Nasonville Valley Railroad
August 19, 2008 by steamingpriest
Filed under Railroad, Rhode Island
The Nasonville Valley Railroad Company is a private track located in the northern most part of the little State of Rhode Island. We are a 1-1/2″ scale, 7-1/4″ gauge Live Steam Railroad. It has been my dream to have a back yard railroad since I was just 13 years old. Although this is a
private railroad, fellow live steamers are most welcome to help in construction and are welcome to run their locomotives by appointment.
We held our Golden Spike ceremony and solemn blessing and dedication of the railroad on May 24, 2008.
The mainline is 1,538′. Along the main line, you cross a 92′ long and 11′ high trestle made out of local, rough cut lumber, a 20′ long tunnel, a 10′ long covered bridge and 5′ open bridge crossing a water culvert. The mainline has 3,586 ties and 15,016 track screws, with an overall of 4,313 ties and 17,274 screws. We used 160 tons of ballast and we are ready to order another load for tweaking and leveling.
During the summer of 2005, we finished all grading, built a 92′ long trestle, 10′ bridge (our current covered bridge) and laid some 600′ of rail (and balasted most of it). In the summer of 2006, we laid and ballasted another 938′ of main line. In 2007, we built a turntable, three steaming bays, an engine house with another steaming bay and a loading bay. Three weeks before our Golden Spike we moved 300′ of the main line and leads to the steaming bays to widen the radius to better accommodate larger locomotives. We are now in the process of tweaking the whole track.
In another year, I hope to begin the second phase, which will add about another 2000′ to the main line.
Pictures of the whole project can be found in the galleries.
Hi Jay !
Congratulations on the railroad, and the spread in Live Steam & Outdoor Railroading Magazine !
I am a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and a live steam railroader as well — belong to Golden Gate Live Steamers. Am currently assembling a shop in a 44 foot furniture trailer (44 feet in length X 8 feet width).
Would love to stop in to visit a bit on a trip East sometime — would that be possible ?
Take good care, HAPPY EASTER to you and all those dear to you !
Tom Hamilton
St Gabriel Church
San Francisco, CA
Can you give me a little more info on this location if RI. I would like to go and see this train. I am in RI and never new there was a private train. Is this on a private estate. Would like to know how the owner got started with owning his own railroad.
Thank You
Bobby
Can you give me a little more info on this location if RI. I would like to go and see this train. I am in RI and never new there was a private train. Is this on a private estate. Would like to know how the owner got started with owning his own railroad.
Thank You
Bobby
It is a private track, but I would recommend visiting the Waushakum Live Steamers.
Hi Steamingpriest,
Thanks for the information and also the link for Waushakum Live Steamers.
Over the last 50 years,I have visited my grandparents and relatives in Nasonville.My grandparents lived on Ironmine road and my aunt and uncle on victory highway.They attended st teresa’s church and are buried in St Teresas cemetary behind the block company on the old victory highway.I used to eat at murphy’s diner next to the red roof restaurant.Me and my friend Paul Soderlund on ironmine rd used to bike to Chugolog pond and millville.My father and uncle attended the old schoolhouse at Pickrens corner across from the mill which is now just a tan colored house on the corner.We would stop at the grocery store in Mohegan on our journeys around the area when i was young back in the 50′s and 60′s.My other uncle owned main Street service station in Pascoag where I would swim in Lake pascoag during my stays in R.I..I’m retired living in Cape Coral Florida where I run into many people from R.I…Great job on the railroad.My mothers father worked for the B&O in baltimore for 50 years and I am a railfan of amtrak.My next door neighbor was an engineer for Union Pacific and we share many RR stories….Stay well,,Ernie Laverdiere Jr..Cape Coral,Fl…
Hello Father, I wanted to say congratulations on the beautiful creations you have there. I was wondering if I could talk with you sometime about your consolidation. I am ordering the prints for mine on Friday. I would love to see the building pictures that were on your other site but they do not load. If you could contact me at the email address listed I would greatly appreciate it!