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Eregion RailRoad Company
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Br. Elias is a monk of Assumption Abbey in Richardton North Dakota. Having a life long love of model railroading, he brought his train layout to the Abbey more than 15 years ago. It now occupies a former classroom on the third floor of the Abbey library building. The layout models a moderately sized commuter railroad running over 106 scheduled trains daily. This site shows the layout, its construction, and expounds on the "history" of the railroad. There are no goals for the completion of the layout. It, along with this website, exists and it grows at whatever pace I choose. |
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About the ERR A Short Tour Map Timetables Equipment Construction Wiring Scenery Guestbook Guestbook  Assumption Abbey |
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Model
Railroading began at Assumption Abbey when I approached then
Abbot Lawrence about the posibility of setting up some model
trains that I had brought with me when I joined the monastery.
The Abbot, recognising the "child in all of us" gave
his permission. The Prior suggested using the old monastic refrectory
(dining room to you non-monastic types) located in the basement
of the monastery building, since this space was already approved
by the Senior Council for 'hobby use'. He also suggested that
there were several surplus pingpong tables around, as if I might
use one. In a move that all model railroaders will understand,
I took two tables, and this resulted in a layout 5 feet wide
by 18 feet long. It also led into one of the hallmarks of my
railroad construction here at the Abbey: the almost exclusive
use of recycled building materials. I have never purchased any
lumber or other building material for the layout. This first
layout lasted more than five years before word came from on high
that this room was to be rebuilt as our Centennial Exhibition
Room, and that a train layout was not part of the plan.
