# Count me as amoung the faithful



## Lorna (Jun 10, 2008)

As some might remember a little while back I had a lead on a Accucraft EBT #12. Well some figuring, negotiating and a much lighter bank account later I made the purchase. 

So hopefully in the next few days should have my first live steamer! 

Lorna

ps So now I suddenly got to looking at Eastern narrow gauge. The proposed Path Valley looks interesting.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Enjoy the feeling of operating a real live steam locomotive and he Path Valley line!


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

It's going around Lorna!!!
Hope you did not catch it from me....

LOL....!!!!!! HAV'N FUN YET!!!!

Dirk


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Congrats Lorna;

I'm waiting for my second little steamer to arrive.

Regards,
David Meashey


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## seadawg (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave Meashey said:


> Congrats Lorna;
> 
> I'm waiting for my second little steamer to arrive.
> 
> ...


 Yep, that's how it works... Looks like the hook is fully set!


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

I've not quite gone over to the LS dark side yet, nor been embraced by their faithful, smoky and steamy legions... oh, and oily.

But I find myself increasingly tempted... not sure why... 

Good for you, Lorna!


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Lorna said:


> As some might remember a little while back I had a lead on a Accucraft EBT #12. Well some figuring, negotiating and a much lighter bank account later I made the purchase.
> 
> So hopefully in the next few days should have my first live steamer!
> 
> ...


It's a great engine. Easy to run, no vices, and rigged for r/c (tender anyway!)
Here's some video of mine:

```
[MEDIA=youtube]wFullScreen[/MEDIA]
```
Hmmm that didn't embed a video. Guess I'll have to go and find out how. Anyway, here's the link(s):

Edit: well, inserting a youtube link makes the forum show the video. Who knew . . 





 
Drag Race!





 

And then there is Kevin's video (Mr East Broad Top, who happens to be a video editor at the local TV station, so his video is vastly superior to mine!)


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

NO! NO! NO! Live Steam is NOT the "dark side" (that is battery ops, especially when the battery runs down and the lights go out!  ).

A Live Steamer has "come unto the Light"  of the fire (and burned fingers  and oil splattered Sunday best white shirts!  ).


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Live steam can lead you downa Garden Path. Someone told me today that while at DH he received a cell phone call and the party ask him where he was and he replied, "I am in a large room filled with smoke,and the smell of alcohol, and now some one just passed gas"
Welcome to the greatest hobby that God ever allowed anyone to enjoy.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Sounds like we're winding up for a philosophical turd on the propeller here, Brother Semper, but I'll try to put it to you succinctly, yet gently.

Which is more evil for the rail power person: going steam, or going battery? I get the fire and glow bit; and Gibs, I'm jiggy with the smoke, alcohol and gas... but... the sparkies always seem so dang confident... 

Since you brought it up...


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Excuse my butt'n in here....
BUT....LS does ...
Ha
Run out'a steam...
...the fire goes out...the lights go out...
.....and it won't move ...
Till the next cup of water runneth in the tender...
The fuel tank is filled with...: coal...alcohol. .or wood...to burn.

They're Fun I'm sure,..but run for 4 hours...
..let me know when.... 



Dirk


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

I dunno ... it seems rather civilized to take a nap when your energy runs low!


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

CliffyJ: Going Live Steam (or even Live Diesel) is closer to REAL Railroading, so that is into the light of the cognoscenti, not descending into the darkness of those that hide their power source in a boxcar behind the "pretend" locomotive.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Battery chemistry is certainly a "black art" (thus part of the "darkness"), but "Fire" has properties well known since pre-history and provides light all by itself.

Besides, the smell of steam and hot steam oil is so much more pleasant than the smell of a hot battery!


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

I am going to stand right up here in front and say ...
I do not run pretend locos...
At nearly twenty pounds there is nothing "pretentious" about them...
You will not see so called box cars smelling hot behind my locos either...
The batteries won't smell hot if all the load and electronics are in balance...with one another...
At that weight they run in a very realistic manner!!

Ok....I'll go sit back down now!!!!

Dirk. ;-)


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## Lorna (Jun 10, 2008)

Now, now, there is a lot of fun to either that I can see. I have a Bachmann mallet that will someday make it to battery. 

