A Yellowstone Celebration!

We love to celebrate our parks. This year we must celebrate ‘all that America is’ in our parks, with the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of YELLOWSTONE, our first park.

Only 150 years ago, in 1872, President US Grant signed the document making Yellowstone a national park. ‘National’ because Wyoming was still a territory and not a state yet. What a great idea, to set aside land deemed significant enough to be saved for future generations to enjoy.

In 1906, the book ‘WONDERLAND’ was published with enticing descriptions of the Yellowstone country, (see photo). The title was borrowed from the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ book which had recently been published. That is how Yellowstone was given the nick name of the ‘Wonderland’.

To celebrate, we have an ‘Anniversary Edition’ National Park Series boxcar with a beautiful image of Yellowstone Falls and is painted by my brother Phillip Smith. ’The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone’, as it is known, has just been announced!  

Among the name choices for our new RailSmith ‘Western Series’ Union Pacific sleeping cars, was Western ‘Wonderland’, so we had to select that as a ‘first release’, and our nod, to the celebration of Yellowstone’s 150 years.

The stories about the railroads promoting travel to the western parks in the early days are well told. The Union Pacific extending a branch to West Yellowstone, brought them into National Park market and soon they were promoting ‘Western Tours’ as this  1957 UP booklet title suggests.

Both the Western Wonderland sleeper as well as the Yellowstone Falls boxcar will be available separately, and are Limited Edition runs with special inserts marking this moment in time.

It was not until 1991 that our family made our first visit to Yellowstone. We have been many times since, as it is a place that is worth the effort to make the trip.

Remember this was the first National Park ever, in the world!

Time to celebrate! … And don’t forget your souvenirs!

Lowell Smith

A native of Portland, Oregon, Lowell Smith married his church choir sweetheart Barb in 1978. After a lifetime of rail-fanning, Lowell and Barb ventured out in 1992 to launch a new business in Portland, Oregon. Read more

Latest On The Track

What They Say:

S. Reames

I received my observation/business car today and – like all of my other cars from you – I love it!

Bill S.

That car is about the greatest thing I’ve ever seen in N scale!  Excellent work!

G.N.

As a retiree of the Walt Disney Company I look forward to upcoming releases of the Disney Family Museum and Disneyland series.  Keep up the excellent work!

Charles

“You have received many compliments when I have run my RailSmith cars with my friends.”

R. M.

Lowell, I just want you to know – you make this hobby fun!

K.

I am looking forward to many more releases in the new year. I stayed up really late on Christmas to talk to Santa when he came by our house. I asked him for an n-scale SP&S 700, and he said that was out of his league and I’d better call you.

J. LaBoda

To say the least this is a HUGE development for N-scale and I, along with a number of others, are indebted to you for making these cars possible. Thanks so very much!!!

J D

Thanks, Lowell, for another awesome addition to an already incredible train.

S. S.

I got my new Santa Fe business cars, they are superb and worth the wait ten times over.

Gordon and Dorothy

I have never been treated as graciously and in a manner more suited to a VIP in my life, as I was on our train trip.  It’s obvious how you’ve made your life a success story.  Looking around the train and seeing your friends I’m pretty sure they  were all made to feel very special by you, and your…