Don Ball’s Stockton and Copperopolis
Don Ball, the owner of this layout, passed away on January 20, 2022.
Don’s wife Becky has said her desire is that the layout continue to be made available to the local operations community and for operating events.
Several members of the local operating community including Mark Davidson, Jeff Needham, and Keith Robinson are working on maintaining the layout and preparing the layout for operating sessions.
Becky and Mark, along with other members of the local Kansas City operating community, will be your hosts at this layout for Prairie Rail.
Return to those thrilling days of the nineteenth century when railroads were the only way to travel and move merchandise. The Stockton & Copperopolis recreates operations on a short line railroad in California’s San Joaquin Valley and Sierra foothills in 1895.
Operating with a timetable and train orders, 10 operators must move a variety of passenger, merchandise and reefers over a 75 mile main line from Stockton to Merced and a 24 mile branch from Peters to Copperopolis using smooth-running 4-4-0s and 2-6-0s.
Additional freight traffic includes grain trains and copper ore traffic. Ore trains feature double headed steam power with two active engineers.
In addition, the class 1 Moraga Springs Northern Railroad has trackage rights over part of the S&C to run its all-Pullman passenger trains and through freights using the newer 4-6-0s and 2-8-0s.
The railroad has active interchanges with the Moraga Springs Northern (MSN), Central Pacific (CP) and Stockton and Ione (S&I) (narrow gauge) railroads.
Operating with a timetable and train orders, 10 operators must move a variety of passenger, merchandise and reefers over a 75 mile main line from Stockton to Merced and a 24 mile branch from Peters to Copperopolis using smooth-running 4-4-0s and 2-6-0s.
Additional freight traffic includes grain trains and copper ore traffic. Ore trains feature double headed steam power with two active engineers.
In addition, the class 1 Moraga Springs Northern Railroad has trackage rights over part of the S&C to run its all-Pullman passenger trains and through freights using the newer 4-6-0s and 2-8-0s.
The railroad has active interchanges with the Moraga Springs Northern (MSN), Central Pacific (CP) and Stockton and Ione (S&I) (narrow gauge) railroads.
This Layout was featured in the November 2017 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman*
* Permission to use images obtained by publisher
Geographical representation of the modeled portion of the S&C
click to embiggen
Layout Accessability Information
Basement railroad with adjacent crew lounge and restroom, accessed by stairs from front door or alternate rear ground level access down sloped secondary concrete driveway.
Layout at a Glance
Layout at a glance
- HO Scale
- Code 55 rail throughout
- 3 scale mile main line point-to-point plan with 1 ½ mile branch
- Walk around – linear design
- Layout Height – 48 inches – single level
- 65% scenicked
- Digitrax Wireless throttles
- All locomotives have sound
- Operations use car cards with 4-cycle Waybills plus switch lists
- Timetable & Train Order Operation
- Fast clock running at 3:1 ratio
- Crews OS to dispatcher using authentic railroad telephones
- Turnouts are hand-thrown using knobs placed on the fascia
- Basement railroad with adjacent crew lounge and restroom, accessed by stairs from front door or alternate rear ground level access down sloped secondary concrete driveway.
Jobs on the Layout
Jobs on the Layout
Dispatcher – Using the timetable with train orders, the dispatcher dictates orders to the operator and is responsible for getting the trains over the road efficiently. Communicates with Operator and train crews using authentic railroad telephones.
Operator – Copies train orders from dispatcher and writes clearances. He also is the Orford Junction tower man operating the mechanical interlocking plant (see Model Railroader magazine – January and February 2015)
Stockton Yardmaster – Makes up and breaks down trains in Stockton yard as well as switching local industries
Seven road crews operating three to four local freights, through freights and passenger service
Operator – Copies train orders from dispatcher and writes clearances. He also is the Orford Junction tower man operating the mechanical interlocking plant (see Model Railroader magazine – January and February 2015)
Stockton Yardmaster – Makes up and breaks down trains in Stockton yard as well as switching local industries
Seven road crews operating three to four local freights, through freights and passenger service
About the Layout Owner
About the Layout Owner
Don Ball, owner of this layout, passed away on January 20, 2022.
