Thanks all. Hopefully i'll find something soon

Brian

Brian, check out either the Danbury RR Museum or the Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston/Waterbury. RMNE is building a shop which will be done REALLY soon, then there will be a place to work on equipment. By the way RMNE has 2 steamers both stored in Essex, but they will come to RMNE once the yard is built at our shop site.

> Brian, check out either the Danbury RR
> Museum or the Railroad Museum of New England
> in Thomaston/Waterbury. RMNE is building a
> shop which will be done REALLY soon, then
> there will be a place to work on equipment.
> By the way RMNE has 2 steamers both stored
> in Essex, but they will come to RMNE once
> the yard is built at our shop site.
You can also check out the folks in Kent, CT, who are running some narrow-gauge steam plus some non-railroad steam.

If you can't get the link to work, here's a phone number: (860)354-0296. Here's another link:
http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/ontrack/CAMA.htm

Connecticut Antique Machinery Group

Brian: I don't know where you live, but have you heard of RailCamp? It is a week-long program run by the National Railway Historical Society and the National Park Service at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Attendees live for a week in the dormitories of the University of Scranton, and spend each day in the Steamtown shops learning many different things about steam locomotives and their repair and maintenance. The week includes other activities, such as a field trip to the Canadian Pacific's East Binghamton, NY service facility. Tuition, including lodging, meals, etc. is $750.00. If you'd like more information, visit the website www.nrhs.com and hit the RailCamp link on that website. If you have questions, please contact me at reastwood2@comcast.net. Thanks. R. L. Eastwood, Jr., Senior Vice President, National Railway Historical Society.

reastwood2@comcast.net

I wait until you're at least 18 years old. State labor laws, safety and insurance reasons effectively limit minors from working in industrial settings.

Otherwise, consider going away to a college near Arcade NY (i.e., Brockport, Alfred, Geneseo) to see if you can volunteer at the Arcade & Attica RR.


angry_white_male@eudoramail.com

Here is a link to the web site for the operating steam locomotive in Kent, CT. Besides maintaining Hawaii Railway Number Five, the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association (CAMA) is also restoring a wooden caboose from the Tionesta Valley Railroad. A track extension toward a parking area will also take place in the future. CAMA is an all volunteer organization and anyone interested in helping out would be welcomed.

Hawaii Railway Number Five
piersa@ptd.net

> To repond to Rays question i live in
> westchester county new york and as far as i
> know there isnt any steam programs around. I
> think the closest is the Valley RR Co. in
> essex conn. but still thats pretty far away.

It's gotta be steam? Both Steamtown & Valley RR
are about 2 hours from you. There are two
trolley/traction museums about an hour away,
one of which is very active and has a lot of
members who come out of the New York area
each weekend.

webmaster@bera.org

> Brian: I don't know where you live, but have
> you heard of RailCamp? It is a week-long
> program run by the National Railway
> Historical Society and the National Park
> Service at Steamtown National Historic Site
> in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Attendees live
> for a week in the dormitories of the
> University of Scranton, and spend each day
> in the Steamtown shops learning many
> different things about steam locomotives and
> their repair and maintenance. The week
> includes other activities, such as a field
> trip to the Canadian Pacific's East
> Binghamton, NY service facility. Tuition,
> including lodging, meals, etc. is $750.00.
> If you'd like more information, visit the
> website www.nrhs.com and hit the RailCamp
> link on that website. If you have questions,
> please contact me at reastwood2@comcast.net.
> Thanks. R. L. Eastwood, Jr., Senior Vice
> President, National Railway Historical
> Society.

If you really want to expierence steam at your age then Railcamp is the place to go. I went the very first year of it in 1998 and it was one of the best summer trips in my life. Since then i work a lot with the C.P. Huntington chapter and will continue to do so for as long as I can. Keep at it at such a young age, if this hobby will continue to be strong in the future it needs young people like us...

