Live Steam by Father Finelli

A story dated 29 June 2019 gives the background of how “under a cloudy moon on Valentine’s Day” a few robbers snuck onto the property owned by the Gravesend Model Marien & Engineering Society, cut through fences and cut the padlock off the doors of storage containers that kept members locomotives. The thieves used wheelbarrows to take items to a van parked off the property and returned three times during the night.

This is a sad commentary of the world in which we live. It is very concerning for Live Steam clubs with no live in grounds keeper. With modern technology, it’s important to install alarms and security cameras. Locomotive owners should also inscribe a serial number that is hidden from site to identify it to authorities who may come upon the locomotive. It is also important to know who is joining and visiting our clubs so that people with bad intentions are not just scoping us out.

I have known guys that had locomotives taken from their homes. They are not easy items to hide, but small locomotives may never be sold and left on display on someones mantle.

You can read the whole article here.

You probably wonder where I have been since last October. Well, it was a very difficult year. My father’s COPD and congestive heart failure grew progressively worse. He was in the hospital at least 14 times in the past year. My mother also had a few health issues. All of this was very difficult. Besides my parents health issues, I also have a parish to run. All of it was very exhausting. My father passed away on April 18, 2019. It was Holy Thursday morning. You can find my father’s obituary here.

There is a lot of work to do. I’m getting the railroad going. Just finished getting a locomotive out there. I’ll post some pictures shortly. I also have to reconnect the mainline. Had to take part of it out to dig so we could install a 220 line to my new compressor shed. That is finished. Also have to clear a tree that fell across the track. Thank God, it is above the rails from hill to hill.

I notice that many of my links are broken. I’lm going to work on getting all of this fixed. Thanks for hanging in there. Keep on steaming!

I thought I would finish today, but after some consideration, I decided to use angle iron in place of rail. This will help hold my connections to the steaming bays more secure and stable.  This required a trip to Lowe’s and to a local machine shop to cut some plate steel for me. Tomorrow, I should finish pretty early so I can get an engine out on the tracks. Here are a few pics.

Angle iron installed on half of turntable

Turntable with one end complete

Table joined to steaming bay

Really easy. Just drop the hinged joiner into place.

Now I need to repaint the joiners and steaming bays. But that’s for another day.

Just when you think spring has arrived, think again. I thought I would be out there to work on the 1000′ extension of my railroad, until yesterday. And, they say New England is in for another Nor’easter next Tuesday/ Wednesday. Here are a few pics of the beauty of nature on my railroad.

Mainline covered in snow.

Crossing with covered bridge in background

Engine house, turntable, and steaming bays.