Live Steam at the
Bay Area Garden Railway Society's
Board of Directors Weekend
Photos and article by Richard Finlayson
Live steamers from the San Francisco Bay Area assembled in number to operate locomotives at the Bay Area Garden Railway Society's Board of Directors Weekend yearly event. Jim McDavid, Harlan Barr, and Gary Broeder built a stable, portable, dual gauge operating track a few years ago and it became a center of interest for many of those in attendance at the event.
The steaming track.
Several unique and interesting locomotives were on hand. Two of the best looking and equally well running Mamod conversions that I have seen made strong showings. One was the world renowned Capability Brown, owned and maintained (or not) by the equally Capable Sam Muncy. The other conversion incorporated a butane burner and tank, blow down valve, regulator, lubricator, cylinder covers, and other details. The workmanship was excellent and it had a distinct Welsh quarry locomotive profile. I don't know who the owner and/or builder is.
Several locomotives in attendance. Capability Brown can be seen towars the rear.
The Mamod quarry locomotive.
A Wada Locomotive Works / Potomac Steam Industries GP7 was also present. The starting battery that was supplied hadn't been charged so we carted it out to the parking lot , popped the hood on my Trooper, and used the battery to fire it up. It made a nice 20 minute run on the BAGRS module track and pulled quite a load around for the duration. We fired it up a second time but I stalled it as soon as we hooked up the train. Slightly embarrassing but also a character builder.
Starting up the Wada GP7 in the engine compartment of a Trooper. It was quite an ad hoc engineering committee.
The GP7 pulling more than its share on the BAGRS module display.
The SR&RL #24 showed up but my hands were full with the kids that I had in tow so Jim McDavid and Mike Martin gave it a workout. I know that I thoroughly enjoy running that locomotive and I think they did too. The crowds really enjoyed it as well.
Firing the coal fired #24. The grate glow can just be seen...
All of the steaming activities of the day, including Jim McDavid's Live Steam Seminar, drew regular interest from the attendees.
Mike also had his Billy out for the day and it has as smooth R/C controllability as you will ever see. Jim's Catatonk Shay did that sidewinder thing, and Harlan had his Shay out for the event. Michael O'Rourke put a Cricket through it's paces and also showed off an Argyll with a fashionably broken pilot beam. Gary Broeder had his Wrightscale Porter on display at his track stand but I'm not sure he was able to steam it up.
Gary Broeder of Llagas Creek Railways doing his part to promote the steam thing...
Michael O'Rourke doing his part to promote the "0-4-0 con flywheel" thing!
The charter meeting of the BAGRS Live Steamers was held at 10:30 PM on Friday night. The group organized around the objectives of establishing a monthly steamup calendar, building a world class steaming track, maintaining regular communication via newsletters, and preparing for the 1998 National Convention to be held in the Bay Area. All BAGRS members are invited to participate in the "BAGRS Live Steamers" activities. I'll be acting as Chairperson so please
contact me or anyone else mentioned here for more information.
All material © 1995 Steamchest Publications and KnowMedia.