Don enjoyed, operations, scratchbuilding and researching nineteenth century railroading. He had written several articles for the model and prototype press including a book on the Billerica & Bedford, America’s first two-foot gauge railroad.
He was a Master Model Railroader. His story about the Stockton & Copperopolis appeared in the 2011 issue of Model Railroad Planning.
Don enjoyed, operations, scratchbuilding and researching nineteenth century railroading. He had written several articles for the model and prototype press including a book on the Billerica & Bedford, America’s first two-foot gauge railroad.
He was a Master Model Railroader. His story about the Stockton & Copperopolis appeared in the 2011 issue of Model Railroad Planning.
More about the Layout
More About the Layout
Yes, there really was a Stockton & Copperopolis Railroad (not to be confused with Carl Fallberg’s fictional Fiddletown & Copperopolis). It was organized in the late 1860s with the intention of reaching Copperopolis, then the copper mining center of the nation. The railroad was completed in 1871 from Stockton to Oakdale with a branch heading toward Copperopolis. It had a total of 49 miles. In 1889, the railroad became a small part of the Southern Pacific and was extended south to Merced.
The main part of the railroad’s income came from moving wheat. From the 1870s through the 1890s, California was a very large wheat producer. By the 1890s, however, the yield became less and many of the wheat ranches were broken up and sold to produce and fruit ranches. At the same time, railroad technology was changing resulting in many different types of cars. The billboard freight car was in its heyday.
Don's layout includes the Stockton-Merced main line plus the Copperopolis branch. Merced is the southern staging area. Also, the fictional Moraga Springs Northern Railroad has trackage rights over the S&C from the Freeport staging area to Merced. The track arrangements at each area are close to the prototype as are the industries served.
The motive power on the railroad consists of brass imports which have been reworked with new gearboxes and motors. Sound is provided on all of the locomotives. Rolling stock consists of both kit-built and scratchbuilt cars. Don's scratch built steam locomotives include two prototypes from the Virginia and Truckee (V&T) Railroad.
Structures on the railroad are both from kits with many being scratchbuilt to resemble the actual structures on the prototype.
The main part of the railroad’s income came from moving wheat. From the 1870s through the 1890s, California was a very large wheat producer. By the 1890s, however, the yield became less and many of the wheat ranches were broken up and sold to produce and fruit ranches. At the same time, railroad technology was changing resulting in many different types of cars. The billboard freight car was in its heyday.
Don's layout includes the Stockton-Merced main line plus the Copperopolis branch. Merced is the southern staging area. Also, the fictional Moraga Springs Northern Railroad has trackage rights over the S&C from the Freeport staging area to Merced. The track arrangements at each area are close to the prototype as are the industries served.
The motive power on the railroad consists of brass imports which have been reworked with new gearboxes and motors. Sound is provided on all of the locomotives. Rolling stock consists of both kit-built and scratchbuilt cars. Don's scratch built steam locomotives include two prototypes from the Virginia and Truckee (V&T) Railroad.
Structures on the railroad are both from kits with many being scratchbuilt to resemble the actual structures on the prototype.
Photo Gallery
(Click to embiggen)
Keystone Ravine and bridge
Operator's Desk and interlocking machine
Orford Junction
Another view of Orford Junction
Peters branch and mainline trains
Oakdale Stock Yards
Train time at Peters
Waverley photo stop
Pacific Coast Oil Refinery
Pacific Coast Oil Yard
Foothill Oil Company
Gilbert Hay Yard
Grade to Copperopolis
View from Peters looking east
Milton Oil Trestle
MSN 104, the Capital Flyer, to Sacramento
Burnett’s
Howe & Smallwood Grain Warehouse
Superintendent’s Inspection loco
Stanislaus Warehouse - grain
Oakdale Lumber Co.
Stanlslaus Milling Company
Engine No. 4 - Pay Train Engine
Oakdale turntable and water tank
Oakdale and private car