Pennsylvania Live Steamers
Collegeville PA, 30 August 2008
http://www.palivesteamers.org/
Last weekend at Waushakum I met several very nice fellows from PLS and since this was a three day weekend we decided to go down and visit their track. We were welcomed most graciously and had a wonderful day at the PLS track. The grounds are beautiful and very well maintained, with track gages of from O to 1 1/2" you can run just about any sort of loco there. Thank you to all members of PLS who made us feel so at home.
As always help with identifying locos and owner/drivers is most welcome. errol.groff@snet.net
A note about the video clips. The MPG clips are BIG files, they will take a long time to load but if you have a fast connection they are worth the time for the better quality. WMV file load much more quickly but lack the quality.
Terri Groff (L) The boys set up their chairs (OK, with some help) hard by the fence and were ready for a day of train watching.
(L)
Jay Forsythe and his Dad (R)
MPG
WMV Steaming bays
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WMV
This trolley services the storage barn at PLS. One of the really
interesting things about visiting various live steam clubs is that everyone has
a slightly different way of doing the same thing. PLS uses compressed air
which is supplied at the steaming bays to get the engines fired up. Some
other clubs use electric blowers mounted on the smoke stack of the locos.
Same result, different method. PLS has two steaming bays, this one I think
of as linear and the other pictured later is the traditional circular set up
with a turn table in the center.
MPG
WMV
Steam, gas and electric all run at PLS
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WMV Main switching yard
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WMV More train video
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WMV High line video
Sales tent offered T shirts, Roy got a new PLS shirt, books, hardware and so on. A bit after this photo was taken NEMES member Howard Gorin arrived and set up his display of loco parts. It seem that everywhere we go Howard shows up, it is always nice to see a familiar face!
The club machine shop did double duty as a sales are for snacks and drinks
MGP
WMB Terri and the boys ride with Mike McDevitt
Mike McDevitt invited Terri and the boys for a ride and they just about wore out the track. We also met Mike's wife Jane and their two grand nephews. Mike and Jane are just two of the wonderful people who make up the live steam hobby.
Grandma, daughter and grandson were waiting for a ride.
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WMV Outer loop track
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WMV More outer loop