# Hosting a Steam-Up



## erneal4961 (Feb 23, 2010)

Hey Guys:

I live in Tulsa, OK and have a decent, double-track, elevated layout in my back yard. The only thing missing is a couple of buddies to run trains with. Any advice on how to host a steam up?

Thanks,
Ernest


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## aopagary (Jun 30, 2008)

you could always try to convert some Garden RR people. 
checking the internet, there is a Tulsa Garden RR Club right in your home town. 

http://www.tulsagardenrailroadclub.org 

good luck...gary


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Hi Ernest, 
Are you looking for suggestions as to what supplies that you need, or how to advertise, or who to invite? 
I'll come if you send me a return airline ticket!!!! 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

you could always try to convert some Garden RR people 
I'll second that. The LGB crowd are always interested in live steam, and you may find there's a closet 'burned finger' guy in the group. 

Practically speaking, contact the club secretary and see if there's a gap in their schedule. (It would be polite to join their club, perhaps.) 

We discussed the details a couple of times last year. Try a Google with "mylargescale.com hosting a steam up" in the search box - it came up with a few threads from first-timers.


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## FH&PB (Jan 2, 2008)

I went to my first steamup out of curiosity (a friend told me it was interesting, so I gave it a try). While I was standing around watching, a friendly steamer asked if I wanted to learn how to run his engine. I did, so he showed me, and I bought a live steam loco the next day. 

You might try advertising "steam loco driving lessons". You never know who will be hooked. 

P.S. You could also write Ron Brown and ask if he has subscribers in your area. Like the boys in Arkansas, for example (Mitch and Bruce and Dave).


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## thumper (Jan 31, 2009)

Ernest, set a date and then go for it. I've been a live steamer for 4 years now and I've already scheduled my 4th invitational steamup. Here are my suggestions. These items are in no special order. 

Pick a date. Saturdays and Sundays work best. At all costs, avoid your anniversary or your wife's birthday, even if she approves.
Lots of people will go anywhere for free food. The first year, we did coneys, chips and soft drinks. Almost everyone brought a passing dish. We''ve also done chicken and hamburgers, and once, hotdogs for early arrivals and those who help set up.
When you have determined whether there is a group you want to invite [i.e. a local garden railway club] or live steamers that live within a reasonable distance, get the emails out and REQUIRE A COMMITMENT so you can plan food.
Supplies can be bought, but you don't need much. Most importantly, 5 or 6 gallons of distilled water should do it. You need the water anyway, so having a few extra bottles on hand won't kill the budget. Coal burners will bring their own as will most alcohol burners. I buy a case of butane from a local $$ store in case someone runs out. You might consider a gallon of alcohol as well.
Have a couple waste cans available for waste steam oil [empty coffee cans with a hole in the lid] and a garbage can for bottles, cans, etc.
Contact MLS for help searching their member list. You may be able to send a PM to those living in your area. If they can't help, put a post on the Live Steam and forum that deals with meetings. Again, require a response.
Invite local garden railway clubs to see what live steam is about.
Repeat the invitation a couple weeks before your steamup.
Provide a cut-off date in your invitation. Regarding your invitation, send me a PM and I'll send you a copy of mine.
If you get a response from enough to have trains running all day, consider inviting a local service club to bring special kids and invite a local newspaper to come and see what live steam is all about. Also, local garden clubs love garden layouts. They will advertise as well.
If you expect hot weather, suggest steamers bring canopies.
Consider inviting spouses, and it's fair to ask for a passing dish
 If you send me a PM and I'll forward some photos of past events. Mine are too large to post here.

Finally, a comfortable number of steamers for my events has ranged from 10 to 15. 

About 1 week before the event, we close the invitation and do the final planning. IT'S EASIER THAN YOU THINK!

Good luck and happy steaming.

Regards,

Will


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Some pictures from Thumper’s inaugural SteamUp…


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom
More "pictures" please.... looks so inviting!


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Charles,

Did you click on the link?


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom
DUH...thanks


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Here in Rochester we have two clubs, the larger Garden Railroad club, Genesee G Gauge Railway Society: 
http://www.trainweb.org/gggrs/ 
that is an "official" club, with dues, a newsletter, elected officers, the whole deal.. 

then there is a smaller "sub group" that is just about Live Steam, the "Upstate Steamers" 
http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/upstatesteamers/ 

Upstate Steamers is not an "organized" club in the same sense as Genesee G Gauge, 
there are no dues and no officers.. 

Most of the members of the Upstate Steamers are *also* members of Genesee G Gauge, 
(but the moajority of Genesee G gauge members are *not* members of the Upstate steamers) 
although the upstate steamers do draw members from further out, east out toward Syracuse, 
west out to Buffalo, South into central NY..we even have several members from Canada! 
So the Upstate steamers have less members than GGGRS, but drawn from a much larger area. 

Here in upstate/western NY there are four Garden RR clubs: 
Syracuse 
Rochester 
Buffalo 
SouthernTier/Binghamton area. 

Each have a seperate Garden RR club.. 
But only ONE "small scale" live steam club, the Upstate steamers, basically serves that entire region! 
because there are less of us..thats the way things have naturally worked out over the last 10 years or so.. 
its a good system!  

The two clubs often do shows in common..when GGGRS is doing an electric Garden railroad display, 
sometimes the Upstate Steamers also do a live steam demo at the same show.. 
but often the two clubs also do shows indepenant of each other.. 

Many of the steamups are "public" in the sense they are at a train show or a garden center, or the Ridge Road station train races.. 
I post those on the Upstate Steamers calendar, and anyone is free to stop by..even members of the general public who might have 
an engine to run, (or just want to learn about live steam,) who we havent met before..that has happened before, and we have gained new members that way! 

We also have some "non-public" steamups, which are "invitation only".. 
these are usually at people's homes, and those steamups dont get posted on the main calendar.. 
(although I often put them on the calendar after the fact!  just to have a record of all steamups)
they are usually "non public" only because the host of the steamup is offering lunch to the group, and wants to have a known headcount for lunch planning purposes.. 
although iif someone expresses interest who isnt a "regular attender" they are invited to come along.. 

So I agree that a loose-knit "live steam club" can easily draw members from a larger Garden RR club.. 
its probably the best place to start..there are probably more people interested in live steam, in a Garden RR club, than you realise.. 

Scot


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Looks like a great day was had by all! ..........and THAT's what live steaming is all about, isn't it just? 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org


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## chooch (Jan 2, 2008)

Here are a couple of links to pictures of one of the "Smoke On The Water" steamups I've hosted in the past years. The only problem I had was hosting a three day steamup. It was a LOT of work. Don't know if I would do a three day event again.

Smoke On The Water Page 1.

Smoke On The Water Page 2.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Fred
I remember your original post on the meet and it is still impressive with the setting and live steam equipment!


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

I had forgotten I published a few pictures of Fred's _*Smoke on the Water*_ SteamUp back in '07.


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