RPO Newsbag
This is the Lowell Smith Signature Series and RailSmith blog, (or perhaps it's better called, ‘stories around the caboose stove’). Either way, bookmark this page for updates as they happen and check back regularly!
2017 Disney Train Car Release – Walt Disney Family Museum
I am so excited to announce the release date of this year’s Christmas car!  Please join us at The Walt Disney Family Museum on Saturday, December 2nd, for a great time and the 2017 unveiling. Barb and I will be there between 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm. If you have never visited The Walt Disney…
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2016 Disney Train Car Release
It is that time of year again when we get to travel to The Walt Disney Family Museum for the release of this years Christmas train car. This annual event is so much fun and San Francisco is so festive during the holidays. This year the date is Saturday, November 26th, 2016. Speaking of ‘saving…
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Christmas 2015 at the Walt Disney Family Museum
This weekend I will be down in San Francisco at the Walt Disney Family Museum for the release of this year’s Christmas car. The 2015 car came out great and I can not wait for you all to see it! You can get more information about the event on the Walt Disney Family Museum website…
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Time Table Train Order Operations Made Easy, For Guests – NMRA 2015
I have had a great time this week at the National Model Railroad Associations’ 2015 annual convention here in Portland! It’s been great to see friends from all over the US, and world for that matter. On a special note, I was honored that they asked me to present a clinic, which I gladly did! The topic…
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The Next Big Thing
As I am now preparing to go to the NMRA National Convention here in Portland, I am excited and amazed at what has happened since this great convention was here in 1994. Our club, Columbia River N Scale, was celebrating its 10th anniversary. My shop, The Hobby Smith, was in the basement and I was…
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What are you doing for Fathers Day?
Welcome to the new year! 2015 is shaping up to be another great year with lots of exciting new announcements, special run,s and private rail tours! I’m excited to have you all be a part of it. Coming up this June, Barb and I will be hosting a day-trip through the Feather River Canyon in…
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Save the Date: WDFM 2014 Christmas Boxcar Release
Save the date… Please join me Saturday, December 6th, 2014 at the Walt Disney Family Museum for this year’s Christmas boxcar release, the fifth in the series.  This year will be extra special, as you can also enjoy the special exhibit at WDFM “All Aboard: A Celebration Of Walt’s Trains”. Join us and come see how…
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First time ever on the cover of a national magazine!
Model Railroad News has made the announcement of my first ever ‘O Scale‘ car a headline cover page story! How exciting and so fun to see! This car is impressive to behold, and I’m sure you’ll agree regardless of the scale. The American Fruit Packers ‘Cascadian‘ label car is being produced by Atlas…
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The Great Locomotive Chase
Since I can remember, I have always had an interest in the American Civil War, and have been rather fascinated by many stories of the family hardships that the War Between the States caused. In 1992, I traveled to the NMRA convention in Columbus, OH. It was my first time ‘back east’ and since the…
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