I guess just got really fascinated with steam even though it does not run as long, takes a lot more lubrication, and hands on to keep it going. 

Bottom philosophy is that if it runs on rails I like it.

Lorna


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Dirk: Feel quite free to stand up or sit as you see fit. I appreciate your responses. Forgive me please whilst I remain seated.

I must point out that if anything is "pretentious" it is Live Steam! For Live Steam is certainly "ostentatious" (Pretentious, 1st def. Webster's 7th New Collegiate Dictionary) and Live Steam certainly "demands on one's skill, ability or means" (Pretentious, 2nd def., Webster's 7th New Collegiate Dictionary) much more so than battery or track power. Live Steam is NOT for the "Set it and Ferget it" crowd of those that play with trains. Live Steam requires skill and attention to operate it and generally requires a cash "means" for the ability of getting into the Light to acquire such skill.

As for "pretend" ("to hold out the appearance of being, possessing, or performing", 1st def., Webster's 7th New Collegiate Dictionary, "to make believe :FEIGN" 2nd def., Webster's 7th New Collegiate Dictionary), both track power and battery are more like a "pretend" of what the shell of the toy locomotive represents. Certainly Live Steam is not in the same vein of "pretend" since it at least operates on the same power cycle as the "real" thing and not a substitution hidden under/behind the shell.

Track powered and battery powered TOY trains certainly do "ROLL" in a very realistic manner, no less so than TOY Live Steam, but they do NOT "run" in as realistic a manner as Live Steam.


But my argument is not with the Pretend or Pretentious of any form of locomotion, it is with the characterization that Live Steam is on the "dark side" of PLAY Railroading. Live Steam is enlightening to the Engineer in charge of the Locomotive as to the REAL operation of a Steam Locomotive.


As for whether Live Steam will run for 4 hours... Hmmmm... "I" have trouble running as long as the fuel lasts in my Mikes (a bit over an hour), so if I want to "play" longer, I go sit down in the living room and watch a video, or get in my car and go rail-fanning to watch the REAL things (not near as much fun as running Live Steam, but not as tiring, either).


If all anyone wants to do is run a toy train around and around in a circle (albeit a squiggly one in a well landscaped area) whilst they nap or enjoy a beverage in a chaise-lounge lawn chair... Don't waste your money on Live Steam! If you really want the experience of running a Train, then Live Steam can be a means of seeing the light.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Great "Bantering" folks..!!

D. ;-);-) ;-);-) ;-);-)


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## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

*Faithful*



SD90WLMT said:


> Excuse my butt'n in here....
> BUT....LS does ...
> Ha
> Run out'a steam...
> ...


I dont see many "Sparkies" running in the rain.
That's right, it does not rain that much in AZ. LOL
The Challenger will run now for over an hour with one fueling and you can continue to add fuel and with the new aux tenders, forever


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Implied in your statement....

..you do see some sparkies out running in the rain...
No shock hazzard with batteries....
Some rain here I would not want my nice trains ..or Me..out in the rain...

Endlessly running a Challenger eh!!
Fuel on the fly
Water in the tank...
Or water bomb drops into the target aux tenders!!??
...what fun ...
I could fly and run trains at the same time!!
...don't get any better.....

Thanks Art!!
Dirk


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

My wife said Steam just sounds better. We go to Steam-ups and "they" go to Sparkles.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

*Lve steam forum*

"At that weight they run in a very realistic manner!!" As if a live steam locomotive of 50 lbs or more would not be realistic when it is making steam and not ozone...
The ultimate live steam experience in gauge one has to be coal firing a locomotive. This requires both a good engineer and fireman to keep it running (not a battery charge or plug).

Live steam engine on the live steam forum make "real" steam to operate and we do get "hot boxes" only there are in the fire box. The point of cars not being realistic with "hot boxes" is just is a "smoke screen" at best in realism of the hobby. Just put an "electric" smoke unit under the trucks...


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Tell me it gets any more realistic than this...






Even with the Thomas the Tank music in the background.


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## seadawg (Jan 2, 2008)

I do both electric and live steam. Like I tell folks who come to our live steam display at the Greenberg and othe public shows: "There are times, like in the late spring, where it is nice to sit back in the warm sun, with a remote control for my electric train in one hand and a cool drink in the other. There are other times when I would like to be more involved with the running of the locomotive, so I break out the live steam. If I really want to pay attention, I run something with coal as the heat source.

