Greetings,

This life-long midwesterner is going to be visiting Charleston for the first time. I'm going to squeeze some good ol' fashioned train watching, but are there any sites you folks are aware of that I should visit?

God Bless,
Gerald Kopiasz

Heartland Railroad Historical Society
hrrhs@aol.com

> Greetings,

> This life-long midwesterner is going to be
> visiting Charleston for the first time. I'm
> going to squeeze some good ol' fashioned
> train watching, but are there any sites you
> folks are aware of that I should visit?

> God Bless,
> Gerald Kopiasz

Gerald:

On your way there, you could visit the South Carolina Railroad Museum in Winnsboro....and the Savannah Roundhouse Museum isn't far away either. Charleston itself may be a little light on railroad exhibits. Currently, the status of the Best Friend of Charleston display is a bit uncertain. I have heard an unverified report that the train is currently stored pending permanent display in a climate controlled glass enclosure. I DO know the artifacts we had on display in the old Best Friend museum were returned to us.

Mike Gellner, Member SCRM


The South Carolina RR Museum, Inc.
msgscrm@aol.com

I greatly enjoyed the city generally, including the tourism center in an old warehouse adjacent to the site of the train station with its ceremonial gateway. If I remember aright, there was a replica of the CSS Hunley in a park across the street, with some neat riveting on what was basically a boiler. Don't miss the 1840's house of the town's first railroad promoter next to the station and the "Best Friend" replica exhibit. When I was there a couple of years ago, it was still in use as an NS office, although what use the slave quarters were being put to I don't know.

But to my thinking the best exhibit is the USS Yorktown at the Patriot's Point naval museum. You can escort yourself all through this ship, including its steam plant. Before seeing this, I never realized how small the engines can be when you have 600 lbs., and how clean the tubes stay when you boil distilled water. (But to me the most moving scene was the aircrew's ready room like the one where my father spent a good part of WWII.)

Expect to spend more time in Charleston than you plan. And then go to Savannah.

Aarne Frobom

froboma@mdot.state.mi.us

Thanks for the kind words Aarne and Mike.

Gerald has some internet friends in Savannah waiting to buy him a drink and show him around.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

> Thanks for the kind words Aarne and Mike.

> Gerald has some internet friends in Savannah
> waiting to buy him a drink and show him
> around.

En route there, stop by Hardeeville, SC and check out thge Argent Lumber Co. narrow gauge 2-8-0 #7, a 1911 Porter with cabbage stack. It was at the jct. of 17 and 46, but last I recall it was moved in front of the city hall on Main Street. Argent Lumber, the "last of the Swamp Rats", operated until about 1960, and its locos popped up everywhere--Florida, Iowa, etc. Sadly, there's nothing left of the old empire in its native area save for this loco and another that I think ended up in Waycross, Ga. after being saved from the old hunting camp on the property.

lner4472@bcpl.net

We have the sister #4 2-8-0 with its cabbage stack at the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association in Kent,CT. It sits unoperable on the siding by the shop and enginehouse. The grounds are open on weekends and the very popular Fall Show is the last full weekend of each September.

See the link below.


Conn. Antique Machinery

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'll definately try to squeeze as many in as possible.

Dave: I'll take you up on your offer. I'll email you off list.

God Bless,
Gerald Kopiasz

> Thanks for the kind words Aarne and Mike.

> Gerald has some internet friends in Savannah
> waiting to buy him a drink and show him
> around.

> Dave


Heartland Railroad Historical Society
hrrhs@aol.com