Kalispell man replicates a stretch of local railroad history
Oct. 15—Sitting in Steve Horvath's Kalispell garage is an accurate model of the old rail line running through Kalispell, a project he started nearly nine years ago.
It is not the first model Horvath's made, but rather a result of decades of interest in trains. As a child, Horvath played near the tracks with friends at every opportunity. He used to travel to New York City from his home in Pennsylvania to attend the Grand Central Train Show.
"I always liked trains since I was a kid," Horvath said. "It's been something else to do but it's something I've enjoyed for as long as I can remember."
Horvath, now 80 years old, moved to Kalispell in 2011. When he discovered that the old railyard in Kalispell was being removed, he thought that it would be a cool piece of history to commemorate.
He began building a model of the railyard by hand. To get familiar, he spent a months-long period walking the yard diligently, taking thousands of photographs and figuring out the spacing and sizing. The display itself is 1/87th scale.
The former rail yard was finished on Jan. 1, 1892, according to the Northwest Montana History Museum. Owned by the Great Northern Railway, rail was the key mode of transportation in the area until the tracks were diverted to Whitefish instead.
Horvath's model is vibrant and hand-painted. It sits under lights and on top of circuit boards. Every aspect of the model is operational, Horvath said, from the traffic signals to the moving trains.
"I get the most satisfaction while trying to make things as realistic as possible," he said.
Model trains have been a Christmas classic for generations, according to O-Gauge Train Repair, a Lionel Corporation-trained model train repair service system.
During the 1800s, the nation was covered in railroad tracks, providing easier modes of transportations for goods and services. Toymakers quickly saw the potential for model trains. Not long after, the model trains became both a collector's item and a hobby.
Horvath created his first model after the birth of his daughter in 1978. The addition of a child to the family sparked an interest in Horvath to get a little train to go around the Christamas tree. It wasn't long after that Horvath decided to invest in the art of modeling himself.
Together, Horvath and his daughter attended a flurry of train events together. She now lives in Kalispell with her two sons. When the family travels together, it is always by train.
To Horvath, watching the technology improve, and trains get less "clunky," has been an incredible journey.
Now a consultant at Atlas Model Railroad Co,. Inc. — a manufacturer and seller of model trains and tracks — Horvath helps the company create accurate models of signals to sell out to other modelers.
After the completion of the old rail yard, Horvath hopes to turn more to painting — a hobby he loves and gets to employ in his models, such as painting the sky or the background. He also is currently working on a model for an ex-Great Northern engineer in Kalispell, a project he hopes to finish up within a year.
"For me, it's a way to keep healthy," Horvath said. "It keeps me busy."
Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.
