Large Scale Central

Shortest Common Carrier in the United States

General Discussion
#1

At 4.5 miles, from end to end, the Waterville Railroad, reporting marks WRR, was easily the shortest common carrier in the US.

Waterville, Washington is the County Seat of Douglas County, and is easily the highest incorporated town in the state, at 2,625 feet above sea level. ITs also the center of a large wheat producing region, the Waterville Plateau, part of the great Columbia Basin. The Great Northern Ry Co, wanting to capitalize on this, decided to run a line up Moses Coulee. following Douglas Creek. Waterville, being the County Seat, expected the GN to build the branch to them, but the GN was more interested in the economics of the deal, and built the branch to Mansfield, instead. Not to be deterred, Waterville raised $80,000 and built their own, 4.5 mile railroad, from the town center, to the junction at Douglas.

Waterville Railway Map

Mansfield Branch Map

The Story of the Waterville Railway

GN 1147 at Mansfield Depot, Winter, 1947. 1147 is on static display, stuffed and mounted in Railroad Park in Wenatchee, WA, near Appleyard, having been donated by the GN in 1956. I was lucky enough to have gotten a cab ride as a 9 year old, before she was taken out of service.

#2

4.5 milesx5280/29= 819’ and change. You could almost model every inch of it. It would be a cool little railroad with some operations interest. It has a WYE and everything.

#3

The WRR has two wyes, an ice house, apple packing houses, grain elevators, an interchange with the GN, two depots, two freight houses, CL and LCL freight operations, and passenger operations. If you want to push it into fantasy just a bit, you could include a ski train for the Badger Mountain Ski Hill that started a few years after the line closed, after WWII.

If you really wanted to push fantasy a bit, you could create a story akin to Phil Creer’s ToeNail Ridge Shortline. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#4

Does the Alameda Belt Line count (by whatever criteria) at 1.2 miles?

#5

Was it a common carrier railroad, in that it carried both freight and passengers?

#6

The Kennebec Central gets points for being about the smallest 5 miles by two feet wide! It served a coal dock and an old soldiers home. carried coal and passengers. at least one little station along the way and one at each end.

here is the staff:

P.S. that little engine should be running again any day now at the WW&F railway museum www.wwfry.org!

#7

As far as I know it was only freight.

I was under the impression that a Common Carrier only has to perform service to the general public and does not have to include both freight and passenger. Is that something special for railroads in order to qualify as a CC?

#8

Mines shorter than yours! No it isn’t, mine is! No its not! Prove it! LOL. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#9

Well, you started it! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#10

How about the Strasburg RR in Pennsylvania ?? It is also about 4.5 miles and holds the distinction of being the oldest continually running RR in the US. It started running in 1837 as a horse drawn route. There is a really neat history there.

#11

Mark Hadler said:

As far as I know it was only freight.

I was under the impression that a Common Carrier only has to perform service to the general public and does not have to include both freight and passenger. It that something special for railroads in order to qualify as a CC?

The way I read the story of the Alemeda, it was a transfer RR, not a common carrier in that anyone could use it. I could be wrong.

Common_carrier

#12

It was, as far as I know, a full fledged carrier for multiple businesses and industries along the shoreline. Its final large customer was Del Monte for its canning operations; fish, fruits and vegetables came in and canned goods went out. However, I’m relatively certain that a shipment never originated at some industry for delivery to a business on that line, but would be taken over the Fruitvale bridge to Oakland.

I lived in Alameda for about 20 years and my HO layout was based on the Belt Line. Too bad I lost the house and layout in the divorce! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)

#13

Gee, and I thought I was aiming small with the P&CS, and it was at about twice as long as the WRR.

Well, at least I chose a narrow gauge railroad (40 inches), and what is reported to be the first operational, common carrier, narrow gauge railroad in the US.

#14

Steve Featherkile said:

The WRR has two wyes, an ice house, apple packing houses, grain elevators, an interchange with the GN, two depots, two freight houses, CL and LCL freight operations, and passenger operations. If you want to push it into fantasy just a bit, you could include a ski train for the Badger Mountain Ski Hill that started a few years after the line closed, after WWII.

If you really wanted to push fantasy a bit, you could create a story akin to Phil Creer’s ToeNail Ridge Shortline. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

This is one really achievable railroad to model. It would be interesting to see how big or small of an area the whole line would take up in smaller scales. Dang if I didn’t already have a good subdivision or two to model you might just tempt me. Too bad the Big Nothing abandoned the line.

#15

Craig Townsend said:

Steve Featherkile said:

The WRR has two wyes, an ice house, apple packing houses, grain elevators, an interchange with the GN, two depots, two freight houses, CL and LCL freight operations, and passenger operations. If you want to push it into fantasy just a bit, you could include a ski train for the Badger Mountain Ski Hill that started a few years after the line closed, after WWII.

If you really wanted to push fantasy a bit, you could create a story akin to Phil Creer’s ToeNail Ridge Shortline. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

This is one really achievable railroad to model. It would be interesting to see how big or small of an area the whole line would take up in smaller scales. Dang if I didn’t already have a good subdivision or two to model you might just tempt me. Too bad the Big Nothing abandoned the line.

I’m thinking, I’m thinking. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

#16

4.5 miles is 272 feet and change in HO

#17

N scale=158.5
Z scale= 108
T scale= 52

Who is taking up the challenge. 158 isn’t that bad in liner track footage that would fit in a decent basement layout. Now in T you could do it as it lays on the ground. Which would be cool. Make the topography scale and everything.

#18

When I was in my 20’s there was this young lady about 5’ 5" that was the carrier for a lot of things.

LAO

#19

Larry Otis said:

When I was in my 20’s there was this young lady about 5’ 5" that was the carrier for a lot of things.

LAO

But was she common

#20

Very interesting little RR, Steve!