Grand Western Mining Company

Layout at a Glance

Our HO layout depicts a western mining town in 1900, with cowboys, horses, and even a gunfight. Grand Western Mining Company (GWMC) owns the Idalee silver mine and the Grand Western Mining Company Railroad. Major scenes on the layout include the railroad, the Idalee mine, a sawmill, a cemetery, an engine house, the town of Crystal City, Crystal River, Crystal Falls waterfall, and Riverside Park. The theme for the 2012 pilgrimage is "Buffalo Bill's Wild West." Riverside Park will depict scenes from Buffalo Bill’s extravaganza that traveled throughout the United States and Europe from 1883 through 1908. Previous riverside park lift-out scenes, the German-style resort, the Otis coal company, and last year's Civil War reunion with the "General" locomotive and President Lincoln's funeral car, will also be on display. See how lift-out scenes in Riverside Park renew interest in the layout each year. In addition to the layout, we will have activities to entertain adults and children alike, including a layout scavenger hunt and  the opportunity for children to achieve the rank of Junior Conductor on the GWMC Railroad by taking the "Junior Conductor test." Educational displays include evaluations of materials used to simulate water on the layout, how to make a waterfall, how to ballast track, and evaluations of various adhesives. Mining and railroad artifacts will be on display, including locomotive oil cans, railroad tools, a dynamite blasting machine, mining lanterns, and even a candle from a Colorado mine. For you circus buffs, "The Great Circus Train" by Walthers will be on display, including all 20 cars and the rare 4-6-2 "Old Milwaukee" locomotive.

This year we have added a 230' folded dog-bone mainline to our existing 104' oval track. We will be running live steam locomotives and battery-powered remote-controlled locomotives.