The AGE of STEAM stories

Hi, I'd like to know if any of you can help.

I have put up a new web site www.steamtales.com its purpose is to collect and archive stories from people who worked on steam locomotives, shipping, traction or any other steam engine type, from around the world, in the great age of steam, to create a unique insight to that period of history, before they are lost to us all.

If you have worked on steam or you know someone who has, please take a look to see the type of 'tale' we are looking for. The site is non-commercial and the 'tales' will be freely available to all.

Thanks for your comments and advise.

NEW - a feature has been added about the 3440 ‘CITY OF TRURO’: MAINLINE 2004 UK Steam Loco and a portfolio of British steam trains are on the way. Please take a look I hope you find it interesting.

[ 27. January 2005, 08:23: Message edited by: Ian Hamilton ]

 

Hi Ian,
I don't have any steam experience, but I do want to welcome you to TrainBoard. We do have many members who have had experience with steam in one way or another. If you browse the board you will find many of them. I am sure, also, that they will find you and reply here. Meanwhile, look around and have fun.

 

Ian,

Welcome to Trainboard. I am not a full time engineer but in the past I have had the chance to be a fireman on a couple of locomotivies.

As far as steam experience, I fired an 0-4-0 Porter at the Pacific Locomotive Assn. old site in Richmond, CA. This was many years ago on a summer night when this engine was nothing more than a boiler wirh a 55 gallon drum chained to it for its water supply.

We all had worked a hard day at the museum and just as dark fell a few of us decided it was time for some fun. Pet Rogers who at that time was our boiler man got a fire started in the Porter and after we got a good head of steam we decided we were going to run out to the peir and back. There was a guy there who had a great collection of steam whistles ( I think his name was Eddy Chase) Anyway he put one of his larger steam whistles on the little Porter and off we went. We really had nothing much to keep the steam up as the locomotive is a wood burner, but we ran her for the better part of 4 hours until the wood ran out. That is a great memory. I hope this is what you are looking for.

Shannon

WP LIVES
ATSF LIVES

 

Many thanks for your welcome.

What I am hopping to gather through the Steam Tales site is anything that workers on steam (especially in the past) would like to share with enthusiasts around the word. An amusing story, stories about the characters on the steam loco's or unusual occurrences, in fact just about anything to do with steam.

I am sure that there are may tales from the USA about working on steam loco’s that would be fascinating reading to enthusiasts around the world.

I would be grateful that stories be submitted through the Steam Tales site as it makes my life easier.

Many thanks

Ian

 

Advice that you didn't especially solicit. It would help attract the right response if your topic was more specific.
For instance, "Old-time steam stories wanted" rather than just "Help wanted" which could be a call for who knows what kind of information or maybe even a job offer.

"Blind" topics are what comes with "spam" e-mail, and you don't want to create that kind of impression.

 

Ian, I agree, change your title (using the edit button in your first post) to something like "Steam engineers - post your facinating stories" or something other than "help needed"

 

This is very true, I just now only noticed this post based on the above replies shows up in the 24 Hours of Trainboard section with references to STEAM that drew me in.

I'm to young ( ) to have any stories myself about STEAM but there are some great books on the D&H and some people here that have knowledge of the era that only need to see a topic based on STEAM to draw them in.