The Sierra Western is a proto freelance model of a large class one railroad set in the late 60's. The modeled portion is a section of a secondary main line that is located between the cities of Butte, Montana and Boise, Idaho.

The layout features several cities and towns, a helper district, two branch lines, and a Milwaukee Road line and interchange with the SW. The railroad operates by timetable and train order, with the main terminal area controlled by a tower operator and CTC. Freight car movement is by car card and waybill and communications is via telephone.

For trains, it’s the 60’s, so Amtrak hasn’t happened yet. There are passenger and mail trains, long drag freights, fast priority freights, multiple locals and ore and coal unit trains. Our train crew is usually one, so if you desire to work with a partner please let us know in advance.

For more complete information, please visit the SW web site at https://www.sierrawestern.org

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