Whysall Light Railway - Revision history

Dnevil: /* Bill Fitt */

2026-01-19T19:38:47Z

Bill Fitt

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:38, 19 January 2026
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	: Exposure to steam locomotives and things mechanical led him to build a 1-1/2 inch scale locomotive and, by 1934, had completed an 0-6-0 and several riding cars. He laid 500 feet of 7-1/4 inch gauge track by the following summer. By 1937 he had extended it to 1200 feet using eight-pound mine rail and completed a 1-1/2 inch scale 4-6-2 and several more cars. Weekends found kids of all ages visiting for a ride.		: Exposure to steam locomotives and things mechanical led him to build a 1-1/2 inch scale locomotive and, by 1934, had completed an 0-6-0 and several riding cars. He laid 500 feet of 7-1/4 inch gauge track by the following summer. By 1937 he had extended it to 1200 feet using eight-pound mine rail and completed a 1-1/2 inch scale 4-6-2 and several more cars. Weekends found kids of all ages visiting for a ride.

	: Disposition of the 0-6-0 switcher is unknown ~~but~~ (<i>Ed: it was sold to [[Henry Blossom]]), after World War II, he sold the Pacific and the rest of the equipment to Dave Booth who still operates it on his [[Tipsico Lakeshore Railroad]] in south-eastern Michigan.		: Disposition of the 0-6-0 switcher is unknown (<i>Ed: it was sold to [[Henry Blossom]]</i>) but, after World War II, he sold the Pacific and the rest of the equipment to Dave Booth who still operates it on his [[Tipsico Lakeshore Railroad]] in south-eastern Michigan.

	<gallery widths=300px heights=300px>		<gallery widths=300px heights=300px>

Dnevil: /* Bill Fitt */

2026-01-19T19:38:10Z

Bill Fitt

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:38, 19 January 2026
Line 48:		Line 48:
	: Exposure to steam locomotives and things mechanical led him to build a 1-1/2 inch scale locomotive and, by 1934, had completed an 0-6-0 and several riding cars. He laid 500 feet of 7-1/4 inch gauge track by the following summer. By 1937 he had extended it to 1200 feet using eight-pound mine rail and completed a 1-1/2 inch scale 4-6-2 and several more cars. Weekends found kids of all ages visiting for a ride.		: Exposure to steam locomotives and things mechanical led him to build a 1-1/2 inch scale locomotive and, by 1934, had completed an 0-6-0 and several riding cars. He laid 500 feet of 7-1/4 inch gauge track by the following summer. By 1937 he had extended it to 1200 feet using eight-pound mine rail and completed a 1-1/2 inch scale 4-6-2 and several more cars. Weekends found kids of all ages visiting for a ride.

	: Disposition of the 0-6-0 switcher is unknown but, after World War II, he sold the Pacific and the rest of the equipment to Dave Booth who still operates it on his [[Tipsico Lakeshore Railroad]] in south-eastern Michigan.		: Disposition of the 0-6-0 switcher is unknown but (<i>Ed: it was sold to [[Henry Blossom]]), after World War II, he sold the Pacific and the rest of the equipment to Dave Booth who still operates it on his [[Tipsico Lakeshore Railroad]] in south-eastern Michigan.

	<gallery widths=300px heights=300px>		<gallery widths=300px heights=300px>

Dnevil: /* Bill Fitt */

2025-08-06T18:48:28Z

Bill Fitt

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:48, 6 August 2025
Line 48:		Line 48:
	: Exposure to steam locomotives and things mechanical led him to build a 1-1/2 inch scale locomotive and, by 1934, had completed an 0-6-0 and several riding cars. He laid 500 feet of 7-1/4 inch gauge track by the following summer. By 1937 he had extended it to 1200 feet using eight-pound mine rail and completed a 1-1/2 inch scale 4-6-2 and several more cars. Weekends found kids of all ages visiting for a ride.		: Exposure to steam locomotives and things mechanical led him to build a 1-1/2 inch scale locomotive and, by 1934, had completed an 0-6-0 and several riding cars. He laid 500 feet of 7-1/4 inch gauge track by the following summer. By 1937 he had extended it to 1200 feet using eight-pound mine rail and completed a 1-1/2 inch scale 4-6-2 and several more cars. Weekends found kids of all ages visiting for a ride.

