As with many things I discover in railroading, this began with a series of bread crumbs. A picture of an Argent steam locomotive caught my eye and while researching it, I discovered it came from the SS&S, which is only a couple of hours from Manassas, VA. So now I have the history of a narrow gauge logging railroad that was practically in my back yard and faster than Shaggy can say "Zoinks!", I'm researching the SS&S. Then I find that NG&SL is doing a series on the SS&S and that H. Temple Crittenden, of Maine Two-Foot fame, was from Norfolk, VA and had been researching and writing about the SS&S since practically the day it shut down in 1930. He published a history of the SS&S, The Comp'ny, in 1967. So what turned up at the February train show? An over-priced original edition of The Comp'ny that, with some dickering and coming back late in the day, I was finally able to get for a decent price. So armed with my prize, I dove into the SS&S. My Review of the book so far: The Comp'ny is long on antidotal stories of how the railroad was run and some of the characters who ran it. I have to agree with George Hilton who said the book was, "vague on chronology and inadequate on maps." Has anyone read The Comp'ny and if so, what did you think? Also, does anyone have any maps of the SS&S? I'm still trying to collect the SS&S series in NG&SL as well if anyone wants to part with their back issues. BTW, I found out why finding the keys for the SS&S is so hard, and not just because the line was pretty short. Andy Tetsu Uma
Very, very difficult! You should have seen my friend's face light up, when he won the example off eBaY a few years back. Before they stopped allowing such items, in their blind stampeded panic... Wow, was he excited.
When the SS&S started locking their switches, there was a problem with lost keys so they started charging a $1 deposit (in an era when the daily pay was about $.80) for each key. They didn't lose hardly any after that. Apparently, they used sand for ballast on the permanent lines and pretty much nothing on the branches into the lumber tracts.
Most of the few keys and lock examples existing have been finds using metal detectors. The lock and key my friend acquired were both dig items. Rough condition, but still treasures.
Hi All I just discovered the article in NG&SLG today. I can find all my issues except the first part. I model the WM and the PRR in WV and Baltimore, MD. I live in WV and grew up in the Washington, DC area. Have been looking for a small Narrow Gauge or at least back woods type line to model as a portable layout. Something to scratch build mostly and hand lay the track. The SS&SRY is an ideal railroad because I also like ships and marine stuff.
That's cool, Jay. I grew up in the birthplace of the CB&Q, Aurora IL, and relocated to Northern VA in 2006. I caught the bug for WW1 2' gauge trench railways and also what I call "Flat Land" narrow gauge and am hoping to model an Upper Peninsula copper hauler based on the Quincy & Torch Lake. With 25-30 lb. rail, wooden trestles, 0-4-2 locomotives (called "Donkeys" on the SS&S) on unballasted woods track, and plenty of home-made rolling stock, modeling the SS&S should give plenty of opportunity for scratch-building and hand-laying. As an aside, does anyone know what's with the extended smokebox on SS&S #6? Is it because she was originally a wood-burner? She's still in service on the Midwest Central in Iowa but doesn't have that extended smokebox.
