On the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad

For over 16 years, readers of Model Railroading magazine had a chance to visit with me as I attempted to bring them the best modeling and prototype information available through the pages of the magazine. But that all came to an end late in 2006 when Model Railroading, along with several other train-related publications, reached the end of track. It was a great ride, and I am truly thankful for the wonderful opportunities it gave me to work with and get to know some of the best model railroaders around. Unfortunately, the changes in information dissemination being brought about by the Internet are setting the stage for the published page to follow the path of the steam engine to obsolescence.

I've been a member of the Denver HO Model Railroad Club since 1973 and the Colorado Rail Link since 1991, and have also been active in the NMRA since the '70s. In fact, I served as the Host Chairman for the 1977 NMRA National Convention in Denver...Rocky Rails '77. That convention set attendance records for both the convention, with 3,200 registrants, and the public show, with over 20,000 attendees. The public show record wasn't broken for 12 years, and the convention registration record has never "truly" been broken. (Oh sure, the Valley Forge Convention in 1993 had about 3,400 registrants, but that figure included several hundred one-day registrations...something not available in 1977 for Rocky Rails.)

A modeler since the age of 10, I grew up on the other side of town from Highlands Station in Hinsdale, IL. I chose to name my company after the station because it just felt right. The prototype station is the oldest in-service station on the BNSF, having been built in 1872. Though just a little thing, it's always been a great place to railfan. I hope you'll enjoy your visit to MY Highlands Station.

Randy Lee
Stationmaster
Highlands Station, LLC