R.D. Moses layout returns to life
October 26, 2012
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JEFFERSON, TX — A small group of rail enthusiasts with help from local preservationists, merchants and citizens proved in May that sometimes the very difficult can be achieved.
The grand opening of the R.D. Moses Texas & Pacific Railway display at the Jefferson Historical Museum not only culminated one man’s dream for his work to live on but enabled a town to embrace its railroad heritage for the first time in decades.
Following a short ceremony and ribbon cutting to kick off Jefferson Train Days, Fort Worth modeler R.D. Moses’ layout was debuted in a new T&P-style building, and many who doubted that a project of such magnitude could be accomplished – the museum’s largest since a roof was installed in the 1990s – were smiling. In less than a year and with no seed money, the craftsman-like layout was transformed from Moses’ backyard and showcased in style under the guidance of the R.D. and Beverly Moses Foundation.
As part of the celebration, crowds gathered at the HO-scale display before walking along Austin Street to tour Jay Gould’s Atalanta business car, watch trains roll on layouts in the Transportation Center, and ride the Jefferson Historic Railway. More than 500 took in the event.
For the complete story, see the July/August 2012 issue of Cowcatcher Magazine
Growing up in Central Texas in the 1980s, David Heyde loved big machinery. Only natural for a boy surrounded by a mighty river complemented by steamboats, an active Army airfield and regional airport, and equipment that tended row upon row of corn, soybeans and other grains. What loomed largest, though, was the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Heyde’s MKT Central Texas Subdivision, a compact but bold HO-scale layout, captures on two levels around the walls the zest of the iconic railroad that ran from Kansas City and St. Louis to Galveston, TX, and the Gulf of Mexico. All while maximizing space in what once was a one-car garage.
This year’s National Narrow Gauge Convention is coming home, where it all began 45 years ago. The Mudhens will once again have a large presence at the convention Sept. 3-6 in St. Louis. Over the last four decades, their rise has been rather circuitous. While developing national appeal in narrow-gauge circles, these dedicated modelers from St. Louis to Arizona to Texas have persevered.
The Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad (KCRR) debuted in early March, with no small impact on a parcel of track along the former Missouri Pacific Railroad near the Kansas-Missouri line. What’s turning heads, says KCRR president Rich Duncan, is that the tiny Class III short line is rewriting the railroad marketing narrative on first-mile, last-mile service with a new level of dedicated switching so its three customers can better connect to the Union Pacific.
Columnist Michelle Kempema writes that model railroaders and railfans can preserve their legacy for a good cause, railroads once ran special trains in enormous size and variety and autonomous battery-electric rail cars are being piloted on two Georgia short line railroads. Also, one modeler looking for something unique for his layout found just the thing in an old model railroad magazine - plans to scratch build a rock bunker. And more!
JEFFERSON, TX — A small group of rail enthusiasts with help from local preservationists, merchants and citizens proved in May that sometimes the very difficult can be achieved.
Following a short ceremony and ribbon cutting to kick off Jefferson Train Days, Fort Worth modeler R.D. Moses’ layout was debuted in a new T&P-style building, and many who doubted that a project of such magnitude could be accomplished – the museum’s largest since a roof was installed in the 1990s – were smiling. In less than a year and with no seed money, the craftsman-like layout was transformed from Moses’ backyard and showcased in style under the guidance of the R.D. and Beverly Moses Foundation.
As part of the celebration, crowds gathered at the HO-scale display before walking along Austin Street to tour Jay Gould’s Atalanta business car, watch trains roll on layouts in the Transportation Center, and ride the Jefferson Historic Railway. More than 500 took in the event.
For the complete story, see the July/August 2012 issue of Cowcatcher Magazine
