Blog Archive: 2025

The First Modules Arrive

Featured Post

December 23, 2025

The First Modules Arrive

Just before the end of the year, the Cedar River Valley reached an exciting milestone: the first module sections arrived on December 23rd, built by Dan Benjamin of the River Rail Operations group. Up to this point, most of the work had focused on the Zone 2 shelf and the early shaping of the layout’s identity, but seeing the first freestanding modules come through the door made the project feel suddenly larger, more tangible, and undeniably real. These sections marked the moment when the Cedar River Valley began expanding beyond the initial benchwork and into the modular footprint that will define Zones 1 and 3.

The Beginning of Construction

October 1, 2025

The Beginning of Construction

Construction of the layout officially began on August 10th, marking the start of what has already become a deeply rewarding and creatively energizing project. At that time, the railroad carried the working title Midwest Grocers Association, a name chosen mostly as a placeholder while I focused on benchwork, early track planning, and the first structural mock‑ups. Even in those early days, the vision was clear: a layout grounded in 1968 Chicago & North Western operations, built in S scale, and shaped by the industries and landscapes of the Driftless Region.

This is an AI Rendering of how the layout could be sceniced.

August 10, 2025

Welcome to the Cedar River Valley

Welcome to the Cedar River Valley website—a home for the ongoing construction, research, and storytelling behind my S scale model railroad set in 1968 La Crosse, Wisconsin. If you’ve followed the project through social media, or if you’re discovering it for the first time, I’m glad you’re here. This site brings together the layout’s history, photos, updates, and background in one place, making it easier to explore the railroad as it grows.