As far as running time, I operate live steam very similar to the real thing; coming in for a fuel / water stop as required. I've once operated my coal fired K-28 for two hours solid (late one night at Diamondhead) and had to stop only because my feet hurt!


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Thank you Charles for your added input!
I somewhat find your taking my statement out of context rather misleading...meaning you are comparing apples to oranges ...

I simply made a comparison to other dismals...not to LS in general..(Live Steam)
I compared the rather typical battery car set-up to one using an on board system, with a ballasted up loco, and how much better & smoother they perform ..compared to an out of the box unit. 
To compare a 50 pound LS to a dismal is a stretch here..they are not in the same ball park...

I have a friend with a LS loco...so heavy it takes the two of us to carry and set up on tracks..
Yet once that is done..it takes 15-20 minutes to percolate for tea..before ya can play with it!!
I can be off playing with mine while he is still ..Waiting

Some of you it appears would enjoy this time to sit..relax..ponder the meaning of life...perfect for an avid beer drinker.....

I want to RUN Trains tho....

So ..Please try not to go out of context on us here...it will be easier to follow and might be more helpful...

;-)

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Dirk, This is amusing, in the Live Steam forum preaching heresy! Banging your head on a brick wall might offer more insight.... and would be just as effective!
Tilting at windmills eh?


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I am NOT comparing Apples to Oranges!

I am having fruit salad!  


As for a dismal (at least you got the name for Rudolph's Curse almost right) and a Live Steam loco not being in the same ball park... An electric simulation of a diseasel or a Dead Steamer hardly knows how to play the game, even if it does wedge into the same gauge track.


Waiting for the tea to percolate? That is time well spent as part of the "Play"... Time to perform the time honored "Oiling Around". Time to inspect the mechanical aspects of the Locomotive; the Safety Valves, the Reverser, the Throttle, the Blower... Time spent transferring the rolling stock from the boxes to the track... and importantly, time to inspect the track for that open joint in the outside rail of a curve, so I don't dump my Aster Mike 128-feet (Scale) to the Eyeshouldmowsoon jungle beneath the elevated mainline... Uh... AGAIN!  Sometimes time to raise steam is not quite long enough to get in all the play of that aspect of the game.

As with another aspect of life, foreplay is important to achieve the fullest enjoyment of the event.

It is only the Sparkie that has the time to sit and watch! But it must be noted that "Rule G" does not permit the crew to consume alcohol while on duty (or on call), so the avid beer consumer is not allowed to ponder the meaning of life while WORKING on the RR.


Running the "train" is certainly a part of the goal of the garden RR, but with Live Steam, the goal is mostly fulfilled by the running of the "Locomotive".


But, again, my argument is against the characterization that Live Steam is on the "dark side" of PLAY Railroading. Live Steam is enLIGHTening to the Engineer in charge of the Locomotive as to the REAL operation of a Steam Locomotive.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Dirk

In our long history of running gauge one locomotives we have an extensive experience with electric powered and battery powered locomotives. So, I am well acquainted with operations across the spectrum. As well as the benefits of both systems. That said, the real enjoyment of live steam is my preference that is why we have joined the live steam forum.

I am not sure what steam locomotive you are speaking of but 15-20 to steam up is not normal for a live steam locomotive (not even our coal fired ones) to go down the track. More than likely operator error with the boiler too full or fuel problem. Our Challenger does not take that long to get under steam.


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## Joe Johnson (Jan 2, 2008)

I have both steam and electric - I have to 'cause I'm not allowed to run the steamers when Wanda is around. She claims that when I'm running the steamers I zone out and don't hear a word she says.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Yeah, mainly looks like electrical stuff going on in the background. So I see your point Semper.


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## Steve Ciambrone (Feb 25, 2014)

Joe Johnson said:


> I have both steam and electric - I have to 'cause I'm not allowed to run the steamers when Wanda is around. She claims that when I'm running the steamers I zone out and don't hear a word she says.


I just tell my wife if she did not talk so much I would tend to listen more.

Steve


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