A Free-Lanced HO Model Railroad
(Added Roster page)
Locomotives
Freight Cars
Cabins
Rail Road Structures
DeKalb Structures
Misc. Structures
Actual Track Plan
Theoretical Track Plan
Links
THE WE&H IS EXPANDING. Track work has started. Realignment of tracks is complete. New photos posted. Click the link here for the construction page.
April 29, 2002
The WE&H was orignially formed in the early 1980's as the Wiley Road. It ran as a short line off a connection to the Burlington Northern (BN) in rural Illinois. Unfortunately the Wiley Road suffered the fate many short lines have. With little investment and revenue the Wiley Road was in a bankrupt condition by 1995.
Two investors, Tim Erickson and Jeff Hanke, sunk millions of dollars into a merger deal with the original Wiley Road owner, Darrell Wiley. The WE&H was born on July 4, 1996.
Revitalized under new ownership the WE&H acquired new rolling stock and locomotives from neighboring rail roads and dealers. The WE&H retired all of the Wiley Road locomotives and started a new roster geared toward cutting costs and adding revenue.
Initially in 1996 just the gravel pit was served. Expansion and heavy marketing has added intermodal, grain, passenger and general freight to the normal gravel traffic.
In 1997 a new WE&H yard was laid to better facilitate traffic between BNSF and WE&H. BN had merged with AT&SF in 1995 to form the BNSF.
In 1998 WE&H broke into profitability for the first time since 1982. The WE&H has maintained a policy of continual improvement on the line. Much of the original light rail has been replaced with new heavy rail. Ballast and ties have been replaced on almost the entire line.
1n 2002 the WE&H announced its most ambitious project to date. An extension from the WE&H yard to Sycamore. This town has a connection with the Union Pacific. This extension will make the WE&H a bridge route between the two giant western railroads.