# The Amherst Railway Society show in Springfield...



## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

I took my steamer and my camera to the Big E for the train show last weekend. There were tons of vendors and club layouts in all scales from N through full size. Dave Newton had his 7/8th scale layout setup and let me run with the big dogs! It is a back and forth layout with some switching possiblities. I had to keep my hands on the brake and throttle while running my steamer! Dave has some nice detail on his layout and some good looking rolling stock. Jack also had some equipment to run, an electic powered steam outline Hinkley Forney and some museum quality cars.

I also wandered around with my dad, we took in the show as best we could...it went on and on and I am sure we missed a lot!


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Loved it. Thanks for the posting.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Eric;

There was a lot of fine modelling at that show.

Best,
David Meashey


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Thanks Eric you got some good shots of me. 
Dick


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## JoelB (Jan 3, 2008)

Another great video, Eric. 

I was a little surprised to see that you were able to run live steam at the show. I'd heard somewhere that only electrics were allowed, but that's old information, perhaps the West Springfield fire marshal sees things differently nowadays.


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

Well Joel-- I didnt ask and nobody said anything bad to me...they just enjoyed the trains! I cannot say what would happen if we wanted to set up a large steam railway display like the Pennsy live steamers.


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

It was a good show. 
Did anyone get a photo of the Schnabel car that was going around the Great Falls Model RR club setup in the Mallary building? I think I was in such AWE over it that I forgot I had a camera in my pocket. That was one impressive rig.


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Eric 

Point of clarification... 

Many years ago, beginning in the 1980s, Paul and harry Quirk owned a portable track for gauge 1 live steam that they set up at several venues in Pennsylvania. The Pennsy Live Steamers permitted the track to be "stored" on their property in a configuration that could be operated when not "on the road". However, PLS made it clear that this was a "temporary" track, as the bylaws do not permit permanent elevated track construction. After many years of hard use, the support structure for the track was in need of replacement. Mike Moore stepped up and constructed a portable track using rectangular aluminum tube framing and a lightweight top surface. The Quirk portable track was sold for reuse by another group, and eventually several members of PLS prevailed upon the board to approve construction of a permanent gauge 1 track at the club. 

The live steam track set up at ECLSTS, Cabin Fever, Scranton, Tuckahoe Steam & Gas Assn [Easton MD], and other venues in NOT affiliated with the PLS. It belongs personally to Mike Moore. The PLS insisted Mike Moore and Harry Quirk remove any reference to the club several years ago because of the INFERRED liability. 

The sign at the track says Aikenback Live Steamers, but that is just a name Mike uses for an email distribution list to notify regular runners of upcoming event. There is NO club, no organization, no officers, no dues. It derives from Harry Quirk's original home railroad, in honor of his having started the ball rolling more than 30 years ago. 

I agree that often if live steam is operated as part of a display, but it is not emphasized, and the operators are low key... no one will pay any attention. 

The fact that you ran live steam was really incidental to the overall group presentation. GOOD WORK. 

I thought it was really cool that they had the restored Turner Dairy car there along with Jack DiSarro's [IIRC] 7/8n2 model.


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## mocrownsteam (Jan 7, 2008)

Jim, 

Actually the Turner Centre Dairy car is a reconstruction of the prototype car which was burned for the scrap metal in the 30's/40's time frame. By the way the rails it was sitting on are actual Kennebec Central Railway iron now well over 100 years old. 

Mike and Barb have all our thanks for the tremendous effort they expend to get the track to the many steam events and they have the best organization of all, no dues, no bylaws, just fun. 

Mike McCormack 
mocrownsteam 
Hudson, Massachusetts


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