About the Montana Northern

The Story of the Montana Northern Railroad

Hey everyone—my name’s Thomas, and this is the story behind my HO scale layout, the Montana Northern Railroad.

I got into model railroading when I was just six years old. Like a lot of kids, I was hooked on trains early, and that love never really left. I built my first serious layout, the Nashville and Eastern, and spent over a decade working on it. But eventually, life shifted, and I started to lose interest. I sold everything off and figured I was done with the hobby.

Turns out, I wasn’t.

After stepping away from modeling, I started railfanning, chasing trains with a video camera. That phase turned into something unexpected when GreenFrog Productions reached out and asked to sell my train videos on DVD. They needed a cover photo, and I didn’t know a thing about photography—so I bought a camera.

That camera kicked off a whole new journey.

What started as a way to shoot trains turned into a full-blown photography career. I eventually moved into sports photography, covering everything from college football in the SEC to the NFL and NASCAR. It was fast-paced and exciting, but honestly? The long hours and tough attitudes in the industry burned me out.

I needed a reset—so I took my camera into the woods.

That’s where I found peace again. Wildlife and nature photography stole my heart. My wife and I started traveling across the country, visiting some of the most incredible places in North America, always looking for wildlife and epic landscapes to photograph.

Then came the trip that changed everything. We visited Glacier National Park in Montana and drove through Marias Pass, where I found myself trackside again—watching trains in a place that just felt right. Something clicked. A few months later, I was watching a model railroad video on YouTube, and just like that, I was back in.

That’s how the Montana Northern Railroad was born.

It’s an HO scale, point-to-point layout that runs from Livingston to Glacier, Montana, set in the early winter and fall of the 1980s. It tackles steep mountain grades over the Beartooth Mountains, crossing rivers like the Yellowstone and the Snake, with snowsheds, bridges, and rugged terrain that most railroads wouldn’t dare to climb. To help keep the line moving through the snow, I've added a snowplow to the roster.

Speaking of the roster—most of my locomotives are SD40-2s, built for power and reliability. My layout features a three-track freight yard in Livingston that can handle about 25 freight cars. The Montana Northern hauls a mix of paper, lumber, logging products, oil, woodchips, furniture, and more.

Thanks to my photography background, I’m now starting to dive into model railroad photography—experimenting with lighting setups, composition, and camera techniques to make this layout look as real as possible. Every freight car, locomotive, and building is weathered by hand, and I also hand-paint my track for a more realistic look.

All the structures are either scratch-built or kitbashed, and everything is fully DCC-controlled and lit, inside and out. It's a layout that reflects not just my love for trains, but my passion for detail, realism, and storytelling.

And as a little personal touch, the railroad’s logo features a grizzly bear—my favorite animal to photograph, and a perfect symbol for the rugged, untamed spirit of Montana.

The Montana Northern is a work in progress. I’m constantly adding scenery, trying new techniques, and documenting my progress. You can follow along on my YouTube channel and Facebook page as the railroad continues to grow.

At the end of the day, this layout is more than just a model railroad—it's a reflection of where I've been, what I love, and the journey I'm still on. Thanks for being part of it.