Montreal Live Steamers
75th Anniversary Meet
July 1-5 2009
http://montreallivesteamers.com/home_table.html
We left home for Montreal early on July 2nd and, other than an interminable wait to cross the border, we had an uneventful trip up to Montreal. We found our hotel (Motel Le Marigot) without difficulty and went to the track to have a look see. We were greeted warmly as is almost always the case at live steam events) and stayed until almost 10:00PM enjoying an excellent lasagna supper and a Buster Keaton silent flick "The General" about, naturally enough, a steam train.
We spent most of Friday at the track until the weather deteriorated Sadly the weather was less than stellar for most of the meet but on Sunday, finally, the skies mostly cleared, Thursday night there was high line and main line activity in the mist by the true believers.
This page was updated on 8 July 2009 at 3:19 PM with information forwarded by a number of folks. Thanks so much for your input!
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This loco is owned by Father Jay "Steaming Priest" of the Waushakum
Live Steamers. Fr. Jay ran into a distressing problem at the border
crossing. Canadian officials demanded a $1000 bond be posted to ensure
that Fr. Jay was not going to sell the loco in Canada. The bond would be
returned after he crossed back into the U.S. with the loco but, as I
heard it, it could be as much as six months before he got the refund.
Another meet attendee ran into the same situation but was able to another
crossing a short distance away where he was passed through without any bond
being required. SO, if going to Canada with expensive equipment it would
pay to investigate ahead what the situation will be so you won't be surprised.
Equipment storage sheds
High line running Videos on this page link to a YouTube
location.
Main line running
More high line scenes
High line steaming stands
Main line assistance. The steam loco had a disconnected front truck ad the
diesel loco pulled it into the yard.
WLS member Fr. Jay on his loco. Sorry for the poor photo!
Rob Guthrie from PVLS taking siesta after a wonderful run on the new high line
expansion.
WLS member Jim Leggett
MLS member Roy. Roy did a super job showing the evening movie.
Thanks Roy!
Two photos of Eric Steinberg of the Long Island L.S. with his 1" scale LE
Atlantic
This narrative from Wolfgang Habicher who owns this engine.
I enjoyed your pictures from the 2009 MLS meet very much, including those of my CPR Hudson whimsically named #2888 due to the fact that it is based (loosely) on a CPR type 28xx locomotive, and that the chassis first ran on compressed air in 1988. The intent was to build a robust and well-running locomotive. It was gratifying to have it steam, and run, almost flawlessly apart from a few minor glitches such as the lead truck pivot bolt falling off! Repairs with the kind help of Steve Bratina got us running in double time. Then there was a screw failure in the throttle valve... Help from a number of kind steamers again got us up-and-running in very short time. This kind of camaraderie more than offset the atrocious weather conditions.
Loco #2888 began as a basket case I purchased
from a MLS member in 1985... The castings and boiler were originally from
Carl Hoffman, who also supplied the new driver castings I needed for the
re-build. Apart from the boiler and castings eveything is new, including
the cab and tender. That short 6-axle CPR tender was designed and drawn by
my very good friend James Scott, at my request, in 1998. Its construction
was completed just over a year ago.
This locomotive is easily identified by the light gray patches around the
stanchions for the hand rails on each side of the boiler. One handrail is
the regulator rod and the other is hollow for the wire to the headlight.
The reason for these patches is that the paint was scraped off the steel boiler
to epoxy cement on the stanchions. The new paint was much lighter than the
old stuff. Will re-paint the next time the boiler is off for the 5 chime
whistle installation...
This loco has functioning scale-sized turbo-generator with a pressure regulator
to keep the lights at constant brightness without burning them out! Also a
scale-sized duplex boiler feed pump, and steam brakes. Water feed is by
axle pump and emergency pump below the cab floor.
On one photograph the illuminated headlight with a steam plume issuing from the
T/G can clearly be seen with my son in a white T-shirt with black graphics,
behind it.
Sincerely yours,
Wolfgang F. Habicher
Loco 2888, son Ian is checking the fire with me looking on. The squarish
tin can on the riding car contains charcoal with methyl alcohol for starting the
fire.
Loco 2888, turbo-generator (T/G) powering the head & cab lights at dusk.
Loco 2888, T/G powering head & cab lights. (need to fix that oil
leak!)
Loco 2888, still in pristine shape
Loco 2888, tender water tank with filler door
Loco 2888, rear quarter view
Bill Evans (MLS) had his Jack Hewitson-built Princess Class Pacific back on the
rails. The engine was built in 1936.
Rob Guthrie of PVLS send a note that this loco is the Old Colony 934. It is a
William Van Brocklin 10 wheeler design and was built by Tony Lemmo of the WLS
Club, completed in 1981. Currently owned by Rob.
Dick Tracy's 3/4" scale Raritan. Dick is a member of MLS and supplied all
the Eastern White Cedar for the highline track.
Alex "Bill" Weare runs his Dad's Rob Roy. They are from the Waushakum
L.S.
(L) George Lovett's 3-1/2" gauge Hudson, built from Hoffman castings. (R)
George Lovett and his grandson - Chris is his name, IIRC. Thanks go to
JohnS from Ottawa for this information.
(L) Jim Leggett holding Eddie Moose and (R) is Roy holding Roy Bear.
Needless to say Jim is not very high up on Eddie's favorite folks list! Update:
Jim sent a message that he and Eddie were just clowning around and a quick with
Eddie confirms that so I guess that Jim has regained his spot on Eddies favored
folks list. We (Terri and I) have no grandchildren and, there are those
who say, too much free time!
Terri chatted with these nice folks from PVLS
This swing rail is used to move high line locos
This interesting turntable is used to move locos off the steaming bays onto the
high line
Camping was permitted on the grounds