Editor’s note: A version of this article appeared as two opinion pieces in the Duluth News-Tribune in spring 2025. Since then, the Minnesota Legislature has reduced funding for the Northern Lights Express (NLX) by some $77 million, and Republicans in Congress are threatening to cut off federal funds. Amid the flurry of activity at the State Capitol in May as the 2025 Minnesota Legislature worked to balance the state budget, $77 million in funding for the Northern Lights Express was realloca...| Streets.mn
In a television appearance in March 2025, Governor Tim Walz said the following about our incumbent president: “I think we have to assume the very worst in everything this administration does, and we need to prepare for it.” In a glib sense, one’s mind can easily run amuck when considering what “the worst” might entail: Invading Canada? Weakening public health protections, and letting the bird flu rip through? Increasingly egregious persecution (paywall article) of immigrants and pol...| Streets.mn
I’ve probably written enough recently about the scale of LEGO trains, so my only nod in that direction here will be to note from the outset that LEGO track elements, and even the best LEGO-compatib…| transponderings
Once more returning to the theme of sleepers (or ties) on LEGO track (see The art of LEGO railway track), I wondered whether I could make a passable representation of modern concrete sleepers, whic…| transponderings
This is a follow-up to my post a couple of weeks ago, The art of LEGO railway track. I’m coming back to the topic because I had a small problem with a platform I’d built (from a Blue Brixx set) – i…| transponderings
[2024-03-14: I’ve since written a longer and nerdier post on this topic, which calls into question the decisions I made here.] For me the most satisfying LEGO models manage to capture the essence o…| transponderings