My idea of a rail museum..

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?n ... 0132_s.jpg

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH..............

The Kovalchick family has taken over the Sierra Railroad and implemented their 50-star-flags-on-the-locomotives fetish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bangs head on wall........]

Yes, but the last time I tried to get a 48-star flag, the only size available was 3x5, way too big for railroad use. Anybody know where to get one of more moderate size?

What about using a 13 star flag? They were used for patriotic celebrations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. A 48 star flag may be too modern for representing some time periods.

Randall,
Try CRW Flags at 7306 E. Furnace Branch Road, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21060 (just south of Baltimore) (410) 766-6106 or (800) 662-6106. Their website is www.crwflags.com

CRW sells a large variety of flags and will most likely be able to help you. -- Ray

Here's another place to get flags. They're pretty big around here and I believe they also custom make them if you'd like. They have all kinds of flags, US, State, Historical. Smallest I saw online was 3x5, but I'm sure they probably have smaller. www.flagsnmore.com in Fort Gratiot/Lakeport Michigan.

Hope this helps in any way.
Dave Jandron

I was at Jamestown in August and noticed the 50-star flag right away. FYI, it's an amazing place if you haven't been, even when trains aren't running!

That's a tough size to find a 48-star flag in (roughly about 12 X 18 inches it seems). As noted by others on this thread, there are some modern 3X5-foot 48-star flags out there, but they're all silk-screened on nylon. They look okay at a great distance, but within ten feet they're pretty unauthentic-looking. But still, they're better than any 50-star flag if you must have a flag. You're much better off with a heavy cotton, sewn stripe and star flag. They're more durable, hold color better, and are correct (at any distance) for any time period before the 1970s when flags started to be made out of nylon.

Good idea! But I'd suggest a 34-star flag instead. For the time period of Railtown, it's more correct anyway. You'd also probably have much better luck finding one of these in that size, as these flags are made in many different sizes for the Civil War re-enactors.

Aside from being a railfan, I am also a WW2 re-enactor, and I have the little 48-star flags (the kind you see kids waving at parades) to put on my 1944 Willys Jeep for 4th of July parades, as every year some knucklehead hands me a 50-star flag and get ticked off when I don't put it on the Jeep. I cleaned out my glove box and tool boxes recently and dug out a half-dozen 50-star flags that way. I found a good source for the little 48-star flags in a store in St Augustine, Florida the last time I was there.

Here's some likely sources I could find online:
http://www.usflagdepot.com/store/
http://www.flagline.com/bigflag.php?id=01140147
Beats me why there must be US flags on steam engines anyway. I don't recall ever seeing a photo of one that way on a real working RR during the steam era. Either white flags (for an extra) or none at all were usually the norm.

Save for some tarted-up Southern passenger steamers and some other locomotives dolled up on the Fourth of July or a campaign train, how often would anyone have seen an American flag riding up high on a steam locomotive?

Heck, I would imagine that such an act could actually get an engineer reprimanded on some railroads, as the flags might get confused with official flags marking extras, second sections, etc.

It's gotten to the point where I don't even bother photographing the EBT on their Fall Spectacular/Reunion weekends, thanks to those flags.

Union Pacific used to fly the US flag on its engines on July 4. I've seen E-8's so adorned but a UP expert will have to say how far back that goes.

RDG 2124 sported US flags on a July 4, 1961 trip to Shamokin. It was 50 stars in 1961, though.

Alex,

Remember that the 1897 Railtown State Park is a seperate operation than the Sierra Railroad. The Park uses some Sierra tracks for their excursions, but does not own them.

The picture is the Sierra Roundhouse.

Railtown has recently benifitted from some State Park Bond money, they have been building a fire supression system in those wonderful old railroad buildings. such as the roundhouse.

Also some engine restoration with Tea-21 money, I think.

My taxes at work.

Ted Miles

The best flag company I know is Emerson Flag, the oldest of its hind, according to their web site.

They will make you any size with any number of stars!

Ted Miles

Quick someone get the drugs for Mitchell, I think he has overloaded on details and cant just enjoy an nice picture of two good looking steam locomotives in a roundhouse to die for.

Okay, to rephrase my tongue-in-cheek remark:

Would WHOEVER is to blame for sticking modern flags in the middle of a vintage scene PLEASE be kind enough to reconsider that move as being one for patriotic occasions only?

The EBT flag fetish just drives me bonkers, and I hope to arrest this fetish until at least 2026, when we have a 250th to celebrate (maybe another Freedom Train, provided we still have freedoms by then?).

I recall passenger train watching and consist taking during the late 1960s. I seem to recall seeing the UP displaying American flags on its E-units not only on July 4th, but also on other national holidays like Memorial Day.