Waterville & Washington Railroad

Don't have any pictures, but I'm currently laying track. I followed Lance Mindheim weather steps and I feel my track looks pretty good. The first solder feeders are complete, track is over 60% glued down and I should be able to run trains on it come next Saturday. Oh, need to find legs for it.

I have installed the Scale Segmental Bridge sections to my bridge. Off to the right in this picture you can see one of the metal deck plate girders that I'm building. I used it to unsure the cement sections were placed correctly. Time to get busy on the bridge. I don't think I'll have it complete in time for the RPM meet, but I'll just substitute a block of wood or something for the bridge so I can run trains on it. The rail is all soldered together and I just have to weather it today and then install it. I hope I can get some grass and other scenery started before the meet. Side view of the bridge. A few late minute tasks like wire up the Digitrax DCC plug ins and table legs which I hope to finish next weekend at the latest.

I have stained my Scale Segmental Bridge Co. cement sections with three different washes of diluted craft paint. The pans are currently being glued. Next step will be to drill holes in the piers to accept brass pins and then glue everything together. This has turned in to a fun project. I thought ahead this time and installed the bridge number before assembling everything together unlike my last bridge I built.

Below is the overall view of the module. I've smeared patching plaster on one side of the fill to smooth the joints between the foam pieces. I still have to cut the small stream channel and lay the old roadbed on the left side of the picture. This view is of the "hilly" side of the Coon creek channel. The thin layer of foam I plan to replicate a rock outcropping that was cut when the railroad cut the hillside for the roadbed. I also still need to carve the foam back more to fit in the bridge abruptment and piers. A closer view of the plaster and long fill. Once I finish with the plaster. All will be painted with my tan "dirt" color including the plywood. I'll then use static grass and plant trees.

This week has the completion of installing foam. Once the glue dries, I will carve the foam in to the final shape. Next, I will cut down the sides of the module frame to make the frame follow the ground contour. After that step, I will begin the bridge installation.

I've completed the splines for the roadbed and have wired the layout. I still have to add the feeder to the track once installed. Plus I have to wire for the Digitrax deal (I run NCE so I don't have to worry about it until I want to run it as a freemo module). I'm excited because my Genesis Mopac GP15-1 has arrived finally. Time to get some track laid so I can hear and watch this beauty run.

I have finally been motivated to do a little work on my model railroad. First is a picture of the new module I am building. Greg Baker designed and built the initial frame and I've been working on installing the spline roadbed and building a few additional support sections for the bridge. Where you see the level is where the Coon Creek bridge will be located. Next you see the progress on the metal plate girder section. Scale Segmental Bridge Co. cement bridge sections are also located in the picture. I have not forgotten about Waterville. It's on hiatus until I can finish the Coon Creek bridge section. I hope to have the bridge ready for show at the Mid Continent Prototype Modelers Meet in November.

Here is a picture from circa 1964 of Milford Godsey getting ready to hand up orders to the caboose. I hope to have an oil painting of this ready to present Milford (who's 93) this Christmas. (Picture enhanced by Keith Wilhite)

Waterville, KS, depot circa 1970. Notice the Chicago and Eastern Illinois boxcar behind the depot for grain loading.

Yes, I have yet to complete a single module and I'm embarking on building a new module that focuses on the Coon Creek bridge located just west of Waterville, Kansas. I'm going to use Scale Segmental Bridge Co. pre-cast Mopac bridge sections for the bridge. As you might note, the bridge sections match exactly with the SSBCo parts. I'm going to scratchbuild the DPG bridge. Micro Engineering bridges are close, but I want exact. I hope to have this short module complete (ready to run maybe not scenery) by the November RPM show near Wichita. Thus starts the adventure.

It's been forever since I last updated my blog. Some notes that I've learned. If you're a total novice at track laying and building, it's better to purchase pre-built components from the likes of Micro-Engineering instead of doing what I'm doing and building from scratch basically. Construction goes faster and you don't get discouraged. I have learned the proper (for now) order of laying my track. I learned the roadbed should go on the drawn out template. Next should come the ties (Central Valley branch line tie strips in my case). I've been using Modge Podge to glue everything down. Time will tell if this is a good idea or not. Next the rail (pre-drill holes for feeders and solder wires to the rails). I've been having mix results with the barge cement method of attaching the rails to the ties. After I finish the first module, I hope to have photos posted. My layout may get down in the next 10-20 years. Ha ha ha.

