Webster Groves, MP, Rolla Subdivision, MP 10.1

An attachment was supposed to be in my last message, but I do not see it so here we go again.

Ken Rimmel

 

Hi Ken,

I will keep everyone in the loop once I get started.

I have to finish 3 other buildings that are in progress now, a rural depot, an interlocking tower, and a speeder shed. I was surprised with the depot. I have a photograph of it elsewhere in its first stages.

When I started applying the white trim, boy, it came alive! I have to get some more pictures, but I am still using a 35 mm camera, so it is a waiting game.

I stated in a previous post, I have about 10-15 years of old magazines. MR, Trains. If any of your members are interested, they are for the taking. I could bring them in to the Webesters Grove depot.

With this recuperation from a busted leg, I just keep bouncing back and forth! It does make the days go by. Between that, and helping my wife out in the bakery, even with the break, I am a hopping!

Dan

 

Recently got back from taking a few days away at Branson, MO.

One of my wife's friends invited us and did the driving to go with them for a 2 1/5 day vacation. We have not been there in almost 20 years and could not say no since other than paying for any of the shows, amusements, etc., the hotel only cost us a little under $14.

Anyway, it was good to follow part of the original route of the Springfield and Southern Railway, the branch line that our Springfield and Ozark Railway is based on.

Now for getting back to the messages. Lets see, Dan, we have quite a collection of MR magazines now, but I do not know what, if any, we are missing. We have been trying to find a member or two to take the duplicates to train shows and sell them so that the club can make a little extra, but the guys keep forgetting to do that.

You can bring what you have and we can look them over. The value is not much, but it can still be taken off on taxes since we are a 501(c)(3).

Don, I know you. We met several times way in the past, but I am sure you may not remember or recognize me. I am not too sure if I can still do the same since it has been so long since I saw you. I was only able to help with the 1522 rebuild for about a year before I had to spend all of my time rebuilding a 12" gauge steamer in Glencoe.

Liked what you and Ken said about the past operating nights in Webster Groves. I also remember after I joined them in 1984, that we had to take a break when a Chrysler run or any of the mainline runs went by.

Today, we could be there ten Tuesdays or more in a row before an evening run would go by. It is bad enough that almost everything westbound or even eastbound from points west of us just do not happen anymore. Recently the daytime runs have also been severely cut.

Even with the new coal trains, very little happens now. Not that long ago on an operating night, a real train actually went by and none of the visitors left the building to watch it.

I guess they did not know what it was.

Ken Rimmel

 

It looks like the 4025 did not have to spot for coal too often.

Great memories and cool pictures.

 

Good pix Don.

From the paint scheme on the building and the roof surface, I would say it dates around the mid to late 1950s. From the beginning in 1910 and into the 1950s, the building had the Spanish tile roof. It was replaced in the 1950s. Some time after 1953, the band on top of the short concrete wall around the building was painted a contrasting color from the lower part.

Many friends have told me and I have also read, that you have an extensive collection of pictures and information that would make many envious. It would make one hell of an entertaining clinic or show.

One particular piece of mail was waiting for me when we got back Sunday. For the fourth year in a row, the North American Railway Foundation has turned us down for any support. This is one organization that is the most likely to be able to fully fund our roof replacement. Somehow we keep missing out and they never give us any hint.

A couple of other foundations that also turn us down did let us know that they feel we are too small and do not have enough community or national impact to offer them enough exposure.

Whatever happened to just being nice?

Ken R

 

Yesterday afternoon, on the RFD Channel here, the railfan hour had "Farewell to 1522" by Goodheart Productions. Very nicely done.

There was a nice clip of passing the Webster Groves depot. Do not think anyone stayed inside that time.

I recorded it on the DVD. Only watched it twice, so far.

I was surprised at how much jointed rail still existed. All I see out here on main line type routes is welded.

 

I was there for the last westbound and got it on tape.

While I was reviewing it inside, an eastbound freight started to come by and I ran outside to tape that too. However, I did not reset the tape and lost most of the 1522. That is what can happen with older technology.

Around our building, you would be surprised with how many loose and missing spikes, along with loose and missing bolts in the rail joiners. A few years back, I reported a joint that was missing three of its six bolts and two of the remaining were loose.

It took me two tries to get them to understand and about two months later, they tightened the loose bolts, kind of, and replace the missing ones. They later called me back and made me promise to never report something like this again.

I have since joined their Citizens for Rail Security and made a promise to myself, that if they give me backlash about something like this again, I will call a TV news crew out to film the problem and embarrass them with their lack of concern for safety.

Ken R

 

I really do not remember what year that was, but think it was after the Santa Fe merger.

It was about a year or two later when their contractor came around replacing ties and cleaning ballast. That was about three years ago and there were missing bolts and spikes before and after they left the area.

I think the railroad cop who called me back then is the one who today is going around, talking about the Citizens for Rail Security program. I have his name written down somewhere, but do not remember.

In recent years it seems to us that the railroad has gotten more distant and corporate-like, not caring about the little guys or any communities they serve. We used to have several contacts with them who took interest in what is going on around them, but now it is like trying to talk to another country. They do not want to help anyone and can only think of their own little world and how to get more money out of it.

They will not even let us get any recognition for the 100 year history of the depot, being afraid of losing use of the land we lease from them that our building sits on. Our last local and almost the only contact we had retired about two years ago and no one took his place.

We sometimes hear from Jeff Schmid, who I worked with on the 1522 rebuild. He is still an engineer and safety officer for the railroad, but he has no power to act on behalf of the railroad on an issues. I think the number left from the Frisco era can be counted on one or two hands and they are probably no higher than first-level management.

Ken R

 

I do not think I put this information out on this forum yet, but our club has a new web site since January 2010.

And we got a Facebook page the following September. Added to our page on Yahoo Groups, we offer information about our club and our depot which turned 100 in 2010. Check us out!

www.bigbendrrclub.org http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bigbendrrclub/

Ken Rimmel

 

Sweet.