1993 - The Beginning

Construction of the Big Creek & Southern Railroad was begun by a group of volunteer railroad enthusiasts on property which previously included a cattle barn and pasture owned by track owner and developer, Pat McCarthy.  (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) 816-682-1189 .

The Big Creek & Southern's name was derived from a very small ditch that begins on the northwest side of the property and transverses to the southwest along the property line. The first priority was creature comforts, so the very first construction efforts were the installation of a septic system and men's and women's restrooms.

1994 - Big Accomplishments

The year of 1994 was one of anxious anticipation, hard work and unbelievable major accomplishments. The initial survey of the upper loop began in March, followed by extensive grading and earthen work of the transfer table and steaming bays. By May, the interior of the shop was completed, followed by the stands in the engine barn. June witnessed installation of the driveway and main entrance to the property.

1995 - It All Comes Together

The very first New Year's Day "Frostbite Run" was January 1, 1995. All the hard work began to come together this year. The transfer table was finished in May and installed on its rails by August. The awaited day had finally arrived. Even though the upper loop was unfinished and not yet a loop, the railroad was officially christened by the first run on September 10, 1995. The double bridge at Grump's Oil was completed on October 28, followed by the Peculiar and Sterling bridges November 26 just before winter halted construction.

1996 - Working on the Railroad

Much remained to be done before the railroad could be called "operational." In 1996, water to the steaming bays, Big Creek station, and Sterling were installed by April. David's Bridge was completed in June and set on its foundation on July 19. The Sterling water tower completed the major construction efforts in September.

1997 to 2000 - Rapid Growth

   In the months during 1997 through 2000, more work was completed. Although operational, the maintenance and improvements on the railroad continued at a frantic pace with the addition of sidings, landscaping and outbuildings. The bridge to the switching yard area of the proposed car barn was installed in May of 1998. Phase I construction plans came to fruition by completion of the car barn in May of 2000.

 

2001 to 2015 - Expanding the Empire

   In 2003, Phase II survey and track layout was completed followed by grading and construction beginning August 14, 2004. A milestone was reached when the BC&S held its 10th Anniversary Frostbite Run on January 1, 2005. Grading for the "Inner Loop" was completed in November, 2005. With this phase, Big Creek and Southern Railroad added 3,000 more feet of mainline run. Since this is a bi-directional track this translates to 6,000 more feet of main line track plus three additional passing sidings.

September, 2007 saw the opening of the newest section. The final construction phase was completed by September, 2009, 3000+ of track footage.

   In the summer of 2013 the Wyaconda Western (a subsidiary of the BC&S connecting at Bethel Park) was completed and a new grain elevator was constructed at the current end of track.

   Over the winter and spring of 2014/2015 a new industrial switch area and small yard were built at Antler Ridge by Dave Gibson and Jim Duncan. Sadly, Dave passed away unexpectedly just prior to this switching district being completed. As it was his dream, it was decided to rename the town as Gibson Ridge to honor Dave's many contributions to the railroad. A new grain elevator, built by Bob Miller, was erected that summer. Additional buildings will be added soon!

   The fall of 2015 saw construction begun on a new business track at Peculiar which will have a freight dock, grain elevator, a brewery, and a fuel dealer. A new Wabash style depot will be placed at the west end of the newly extended siding.

   We hope you have enjoyed this timeline of the Big Creek and Southern Railroad. Please come back as more will be added as time goes on.

 

The BC&S has been sold.

Meets

Tent camping sites and limited number and size trailer sites (15 & 30 amp electric ) are available. Water avalable to fill your tank. Bathrooms for men and women, one is shower equipped.

We ask that anyone wishing to attend to fill out the online registration form to let us know you're coming or with any questions you may have!

September Fall Meet.

Every year the BC&SRR hosts it's annual Fall Open Meet the fourth full week of September. Attendees may arrive any time during the week and the railroad will be open daily for operating starting at noon on Wednesday and continuing until the last train is loaded out on the following Sunday.

June Meet.

We host an summer meet weekend which will be the second weekend in June. ""Long Trains" This is a Four day event beginning Wednesday and ending Sunday morning.

The Big Creek & Southern features general "casual running" (just hop on and ride!). We are constantly working to maintain the railroad in top-notch running condition and continue to add more features to make the railroad more fun to operate and an enjoyable experience for all.

About our railroad...

The Big Creek & Southern is a private 7 1/2 inch railroad situated on a 13.3 acre tract of former farm land and is devoted to having fun with riding scale trains. We are located 40 miles southeast of Kansas City, about midway between Lees Summit and Harrisonville, Missouri. We have a monthly run day the fourth Saturday of each month and any persons interested in or already involved in the live steam railroading hobby are welcome to come and run with us. If you live within an hour's drive of the railroad and want to operate with us, we ask that you participate as much as possible in our work days (Saturdays from April through November, weather permitting). If you have not operated with us previously, we ask that you please contact us by email before coming for the first time.

Regrettably, due to the high cost of liability insurance, the Big Creek & Southern is not open to the general public and we do not offer train rides nor host parties for the general public. For these things we endorse and highly recommend the Kansas City Northern Railroad located at Line Creek Park at 60th Street and N.W. Waukomis Drive (one mile north of I-29 at Waukomis Drive) in Kansas City's Northland and invite you to contact them for your special group or train party needs. For more information on the Kansas City Northern, CLICK HERE.

• We have open "run day" the 4th Saturday of every month. In addition, each year we host three special operating events which are