RiverRail - Great Northern Kalispell Division

This circa 1953 HO, double decked, Great Northern layout represents the 100 miles of the Kalispell Division (Third Subdivision) in Montana. Starting at the East End, Blackfoot (staging) and moving East Bound via West Glacier, Bison (helper service) Summit (Marias Pass), Essex (helper service), Glacier Park, Belton, Columbia Falls and Kalispell, Whitefish, and Vista (staging). Industries will be at Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Whitefish. Engine servicing, industries and warehousing will be at Whitefish. Logging, quarries, plywood plant, lumber mill, flour mill, bakery, brewery, small beef processing, oil storage, warehousing, and various small industries will be located in the subdivision. There will be 5-7 trains in an operating session (3 freight, one turn out of Kalispell, two passenger...EB and WB), two yard masters (Columbia Falls and Whitefish) and hostler, car shops and switcher service at Whitefish. Additional jobs will be EB and WB staging and dispatcher (7-10 operators). There will be approximately 387’ (6.5 miles) of mainline (26 miles at 4:1 ops clock speed).

The layout will include signature GN scenes of Summit, high bridges, mountains, and water features especially east of Essex at "goat lick," billions of trees, mostly on backdrop, several snow sheds between Blackfoot and Essex, and tunnels from Essex to Belton.

Staging tracks will be west of Whitefish (at Vista/Seattle) and east of West Glacier (Glacier Park Station) (at Blackfoot/St. Paul). Total two room area is about 800 square feet.

Staging Westbound = Blackfoot and east to Havre, MT/St. Paul, MN
Staging Eastbound = Vista and west to Spokane/Seattle, WA

Control will be Easy DCC with 12 Radio Throttles and teathered throttles at staging, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls. Total Trackage including all sidings and turnouts is 1,104' (18.88 miles)