The Ozark Mineral Belt Railway is a freelance, what ought to have been, three foot gauge railroad serving the famous “Lead Belt” of the Missouri Ozarks. The model represents the railroad as it was in the late spring of 1939. This line, it is to be imagined, was built in the early 1890’s to serve small lead mines, quarries, logging sites, brick yards, fuel dealers, stock yards and other transportation needs of the region that were neglected by the major broad gauge railroads

The OMB is operated with a 35-ton Class-B Climax, two secondhand 35 ton 2-8-0 (Class C-16) rod locomotives, and assorted freight cars obtained from their Colorado narrow gauge owners. Rumor has it that most of the equipment was once RGW property that even the Rio Grande Southern refused to buy. Passenger service is provided by a gas-electric “doodlebug” patterned after the M-1 of the East Broad Top.

The “prototype” railroad is about 55 miles in length, with two three-mile branches and two tunnels. The principal intermediate town on the line is along a sharp ridge; the track layout is point-to-point with a switchback about half way between the terminals. The quarter inch scale model version omits most of the mainline and focuses on the switching yards and industrial sidings in a room 21 feet by 9 feet in size. The “dual cab control” layout features hand laid rail on individual ties, on an elongated U shelf with about 70% of the highly detailed scenery finished, and the trackwork complete. Grades of 3% are common, sidings are short, and yard facilities are inadequate — just what one would expect for this RGS of the Ozarks!