	: Disposition of the 0-6-0 switcher is unknown but, after World War II, he sold the Pacific and the rest of the equipment to Dave Booth who still operates it on his [[Tipsico ~~Lake Shore Railway~~]] in south-eastern Michigan.		: Disposition of the 0-6-0 switcher is unknown but, after World War II, he sold the Pacific and the rest of the equipment to Dave Booth who still operates it on his [[Tipsico Lakeshore Railroad]] in south-eastern Michigan.

	<gallery widths=300px heights=300px>		<gallery widths=300px heights=300px>

Dnevil: /* History */

2025-08-06T18:47:39Z

History

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:47, 6 August 2025
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	: Horace's [[Whysall Light Railway]] in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan had about 1200 feet of track that ran from Woodward Avenue back along his property line for a ways before swinging off to the opposite side of his property, down a hill, across a little creek at the bottom of a valley and then back up the other side of the valley to the North property line again. It was an out-and-back operation: running backwards on the "out" run and heading back, locomotive-first, on the return trip. Part way down the hill on the first return run, a cow meandered across the track just ahead of the engine and slowed us enough to cause a stall on the up-grade.		: Horace's [[Whysall Light Railway]] in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan had about 1200 feet of track that ran from Woodward Avenue back along his property line for a ways before swinging off to the opposite side of his property, down a hill, across a little creek at the bottom of a valley and then back up the other side of the valley to the North property line again. It was an out-and-back operation: running backwards on the "out" run and heading back, locomotive-first, on the return trip. Part way down the hill on the first return run, a cow meandered across the track just ahead of the engine and slowed us enough to cause a stall on the up-grade.

			: ...

			: In the early 1920's, Horace P. Shaw developed a keen interest in tools and metal work. After making some simple toys and developing his skills, he decided to begin a larger project.

			: Exposure to steam locomotives and things mechanical led him to build a 1-1/2 inch scale locomotive and, by 1934, had completed an 0-6-0 and several riding cars. He laid 500 feet of 7-1/4 inch gauge track by the following summer. By 1937 he had extended it to 1200 feet using eight-pound mine rail and completed a 1-1/2 inch scale 4-6-2 and several more cars. Weekends found kids of all ages visiting for a ride.

			: Disposition of the 0-6-0 switcher is unknown but, after World War II, he sold the Pacific and the rest of the equipment to Dave Booth who still operates it on his [[Tipsico Lake Shore Railway]] in south-eastern Michigan.

			<gallery widths=300px heights=300px>
			File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway Modeltec-1.jpg\|Horace P Shaw, engineer, on the Whysall Light Railway. From Modeltec May 1984. Photos by Mrs. H.R. Shaw
			File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway Modeltec-2.jpg
			</gallery>


	Bill Fitt, as editor and publisher of [[Modeltec]], wrote the following July 1985 editorial:		Bill Fitt, as editor and publisher of [[Modeltec]], wrote the following July 1985 editorial:

Dnevil: /* Bill Fitt */

2025-08-04T14:30:16Z

Bill Fitt

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:30, 4 August 2025
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	File:HoraceShaw HughPettis WhysallLightRR 1938-2.jpg\|[[Horace Shaw]] at the throttle, Hugh Pettis stands behind the front of the locomotive. Photo by [[Cliff Pettis]].		File:HoraceShaw HughPettis WhysallLightRR 1938-2.jpg\|[[Horace Shaw]] at the throttle, Hugh Pettis stands behind the front of the locomotive. Photo by [[Cliff Pettis]].
	</gallery>		</gallery>

			Bill Fitt, as editor and publisher of [[Modeltec]], wrote the following in the May 1984 edition:

			: Gold Spikes are a long time in becoming reality. For the Union Pacific-Central Pacific, it took six years and four months to the day from ground-breaking ceremonies to completion. For the Lake Meauwataka & Wildwood, it took sixteen years, two-and-a-half months. The Union Pacific-Central Pacific laid 1867 miles of track; the LM&W has about 3400 feet.

			: In both cases, the thinking, dreaming and planning took much more time than the actual construction. For the LM&W, the Gold Spike was the culmination of a dream that began in mid-July of 1937 when Horace Shaw, one of the pioneers in inch-and-a-half scale Live Steam, turned over the throttle of his 4-6-2 to young Bill Fitt. The Live Steam Bug bit right then and there and has never relaxed its hold!

			: Horace's [[Whysall Light Railway]] in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan had about 1200 feet of track that ran from Woodward Avenue back along his property line for a ways before swinging off to the opposite side of his property, down a hill, across a little creek at the bottom of a valley and then back up the other side of the valley to the North property line again. It was an out-and-back operation: running backwards on the "out" run and heading back, locomotive-first, on the return trip. Part way down the hill on the first return run, a cow meandered across the track just ahead of the engine and slowed us enough to cause a stall on the up-grade.