Today I fixed the wobble in the table legs. I used some of the scrap 1/4 Lauren that I have to brace them. Works great. I need to get one more piece for the foam cutter and then I can begin cutting out my roadbed. I built the rest of the Bullfrog turnout controls. I need to stop by the hobby shop and get airbrush supplies. I plan to spray the ties and tie plates. Can't wait until after the 15th when I can really get some work done on my modules.

My Fast Tracks order arrived. I built three of the Bullfrog turnout controls. Super easy to build and I'll give a full review once I get one installed. I installed the leg levelers on one of my modules. I'm not fully satisfied with how the legs turned out and will try to improve the wobbliness. Work has kept me from my layout. I hope once after the 15th of March, I can get some real progress done. Sorry no pictures.

I've placed an order with Fast Tracks for their Bullfrog turnout control. They look easy to install and are simple. I'm hoping my 2" foam does not interfere with the operation. I also ordered a new tip for my soldering iron and some super thin solder from Fast Tracks. I hope this solves my soldering issue. Since the order is coming from Canada, it should take about 2 weeks to get here so I'll have to find a project to work on in the meantime. Maybe I can finally install the levelers in the layout legs.

I jumped around to another project. I have started the Waterville train order signal. I really need to figure out how to properly tin my soldering iron. I'm not satisfied with my soldering on this project. The prototype signal was originally in Blue Rapids, but when the railroad closed that depot in 1977, they moved the signal to Waterville. I'm happy I have extra tubing as I'll probably try building the signal again.

I've been asked about my track plan and I'm following the prototype as closely as possible. I'm modeling the towns of Blue Rapids, Waterville, Barnes, and Greenleaf, Kansas. I'm starting with Waterville as I'm hoping to have it complete so the I am able to show it to Milford Godsey who was the Waterville station agent and it is my hometown. These are from the 1977 Mopac spotting code book.

Roof frame Test fit on depot Roof complete - ready for shingles and chimney

Updated progress view looking down the tracks to the west. The depot is to the immediate right with the Blue Valley Elevator adjacent to the covered hopper. The tape measure on the left will be the large COOP fertilizer Quonset hut. Prototype view of the Waterville depot circa 1950s. I model 1979 so my depot will be painted white and have the old Blue Rapids train order signal in front of the depot. View of my depot progress. I haven't done a lot to it in a year. The tool shed will be replaced with one from Lake Junction Models. The bottles on the right side will be the location of the town fuel dealership. Prototype view and model view of the Blue Valley Elevator. View looking down the rails to the west and my modeling of the same scene. Where the glue bottle is located will be the location of the large cement grain elevator.

I'm using a waffle style design for my module construction. My modules are Free-mo compatible so I can take them to shows and use them with others. Compare my progress with the aerial picture of Waterville. This picture was taken a couple weeks ago.

Waterville, Ks, circa 1977-80. This gives a great view of what I'm modeling on my layout. COOP complex

I'm a Missouri Pacific fan and a history buff. The Mopac ran through my home town of Waterville, Kansas. The line was originally built as one of the Transcontinental lines named the Atchison and Pike's Peak Railroad, but later changed its' name to the Central Branch of the Union Pacific. After the realization that the line would not be transcontinental, the hope of the line was to meet up with the proposed line from the Kansas Pacific to the Union Pacific transcontinental line in Nebraska. That line was not built. Jay Gould controlled the Kansas Pacific and Union Pacific and purchased the Central Branch and then quickly leased the line to the Missouri Pacific, another Jay Gould line. The Missouri Pacific formally merged the line in to the Missouri Pacific system in 1909. The line was part of the Mopac until the merger with the Union Pacific in 1982. Various line abandonments followed and then the line was leased to the KYLE Railroad. The KYLE operated the line unti...