and blood, sweat, and tears... oh so many tears!  What is it about model trains that captivate people?  Ever since the first steam locomotives began moving passengers and freight across nations, people of all ages have been motivated to recreate them in miniature. Within the context of a railroad museum, a model train exhibit is a natural fit and that is why we are building the Dakota Junction model railroad.

​

Featuring three main lines on two levels, a wide variety of equipment generously donated by people from all over the region, and a sampling of scenes meant to evoke the nostalgia and romance of South Dakota's railroads, the Dakota Junction model railroad is one of our top exhibits in the museum.  Like most model railroads, ours is an ever-evolving exhibit that is half museum piece and half work of art.

​

Construction on the model railroad began back in our first season with a donated model railroad that served as the center of the new exhibit.  For the first ten years the model railroad grew piece by piece and all of us staff and volunteers learned from our mistakes along the way.  In 2020, seeking to capitalize on the quiet tourist season due to COVID-19, we went about remodeling the Dakota Junction model railroad into something better.  Dedicated volunteers such as Robert Bye and the late Bernie Winkler spent many hours rebuilding the model railroad from scratch.  Later, volunteers from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and the Black Hills Railway Society made their own contributions.

​

A model railroad is never truly done, but we are closing in on the completion of "phase I", which is to get all the track operational and basic scenery applied.  Once those goals are met, we will continue to improve the exhibit by cleaning up structures, applying scenery, fixing model trains, and adding lights as well as sounds of the Black Hills!  This exhibit would not be possible without generous donations from visitors and help from the Rapid City, Pierre, and Eastern railroad; a Genesee and Wyoming Subsidiary.