	Bill Fitt, as editor and publisher of [[Modeltec]], wrote the following July 1985 editorial:		Bill Fitt, as editor and publisher of [[Modeltec]], wrote the following July 1985 editorial:

Dnevil: /* Bill Fitt */

2025-07-11T13:58:04Z

Bill Fitt

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:58, 11 July 2025
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	<gallery widths=300px heights=400px>		<gallery widths=300px heights=400px>
	File:HoraceShaw ~~WhysallLightRailway~~ 1938~~-ClifPettis-1~~.jpg\|[[Horace Shaw]] at the throttle ~~of 4-6-2 Pacific~~ on ~~his~~ [[Whysall Light Railway]], ~~Summer 1938~~. ~~Seated~~ behind ~~him~~ is Hugh Pettis, brother of Cliff Pettis ~~of Houston, Texas~~. Photo by Cliff Pettis~~. From Live Steam Magazine, March 1979~~.		File:HoraceShaw HughPettis WhysallLightRR 1938.jpg\|[[Horace Shaw]] at the throttle on the [[Whysall Light Railway]] during an open house in 1938, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The young man seated behind the tender is Hugh Pettis, brother of [[Cliff Pettis]]. Photo by [[Cliff Pettis]].
	File:HoraceShaw ~~WhysallLightRailway~~ 1938~~-ClifPettis~~-2.jpg\|Horace Shaw, ~~photo~~ by Cliff Pettis.		File:HoraceShaw HughPettis WhysallLightRR 1938-2.jpg\|[[Horace Shaw]] at the throttle, Hugh Pettis stands behind the front of the locomotive. Photo by [[Cliff Pettis]].
	</gallery>		</gallery>

Dnevil: /* Bill Fitt */

2025-07-11T13:57:21Z

Bill Fitt

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:57, 11 July 2025
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	<gallery widths=300px heights=400px>		<gallery widths=300px heights=400px>
	File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway 1938-ClifPettis-1.jpg\|[[Horace Shaw]] at the throttle of 4-6-2 Pacific on his [[Whysall Light Railway]], Summer 1938. Seated behind him is Hugh Pettis, ~~son~~ of Cliff Pettis of Houston, Texas. Photo by Cliff Pettis. From Live Steam Magazine, March 1979.		File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway 1938-ClifPettis-1.jpg\|[[Horace Shaw]] at the throttle of 4-6-2 Pacific on his [[Whysall Light Railway]], Summer 1938. Seated behind him is Hugh Pettis, brother of Cliff Pettis of Houston, Texas. Photo by Cliff Pettis. From Live Steam Magazine, March 1979.
	File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway 1938-ClifPettis-2.jpg\|Horace Shaw, photo by Cliff Pettis.		File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway 1938-ClifPettis-2.jpg\|Horace Shaw, photo by Cliff Pettis.
	</gallery>		</gallery>

Dnevil: /* Bill Fitt */

2025-07-11T13:52:39Z

Bill Fitt

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:52, 11 July 2025
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	: Back in July 1937, your Editor-In-Chief was bitten by the Live Steam Bug while running Horace Shaw's 1½ inch scale Pacific in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and never fully recovered.		: Back in July 1937, your Editor-In-Chief was bitten by the Live Steam Bug while running Horace Shaw's 1½ inch scale Pacific in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and never fully recovered.

	: About a year later, [[Cliff Pettis]], who is currently Vice President of the [[Southwestern Live Steamers]], attended an Open House at Shaw's [[Whysall Light Railway]] and took the photos shown here, and was also infected by the smell of coal smoke and cylinder oil. That's Cliffs ~~son~~, Hugh, sniffing coal smoke in one photo and sitting in the riding car behind [[Horace Shaw]] in the other. Cliff went on to form [[Texas Railways]] in Houston, Texas, in 1947 and his patterns and designs were sold later to Robert Miller of [[Miller Backyard Railroad]] and thence to [[Bethlehem Pattern and Model Shop]] in Pennsylvania. To complete the circuit, they went back to [[Terry McGrath]] of the defunct [[Texas Railway Supply Inc]] and, as a result, some of these castings show up on just about every 1½" scale track in the country.		: About a year later, [[Cliff Pettis]], who is currently Vice President of the [[Southwestern Live Steamers]], attended an Open House at Shaw's [[Whysall Light Railway]] and took the photos shown here, and was also infected by the smell of coal smoke and cylinder oil. That's Cliffs brother, Hugh, sniffing coal smoke in one photo and sitting in the riding car behind [[Horace Shaw]] in the other. Cliff went on to form [[Texas Railways]] in Houston, Texas, in 1947 and his patterns and designs were sold later to Robert Miller of [[Miller Backyard Railroad]] and thence to [[Bethlehem Pattern and Model Shop]] in Pennsylvania. To complete the circuit, they went back to [[Terry McGrath]] of the defunct [[Texas Railway Supply Inc]] and, as a result, some of these castings show up on just about every 1½" scale track in the country.

