Welcome my Live Steam website! My name is Father Jay Finelli. I am a Priest from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, located in the state of Rhode Island in the USA. I started this website in November of 1995. It began as Fr. Finelli’s Railroad Page. The site simply contained one page about my personal story and how I came to be interested in trains. Through the years this website, SteamingPriest.com, has grown to be a major resource in the Live Steam community. This site has the largest list of Live Steam Suppliers to be found on the internet. It also contains links to clubs, other live steam sites, railroad museums, a vast gallery of live steam meets and trains, an expanding collection of video clips, projects, my own construction projects which include my locomotives and my own back yard railroad. There is a list for obituaries of members of our great hobby. I’m always looking for new links, projects, etc… So if you can suggest a good link, a site with a project, you want to write an article to be posted here, just let me know, I would appreciate your input.
Fr. Jay Finelli
We enjoyed the article on your railroad in the R.I. Catholic. Do you invite the public to visit your railroad?
Thank you! No, I only invite fellow Live Steamers on occasion. You can visit my club, the Waushakum Live Steamers in Holliston, MA. We have many public events.
Hi, Father,
Being new to Holy Ghost parish, I learn something new about you every day! This hobby of yours is fascinating.
Your zeal for such a variety of subjects demonstrates a wonder over the good things in life, and that, to me, is inspiring.
God bless you.
-Rich
Hello Father Finelli. I am thinking about purchasing a used, coal fired OS Mogul. I have heard that these locomotives are weak on power because of small fireboxes and boilers. If they smell a hill pulling a few adults forget it. The cost would be around $5500 for the lockmotive built after 2006. Can you tell me if this would be a wise purchase?
I love my OS Mogul. I can pull a few people on my track and my railroad is all hills. Thing is, you have to keep your tubes cleaned, keep your fire hot and plan when you turn your injector on so you down loose steam. It’s all a turning curve. You might want to see one in action at a local club.
My father, a professional photographer in Kalamazoo, passed from COVID August of last year. At one time, I think in the later 1950s, he was an official in your club. In cleaning out his possessions I have found over 100 photos of a Live Steam Rodeo in Allegan, the Upjohn Company, Marshall. There are pictures of stationary engines, tractors and boats. If you would be interested in these pictures I’d be glad to deliver them within 100 miles of Kalamazoo.