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| What scale is the railroad?
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8/18/2001 | 8/4/2023 |
 | | The railroad is one-eighth scale (7.5 inch), or 1:8. Rolling stock is typically large enough to ride "on", yet not "in". |
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| What type of railroad is the White Creek Railroad?
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6/9/2002 | 12/26/2025 |
| | The White Creek Railroad is a "operational" railroad. This means we host an average of 10-20 trains switching rolling stock on the railroad currently in May, July, & September. |
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| When did you start the hobby?
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8/18/2001 | 8/18/2001 |
| | August 1994, shortly after retiring from teaching. |
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| Where are the nearest hotels?
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6/9/2002 | 12/26/2025 |
| | The closest motel is Holiday Inn Express in Cedar Springs MI. It is located 2.5 miles from WCRR. There are several motels in northern Grand Rapids area. Most of these are from 20 to 22 miles from the track. |
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| Where is the railroad located?
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8/18/2001 | 5/27/2013 |
| | The track is located very near Cedar Springs Michigan which is about 20 miles North of Grand Rapids on US131. |
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| How long is the track?
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8/18/2001 | 12/26/2025 |
| | The track consists of over 5 miles of main line, and 2 miles of passing sidings, yard track, and industry spurs. To the best of my knowledge, it is the second or third longest privately owned 1:8 scale railroad in the world. |
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| How many acres is the track on?
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8/18/2001 | 10/23/2002 |
| | It's tough to gauge, but probably approximately 100 acres. The property is nearly 200 acres, but the business is on 40 acres and there are probably 50 acres of wetlands. |
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| How many switches does the track have?
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8/18/2001 | 9/26/2005 |
| | The last time I counted there was around 285. Another 10 are in the planning stages. |
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| How many trestles does the track have?
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8/18/2001 | 6/11/2002 |
| | 6 total. Each one had a unique length: 60, 140, 140, 180, 300, 320 (in feet). |
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| How much track is in the sun vs. shade?
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6/9/2002 | 9/26/2005 |
| | In the summer months, approximately 30% is in the sun and 70% is in the shade. |
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| Approximately, what are the dimensions of a locomotive?
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8/18/2001 | 10/23/2002 |
| | Most cars and engines are about 16 inches wide and vary in length from 3 ft for a very short tank car to 10ft long for a modern Dash 9 engine. |
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| Describe the WCRR rolling stock?
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8/18/2001 | 12/26/2025 |
| | Rolling stock describes any "railcar" that a locomotive pulls. As of this date, WCRR has 62 tank cars, 22 box cars, 32 covered hoppers, 3 reefers, 77 flat cars, 36 coal hoppers, 2 log cars, 1 coil car, 6 cabooses, 17 gondolas, 10 engines and 10 engineer riding cars(flat cars), a V snow plow, a rotary snow plow, 3 ballast car, & 3 other maintenance of way cars. Also several other friends have engines and rolling stock stored at this RR. |
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| Approximately, what are the dimensions of a normal piece of rolling stock?
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8/18/2001 | 6/11/2002 |
| | Rolling stock is approximately 5 feet long, 1.5 feet high, and 1.5 feet wide. Weight ranges from 100 lbs. to 250 lbs., depending on content and construction. |
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| When did track construction begin?
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8/18/2001 | 8/18/2001 |
| | November 1994 |
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| Does WCRR have any tunnels?
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8/18/2001 | 12/26/2025 |
| | Yes. Currently there are 4 tunnels in various locations on the railroad. Each tunnel is 80 ft long. 3 of the tunnels are curved so you can't see the other end of the tunnel until you are half way thru it. |
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| How people have helped in the construction?
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6/9/2002 | 12/26/2025 |
| | Probably 15 -20 persons have been involved at one time or another. The majority of construction has been by 5 people. Usually only 1 or 2 persons are working on the RR on any given time. Currently the regulars at WCRR are between 4 and 10 persons per week. |
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| Where can I find some other sites of interest?
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8/18/2001 | 12/26/2025 |
| | Google 1/8 scale trains
Search u-tube
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