steam machinery show

[Wayne Laepple]

Here are some great photos of a steam show in Meridian, Mississippi, including some views of a great old "flapping belt factory" machine shop and foundry. Wouldn't it be cool to someday hold an event like this along the WW&F?

http://www.glimpsesofmeridian.com/gom-4.html

[Stephen Hussar]

Wow, that IS amazing. What a great bunch of photos too...even with my ultra high-speed connection they took a minute to load!! And I wonder how many old foundries and machine shops there are like that...sitting unused in various cities. Thanks for the link, Wayne!

Stephen

[Erik Z. Missal]

Has anyone been to Clyde's Cider Mill in North Stonington, CT? They have a steam operated cider press. It is on the National Register of Historic Places for the oldest operating steam press in the country. The "steam engine" is in one room and has overhead belts and pulleys that operate the press. In the fall they do apple pressing "demonstrations" to make the cider and hard cider that they sell there. Great cider by the way. Hodgdon Scale Models has kits of it and also buildings of some of the Maine 2 footer buildings. I know that they have the Monson Station. They also have the North Conway roundhouse. I am not sure if they are still in business. They were located in Oakdale, CT. He used to setup at the Big E train show that is coming up. You could probably check the website to see if he is going to be there.

Erik

[Mike Fox]

The sights, the sounds, the smell. Must have been a great place to be. Thanks for sharing Wayne

[Mike the Choochoo Nix]

My brother lives in Meridian. The show is held the first weekend in November at the old Soule steam engine plant. They built small engines to power the carriages on larger sawmills. They closed in the 80's and their antique lineshaft powered factory is now a museum.  The homebuilt Shays at the Rough & Tumble and the B&W RR both were built using Soule engines.
   I plan on visiting Meridian this November.
Mike Nix

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

The Shay locomotives Mike referred to are a 3 foot gauge engine at the Rough & Tumble steam park on Rt 30 in Pennsylvania which runs on about one of mile of track and the 2 foot gauge B&W which is in Northwestern PA.  IIRC the B&W has about 2 miles of mainline track.  I have been to the R&T a number of times and it is a large park with alot of stationary steam and gas/kerosene engines of all sizes.  If you are going to the Strasburg RR it's not that far down Rt 30 and well worth a visit.   

[Ed Deere]

   Once the WW&F has parking and public restrooms, a thought that I have is to invite the Maine Antique power Association to setup in the field of Alna Center. (I am a member of) For the last few years the club has been over to the Boothbay Railway on the July 4th weekend. Although mostly small antique gas engines many were built during the early 1900’s. I myself have a 1924 6 horse Fairbanks Morse one lunger engine.  Also between my Dad and I, we have a 1937 John Deere unstyled “L”, 37 Farmall F-12, and a 41 Allis Chalmers WC.  A flat car loaded with various one lunger engines would really make a sweet car load for picture taking. Maybe even a tractor in the mix. I could see the train running back and forth with a mix of passengers and freight all weekend long.

Maine Antique power Association web-site        http://www.oldengine.org/members/mapa/

mrdeere

   I guess this thought is a flat balloon

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

The WW&F partnering with another historical society can be a win-win for both groups.  (We have discussed this before on another link).   It should work because the visiting group brings everything with them and the WW&F runs trains taking visitors to the exhibit.  Advertising by both groups promotes the event.  I'd like to see the old engines and tractors come to Sheepscot. There's a large steam show in Northern Maryland every Sept that draws over 25,000 visitors.  Antique car and truck groups coming to the railroad would be another good draw.  I have a 1929 Ford AA 1 ton Express truck (like the one on the Walton's tv show) that I plan to bring to Sheepscot some day.   This year is the 250th Anniversary of Lincoln County which includes Wiscasset, Dresden and Alna.  It would be great to have a special event at the railroad this Summer, maybe during the picnic.   Of course the lack of parking and rest rooms limit the capacity.

[Stephen Hussar]

Ed, it's not a "flat balloon," it's a great idea! And as Stewart noted it's an idea that has been talked about before. The immediate problems (as you know) are restrooms, etc., now being remedied.  Also, permission would have to be granted by the owner of the field in Alna Center, IF that's where such an event were to take place. Obviously that's a discussion for the board that would take place in private.

I've always thought some kind of co-effort like this would be terrific.

Stephen

[Paul Horky]

IF these kind of shows are put together at Alna station you mite want to think about building restrooms there too. Cause a 2mi ride to Sheepscot Station is a loooooong way to go for a potty stop especialy for childern and the people showing things at the show.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

The museum rents porta pots when there's an event at AC.

[Erik Z. Missal]

Hi,
Hodgdon's models will be at the Amherst train show. They are located in the Better Living Center Tables 7-D&E. Stop by and take a look at their kits. I believe they have several Maine 2 Footer building model kits.

Erik