We are looking for information such as the architect, contractor(s) and drawings for the passenger depot in Webster Groves, MO. It was completed in 1910 and replaced a much smaller depot that was built around 1883-1885. As the owners of the building, we will be hosting a 100 year celebration for the depot in 2010 and would like to complete the history for the building. Any pictures from before 1945 would be appreciated too. Several years ago, we received a small drawing of the floor plan from the Frisco Museum. Unfortunately, that was all they said they had at the time. I am currently the secretary and historian of the Big Bend Railroad Club, Inc., who has owned the building since 1994. If you need more information about the club or their 501(c)(3) status, I can supply that to you. I can be contacted at kc0esl@juno.com. Please note that it is a zero, not an Oh in my e-mail. Items can also be sent to me at 855 Windemere Ave., Des Peres, MO 63131-4531.
Webster Groves, MO. Here are some images of the depot taken in late winter 1983. Photographs by Rich Lawler.
I need to post an update on my e-mail address. The Juno service will be shutdown soon. It has since been changed to kc0esl@att.net. Ken Rimmel
Microsoft Live map view of Webster Groves, Mo Frisco Station click the links below. be patient - while loading - it will take you there. If you do not have Micorsoft Virtual Earth 3D loaded, it will ask you to do so. It should take you to the link, if not, re click on these link after you install it. http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...690403468249&phscl=1.41253754462275&encType=1
Webster Groves Depot 8833 Big Bend Boulevard, Webster Groves, MO (mailing address) Google Maps street view. Please wait a few seconds for the image to fully down load. You can nivage the view direction and move up and down the street. South side from Big Bend Boulevard looking northeast. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...zbF_tM6Jroxe1zg&cbp=12,9.980319419557736,,0,5 North side from 190 Baker Avenue looking south. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...bp=12,140.0432984396727,,0,1.3860103626943034 Mark
Please see the following link for a trackside view of the Webster Groves, MO depot. http://www.depotmaps.com/Images/DepotMO/WebsterGroves2MO.jpg The depot's agent / operator bay faces north north northwest. Railroad west is to the right. The depot address is 8833 Big Bend Boulevard. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Does anyone know if any line drawings or prints have been found on the Webster Groves depot? I am going to make this a project for the G-scale railroad. I may just run in with a tape measure! Thanks, Dan
Dan, Check the Big Bend Model Railroad Club web site. I know they have some information on the Webster Groves depot. Ken
Speaking of the Big Bend Model Railroad Club, do I recall correctly that some years ago they converted to HO-scale? It was O-scale outside 3rd rail gauge when it was written up in Life magazine. I used to peek through the window as we waited to board train No 9, but I never saw it in operation. Gordon
No HO-scale in that building - it is still O-scale. The local PBS station did a feature on it a bit ago.
Yes, last time I was down there on 4th of July 2009, for fireworks, looking through the windows, the Webster Groves Frisco depot was chock full of O-scale railroad. Ken
As correctly mentioned, we are still O-scale and we never considered going to HO. Our original layout from 1938 was removed around 1959, prior to the enclosing of the west porch. Our current layout was built as a two-rail. This past Spring we finished rebuilding a section to allow more exposed trackage for the visitors to view. Just before the 4th of July, the major part of the repainting of our building was completed by the contractors the local business district hired and paid for. The local business district council put over $2000 into helping us with the painting and replanting of the garden area next to the street. You can see some pictures of this on our Yahoo Group page, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bigbendrrclub . Earlier this year we finally got a better Web page and name. You also need to check it out. www.bigbendrrclub.org . Someone asked about a floor plan for our depot. If you contact me at kc0esl@att.net, I can send you a copy of the floor plan we got from the former Frisco Museum, along with a copy of an article they ran in their All Aboard newsletter about two decades ago. By the way, we never were in Life Magazine, but we were in Parade Magazine several times, as well as many prototype railroad magazines and several model railroad magazines. We are still trying to find out who designed the depot and if the railroad did the actual construction or had a contractor do it. Currently we are still trying to raise money to pay for a new roof since the current one is now about 60 years old and have many patches and leaks. We hope to put on a roof that resembles the original Spanish tile and the best bid comes to $42,000. After about ten years of trying to build up a fund for this, we are presently at a negative level due to a couple of repairs we could not wait for. Ken Rimmel
I received a floor plan from Ron Williams. Today, we went in and took a roll of film for dimensional purposes. In the photographs is an exact 6 foot pole, so I can blow up the prints, and still calculate elevations, angles, etc. Even at 1/29 scale, the depot and porticos will be about 6 feet long! And that does not include the platforms! Oh, how I love a challenge! Has anyone else built a HO=scale or other model of the depot? I would love to see it. Dan
Sounds like a good "stimulus" project. Call your congressman! Nice start on your website. Hope to see some additional pictures and information soon.
To Dan's message, Dave Roeder from Webster Groves built himself an HO-scale version of our building a few years ago and won an award for it. It is not prototype since he shortened the east end of the building with the baggage room by almost 30 scale feet. Other than that, he captured it very well, along with the original tile roof. We have pictures of his model on our Yahoo Group page. Hopefully, I have successfully attached one of the photographs of the model to this message. If it does not come through, let me know off net and I can send some directly to you. If you stop by when one of us is there, you are welcome to come inside and take measurements and pictures too. I have to be there this Thursday morning because Laclede Gas' remote meter reader stopped working and they have to get in and fix it. To the suggestion about the federal stimulus, we own the building and the railroad does not have any passenger service in the area any more. Since their loss of revenue customers also do not affect us, we do not qualify for any of that good stuff. Despite our age and helping to keep the depot continuously active for 100 years, many foundations feel we are too small to help. The community impact is considered too small for their return. Ken Rimmel kc0esl@att.net www.bigbendrrclub.org
Dave did a fabulous job. Thanks Ken, for posting the photograph. Selective compression sometime has to be done. I only hope my large scale version will capture it as well. I am also using the fudge factor a bit, but not too bad. Mine will still be about 6 feet long! My 3/4 acre of land will be occupied very quickly! I also thought about Springfield, but that was out of the question. Later, Dan
Several years ago we had someone else asked about information so that he too could build a model. I think he works or worked for the Metro Sewer District. I sent him a copy of the floor plan we got from the Frisco Museum, he came over to take measurements and promised to send us pictures of his model. I lost his name and we never heard from him again. Oh well. I keep saying that one day I will build an O-scale model. I had once taken extensive measurements, I know I have them somewhere, but other things happened first. Now that I have had to take early retirement, only two years short of my target, some things may finally come true. The original colors were white, gray and black, with something like a boxcar red on the gutters and downspouts. If you can, send us a picture or two when you get far enough. Ken
