heading west.
Very west.
As in… the Oregon forests 🌲🚃
Our crew answered the call, grabbed their maps and timetables, and set off to track it down. More details on that story soon.
Please accept our apologies for the closure today. Rest assured, once the wayward boxcar is safely escorted home to the valley, we’ll be back in action next Saturday and ready to run trains like nothing ever happened.
Thanks for understanding — and stay tuned. This story isn’t at the end of the line yet. 😉

02/01/2026

Minot Police Department and North Dakota Highway Patrol are looking for a CDL driver hauling something… out of this universe.

And not just any load.

The legendary Big Bud 747/50 has clearly slipped through a dimensional crack and ended up on an N scale (1:120) highway… while still very much living its best S scale (1:64) life.

This truck is confidently cruising through town like nothing is wrong, while every building, car, and bystander is wondering why an agricultural skyscraper is passing by at 35 scale miles per hour.

Somewhere, a ruler just threw itself off the workbench.
This is what happens when scales collide and nobody checks the paperwork.

Come see the Souris Valley Model Railroad Association layout and witness the scene for yourself. You never know what might roll through town next.

We had a blast at the Triple T Toy Show at the Grand. While we are closed next weekend for a Club Trip, we will be back to running trains in schedule.