> Brian: I don't know where you live, but have
> you heard of RailCamp? It is a week-long
> program run by the National Railway
> Historical Society and the National Park
> Service at Steamtown National Historic Site
> in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Attendees live
> for a week in the dormitories of the
> University of Scranton, and spend each day
> in the Steamtown shops learning many
> different things about steam locomotives and
> their repair and maintenance. The week
> includes other activities, such as a field
> trip to the Canadian Pacific's East
> Binghamton, NY service facility. Tuition,
> including lodging, meals, etc. is $750.00.
> If you'd like more information, visit the
> website www.nrhs.com and hit the RailCamp
> link on that website. If you have questions,
> please contact me at reastwood2@comcast.net.
> Thanks. R. L. Eastwood, Jr., Senior Vice
> President, National Railway Historical
> Society.

Yes as a matter of fact i've been to railcamp. July 2002 Session #1

PRRsteam4lyfe@aol.com

> I am 16 years old and ever since the first
> time i laid eyes on a steamer ive been
> hooked ever since. Yet i am in a little bit
> of a dilemma, I want to get involved with
> steam locos more seriously but i dont have a
> railroad within at least 70 miles of me that
> has anything to do with steam. What should i
> try to do?

Brian,
This may not be pertinent to your situation, but for those teens who want to learn more about steam locomotives and railroads, and for those who perhaps want a career dealing with them, many local tourist lines offer large volunteer opportunities. These positions are a GREAT way to learn the various nuances of different equipment, as well as procedures used upon the railroad.
I know from experience that the guys (and gals) at the Wilmington and Western (where I am a Volunteer), and the 'Rough and Tumble' Shay Railroad go out of their way to help me learn about, and participate in the railroad in many aspects.

Even if you don't have a tourist railroad in your direct vicinity, there are many you can volunteer at occasionally, albeit they may be long drive away, but you'd still be there learning.

I've heard some of the 'old timers' say that experience (IE: Volunteering) really helps you in the long run, and I am a big believer of this.

By the way- I'm 16, and am a Trainman for the Wilmington and Western Railroad and occasionally dabble in Shop work there too.
I am also a Conductor, Assistant Fireman, Trackworker, and Restoration Worker at the Shay Railroad on the grounds of the Rough and Tumble Engineers' Museum in Kinzers, PA (www.roughandtumble.org)
In addition to this, I am the author of "RailCamp2002" published in the June 2003 Edition of RailFan and Railroad Magazine.

Wilmington and Western Railroad
SteamTrain84@aol.com

I am 16 years old too and live in an area with no tourist railroads nearby. The only steam engine within 100 miles that operates only runs 2 days a year (it happens to be one of my favorites...it "followed" me across the country when I moved to New York from California...at least I like to say that). Diesels never phased me and steam is my real passion. When I was 13 I started volunteering at a local 18" gauge railroad in California, which had a steam locomotive that I grew up riding although it did not run at this time. However the Bay Area in CA was blessed with steam locomotives of all sizes that ran. However I'm in hell right now with no local steam railroads. I originally planned to propose to the town the installation of a live steam park railroad, maybe 16" or 18" gauge, as there are no railroads here except for the commuter line (electric) and it would really do great here. I am pursuing the installation of a 12" gauge backyard railroad but my father isn't as into trains as I am. I still haven't found out how to deal with being away from trains. Every year I see at least 1 steam railroad (last year Strasburg, this year Disney World and Valley RR). Luckilly two steam locomotives are being restored to operating condition near our vacation home which will be good. I have kept involved in the hobby by writing my guidebook to narrow gauge, Grand Scale, and amusement park railways and also do monthly railroad articles on my site.

Keep on steaming

Thanks and Happy Rails,
Ed Kelley
New York


My Site-ON TRACK with Ed Kelley
GTNGRR@aol.com

Have you thought about going to NRHS's RailCamp;
there maybe some scholarship money available and some of it was provided by old crumps.

For details see NRHS.com

Bob H

> I am 16 years old and ever since the first
> time i laid eyes on a steamer ive been
> hooked ever since. Yet i am in a little bit
> of a dilemma, I want to get involved with
> steam locos more seriously but i dont have a
> railroad within at least 70 miles of me that
> has anything to do with steam. What should i
> try to do?


Heavenrich@yahoo.com

Ed Kelly has a good website, and I assumed he was the typical old codger, certainly not 16 years old. If you have any interest at all in minature park-size trains, give Ed's website a look! It's worth your time.

ryarger@rypn.org