	: [[Horace Shaw]] is still interested, although not active, in the Live Steam Hobby at his home in Bloomfield Hills ... and many of us owe him a debt of gratitude for introducing us to the wonderful world of Live Steam!		: [[Horace Shaw]] is still interested, although not active, in the Live Steam Hobby at his home in Bloomfield Hills ... and many of us owe him a debt of gratitude for introducing us to the wonderful world of Live Steam!

Dnevil at 22:26, 10 July 2025

2025-07-10T22:26:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:26, 10 July 2025
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	<gallery widths=300px heights=400px>		<gallery widths=300px heights=400px>
	File:Whysall Light Railroad 1938.jpg\|thumb\|center\|300px\|This is one of the few known photos of Horace Shaw’s Railroad, years before it was purchased by [[Stephen Booth\|Stephen]] and [[David Booth]], and renamed the Tipsico Lakeshore. The steam locomotive and All of the cars seen in the photo, are still in use on the TLS today.		File:Whysall Light Railroad 1938.jpg\|thumb\|center\|300px\|This is one of the few known photos of Horace Shaw’s Railroad, years before it was purchased by [[Stephen Booth\|Stephen]] and [[David Booth]], and renamed the Tipsico Lakeshore. The steam locomotive and All of the cars seen in the photo, are still in use on the TLS today.
	File:The Booth Brothers at Whysall Light Railroad about 1938.jpg\|The Booth Brothers at [[Whysall Light ~~Railroad~~]] in the late 1930's. Is [[Horace Shaw]] at the head of the locomotive?		File:The Booth Brothers at Whysall Light Railroad about 1938.jpg\|The Booth Brothers at [[Whysall Light Railway]] in the late 1930's. Is [[Horace Shaw]] at the head of the locomotive?
	</gallery>		</gallery>

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	<gallery widths=300px heights=400px>		<gallery widths=300px heights=400px>
	File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway 1938-ClifPettis-1.jpg\|Horace Shaw at the throttle of 4-6-2 Pacific on his Whysall Light ~~Railroad~~, Summer 1938. Seated behind him is Hugh Pettis, son of Cliff Pettis of Houston, Texas. Photo by Cliff Pettis. From Live Steam Magazine, March 1979.		File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway 1938-ClifPettis-1.jpg\|[[Horace Shaw]] at the throttle of 4-6-2 Pacific on his [[Whysall Light Railway]], Summer 1938. Seated behind him is Hugh Pettis, son of Cliff Pettis of Houston, Texas. Photo by Cliff Pettis. From Live Steam Magazine, March 1979.
	File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway 1938-ClifPettis-2.jpg\|Horace Shaw, photo by Cliff Pettis.		File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway 1938-ClifPettis-2.jpg\|Horace Shaw, photo by Cliff Pettis.
	</gallery>		</gallery>

Dnevil: /* Bill Fitt */

2025-07-10T22:25:01Z

Bill Fitt

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 === Bill Fitt ===
-Bill Fitt, publisher of both [[Live Steam Magazine]] and [[Modeltec]], wrote the following in [[Live Steam Magazine]] March 1979:
+Bill Fitt, publisher and editor of [[Live Steam Magazine]], wrote the following in the March 1979 edition:
 : Back in July 1937, your Editor-In-Chief was bitten by the Live Steam Bug while running Horace Shaw's 1½ inch scale Pacific in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and never fully recovered.
@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 File:HoraceShaw WhysallLightRailway 1938-ClifPettis-2.jpg|Horace Shaw, photo by Cliff Pettis.
 </gallery>
 == References ==
 * [http://www.tipsicolakeshorerailroad.com/Tipsico_Lakeshore_Railroad/The_Whysall_Light_Railway.html The Whysall Light Railway]