Live Steam

[Uncle Al]

Check out this Live Steam Train that you can ride on.

Uncle Al

[r.m.anderson]

Thanks Uncle Al !
F Y I - - -
In case you are interested in where these trains are setup and run.
Arroyo Grande is half way between San Luis Obisbo and Santa Maria
Highway 101 central California Pacific Coast.
In another sense of measurement half way between Los Angeles and
San Francisco.

LINK: to Bitter Creek & Western Railway

http://www.bcwrr.org/

rma

[Uncle Al]

Great info RMA

Thanks

Uncle Al

[Taj]

Great film! Nice representation of Colo. narrow gauge in there. I noticed two C&S, a couple of D&RGW, and a Rio Grande Southern. Hard to make out more detail on a 3.5" screen. The shays were awesome. Oops, I sound like a train nut.

[Uncle Al]

<snip> Oops, I sound like a train nut.

Don't worry When it comes to trains - of all sizes - ALL MEN are really kids at heart.
The "Kids" are just in a larger body

Uncle Al

[sapphire]

My Stepfather was a member of the New Jersey Live Steamers and thoroughly enjoyed it. He didn't have the gear, but he rather enjoyed watching the others.
New Jersey Live Steamers

[Taj]

Besides working at a railroad museum as a teen and building a bit of HOn3 for myself, I've worked for two railroads. I'm not a train nut, really ...

[r.m.anderson]

My main railroad interest is participating in the rebuild of the Milwaukee Road 261 steam locomotive.
LINK:

http://www.261.com

Presently we contract with Amtrak to pull our cars to events; shows & exhibitions.
Frequently we have folks who charter or rent our cars for business and recreational purposes.
Coming up will be our fall excursions - check the info in the LINK provided.

"Life-Member-Friends-Of-The-261"
R. M. Anderson

[crfriend]

I'm not a train nut, really ...

I feel that a gentle word to the wise is in order: There can be no shame in being a railway/railroad enthusiast! (That sounds so much more refined than "train nut" or, worse, "railfan".)

Big things that move, and that move human beings within their confines, are bound to be positively fascinating subjects -- and the train, alone, is able to be viewed, up close and personal, doing what it does best. The aeroplane does so at a distance of several thousand feet away -- at best straight up -- and the ship does so conveniently out at sea where most never witness it. But trains -- they're accessible.

There's another thing about trains that endears them to us -- they're understandable. Once one gets beyond the basics of bouyancy and lift, ships and planes get unapproachable from an understanding point of view rather quickly. Yes, ships float, and 'planes fly, but why -- and how they're controlled when they're doing it -- start to confound the average. Railways, however, combine those simplest of notions of "road" and "guideway" in a way innately understandable to all. Queen Victoria would "get" modern railways. After all, it was some of her "best and brightest" who made them possible, and for the most part -- even though we've refined the art to a high-polish shine -- it's recognisable as a Victorian human-scale endeavour. She'd likely feel as at home with a TGV or Eurostar as she would have with Brunel's Great Western Railway or the fantastic bridge over the Firth of Forth.

So, yes, I'm a train nut. And an incontrovertible one at that. My specialties are signalling-systems and wheel-rail interface. And I stand upon the shoulders of absolute giants, even if I do so as a hobby rather than as an absolute passion. (I have computers to occupy that niche.)

[Sarongman]

My love in live steam is the Shay. These beasties could cope with curves and grades that would stop a conventional sideshaft loco. B.T.W., Sometime in the long distant past on this forum, I was told to keep to the company notch and I'd be okay. This didn,t compute with me, as we, in Australia, had State government railways and, of course, the taxpayer paid for the coal and maintenance. This was also a major weakness with the three Eastern states having different gauges; Victoria had Brunel's broad gauge, New South Wales went standard and Queensland went narrow--great fun at state borders!

[Taj]

Living in Colorado, and for a couple of years in Alaska, has given me an unique opportunity to learn and see many things related to RR history. I've not had time like I used to to stay involved, but have great memories of special excursions and of hosteling, braking, and mechanicing trains. Most of the people I grew up with considered me a train nut. I guess once out of the closet there is no return. How could anyone tolerate not living within hearing of at least one grade crossing?

[Kirbstone]

Scaling things down a bit from those American leviathons, More than 100 years ago in Ireland the West Clare Railway was renowned for its cavalier attitude towards punctuality, and the poet, writer & songsmith Percy French wrote a very funny song entitled: 'Are you right there Michael?' castigating the WCR., which gained great popularity in the music halls of the time.

The WCR. sued French for libel and the defendant arrived late for the hearing. The presiding judge asked him to explain why he was late, whereupon French announced that he had been traveling there on the WCR. The case was summarily dismissed.

In 2009 they succeeded in restoring one of the original engines, 120 years old and a couple of carriages. They tarted up a station and re-laid a couple of miles of track. This has now expanded and by 2014 they hope to have several stations and 20 miles of track all up and running, so to speak.

T

Rs West Clare Rly. Engine.jpg

Rs West Clare Rly. Rails.jpg

Rs West Clare Rly Train..jpg

[skirted_in_SF]

In 2009 they succeeded in restoring one of the original engines, 120 years old and a couple of carriages. They tarted up a station and re-laid a couple of miles of track. This has now expanded and by 2014 they hope to have several stations and 20 miles of track all up and running, so to speak.

Kirbstone - would you happen to know what gauge was used for this line?
Just another curious closet train buff.

[Kirbstone]

Hi Stuart,
The gauge used was 1 yard/ 3 feet/ 914mm. Fact is, it was too narrow from the beginning. The rest of this country is served by railways with 5'3" gauge. The ferocious weather encountered in West Clare where there is precious little shelter actually blew 5 trains over on their sides off the track between 1887 and 1955.

West Clare Railway Slieve Callan Kilkee 1950.jpg

West Clare Rly Engine & Moyasta signalbox.jpg

The Slieve Callan was built in 1892 by Dubbs & Co., and she had two identical 'sisters', the Saint Senan and the Lady Inchiquin. the Slieve Callan served from 1892 to 1955 and stood on a plinth at Ennis Station as the sole remaining example of the rolling stock of the WCR until 2006, when she was sent off for restoration. All other stock was either scrapped or sold off.

Tom

[Kirbstone]

It appears my pics. of the restoration of the West Clare Rly. were not unique enough to get attention.

Try this one:
A French engineer Charles Lartigue got this monorail built in 1888. It ran 10 miles from Listowel to Ballybunion in Co. Kerry, a seaside resort.

Lartigue old 1.jpg

Lartigue restored 1.jpg

Lartigue restored 6.jpg

It operated barely breaking even until 1924. In 1988, the Centenery, the local tourist people hit on the idea of restoring some original track & having a very faithful replica built, which began operating in 2003.

T.