[CapeCodSteam]

First off, these pictures wouldn't have been possible without the assistance of Dwight. He gave me the secret codes to post all these photos. I hope you like them.

Saturday August 23, 2008 Holliston, MA

This is the Raritan. A simple 2-4-0, castings cost about $500, and make a simple boiler and off you go. There were two of them there this weekend, one for 3 1/2" and a 4 3/4. Initially I didn't like this loco cause it was too small. I've always wanted the Pacific or bigger. Like the rest of the world, I'm down-sizing. I love My S-12!!!

This young man, I'm guessing about 16-18, was running this lion all day long on the inside track wide open.

And for all you funky narrow gauge fans out there, this little beauty is based on a vert coal fired boiler with a twin cylinder launch. Reminded me of my BPE (Basic Project Engine)

These next two pictures are of one of Karen's favorite engines at the steam up.

I didn't have the heart to tell her then. This is 2-6-0, not her current 0-4-0 that she can grow into.

There were so many incredible pieces and people there.

I met a wonderful guy named Gerry, who was at his first steam up. He was dragged along by Tony. My hats off to Tony, he spent all day in the kitchen, cooking for the hundreds of guests. After dinner was served and the sun set, he pulled out this most beautiful brass American I have ever seen. I regret not taking a shot, the camera was put away before dinner. Needless to say, the first thing I did was find Karen and bring her to see it. In her eyes, it was the "Classic Train", Westerns and John Wayne. I guess she liked it.

ok, getting late, and I'm gonna post a bunch of pics in a row. I was a little too distracted to get many notes. Enjoy them.

I love this engine

This is a B&M 4-8-2 with a wonderful centipede tender. She was so big, I needed two shots to get her!

An RS-3?

Another loco that caught Karen's fancy

Great to see our friends from across the pond represent!!!!

Something about this loco. I took it cause it was an American. The more I look at it, isn't it a Mougul missing a set of drivers? Perhaps not.

Karen took this great shot of the grade crossing. Here is that little engine again. This is a great shot to appreciate the simple two wheeled seat he sits on. It reminds me of that horse racing thingy.

Joe enjoying his 4 3/4" Pacific painted in Southern Colors

OK, this was my favorite locomotive of the day. I have only been around the track once, and that was three years ago. The whole time I felt like jello on the shakey seat. Dave pulled up to me at the station where I was taking pictures, and asked if I had been out today. I said I feel very uncomfortable out of my chair, especially without back support. His reply, "So, take this seat." To make a long story short, I did!! After dinner I took a GP-9 twice around the track, just under a mile. The sun had set, and what struck me was the mushrooms growing all around, and how they seemed to glow in the headlight. Though the best part of my whole day was the second lap. We picked Karen up, and I took her for a train ride. WOW, that was awesome. Not a lot of guys could say that. "I took my girl for a train ride!"

 

[Slipped Eccentric]

Great pictures! I would have liked to make it up but had other things to do. You can't beat those Raritans for the price!. They can be dressed up to be a real nice looking engine. The vertical fired engine goees by the name Cli-Shay (Half class A climax, half shay). Bob Maynard ran a series on it in Live Steam magazine some years ago, and from what I've seen they're great little runners. Seems Karen has some pretty nice taste in lokies, if not a little expensive! Those O.S. engine don't go for cheap... As for the American, its a Gene Allen design. It's basically his ten Wheeler with the front set of drivers removed. But again, Allen Locos build into nice runners (there's a reason there's so many of them out there!).

 

[Gary Armitstead]

I bought a new scanner and thought I would try to post some old prints of some of our 1.5 stuff.

I'm running our Gene Allen Mogul(yes, they are everywhere!) This was taken at Seymour Johnson's property in Montecito, CA.

This is our Baldwin Electric taken about twenty years ago!