HOBBY: FULL STEAM AHEAD

For some people, the sound of a passing train is loud and irritating. For Steve Anderson and Ken Groves that sound brings excitement.
But Steve and Ken are not most people; the two built a 24 x 18-foot model railroad that will be showcased as part of the Molly Trolley Railroad tours today as part of the Farm-City Days celebrations.
Throughout this afternoon, the trolley will take ticket-holders on a railroad-themed tour of Iola, including the home of Ken and Gladys on Missouri Road.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK Steve, are we ordinary?” Ken asks. “No Ken, we’re extraordinary, meaning weird,” Steve jokingly replies.
“I grew up on a farm right next to railroad tracks and at times we would have 70 trains pass by,” Steve said. Down the road was a railroad yard, where Steve’s father would take him to watch the trains go in and out.
“My parents gave me a wind-up train when I was young,” Steve said. “I have been fascinated with trains ever since I can remember.”
Ken on the other hand found his love for trains when he was a little bit older. His wife Gladys’ foster father was an avid model railroad train enthusiast and passed the interest onto Ken.
The railroad model they have recreated is the original Denver and Salt Lake City Railway, which winds through the mountains from Colorado to Utah.
Eventually an alternative route was built that would go through the mountains in tunnels, called the Moffat Tunnel Route, named after David H. Moffat, the man who built the original line.
This made the trip faster and more efficient because it cut a substantial number of miles out of the route.
The original route might have been more work, but Steve and Ken both agree it was the most scenic.
Most of the original Denver-Salt Lake City line is used today as part of the Union Pacific’s Central Corridor, which is mostly used for freight and the California Zephyr.
The California Zephyr is a passenger train that runs along more scenic routes. These passenger trains have more windows and glass ceilings for people to look out of.
“It might not be the most efficient way to travel, but it is the prettiest,” Steve said.

STEVE, a librarian at Allen County College, found out about Ken’s interest in railroads through coworker Gladys Groves.
This led to a great partnership because it sparked the project that has taken them roughly five years and it still is not done.
“With railroad modeling, nothing is ever done,” Gladys said.
Even though railroad modeling was originally Ken and Steve’s hobby, their wives have been just as much a part of the project.
Ken, who is retired, finds the model railroad a great hobby.
“Our wives like it because it keeps us away from the wild women and bars,” Steve said jokingly.
Jean, Steve’s wife, also helps with the railroad and the hobby has spread throughout the family.
During the holidays Gladys and Ken’s children help build some of the models.

RAILROAD modeling can seem like a lot of work, but it is relatively inexpensive, if aggregated over a period of time.
“We have found things at garage sales,” Gladys said. “It’s not an overly expensive hobby because we get things here and there.”
The bulk of the expense goes into the tracks and the train cars, which can cost on average $20 to $30 per car. Additional costs come with the scenic material.
“It is a very multi-dimensional hobby,” Ken said.

IOLA PUBLIC LIBRARY will be sponsoring today’’s Molly Trolley Railroad Tour as part of the Iola Reads program.
The tours are free but people interested have to have a ticket prior to boarding the trolley.
Tickets can be picked up starting at 10 a.m. in front of the Allen County Historical Society. The tickets will be given on a first-come first-serve basis.
There will be four tours beginning after the parade at 2, 3, 3:45 and 4:30.
The tours will give a history on the railroads in Iola then will be stopping at the Groves residence to see the model.
Because passengers will be required to walk roughly the length of two blocks on uneven grounds the tours will not be handicap accessible.