http://www.losttracksoftime.com/p47324941

All,

Follow the above link to the photos from my Memorial Day visit to the Hesston Steam Museum in Indiana. Click on “Slideshow” at the top right of the screen or on an individual image for a full sized view.

Shay #7 is from the Oregon Lumber and New Mexico Lumber Companies, a 3-foot gauge Lima 3-truck wood burner.
Interesting tie this locomotive has with the Rio Grande Southern:
“It was owned (for a time) by the New Mexico Lumber Co, and served the McPhee branch off the RGS (at Dolores) during the time when NMLC owned and operated the mill and logging railroad at McPhee. This locomotive was used primarily to transfer cars between the RGS connection at Dolores and McPhee.”

The 1/4 scale locomotives are steam or gasoline powered and were mainly built for amusement parks from the 1920's to the 1950's; many from the former Kiddieland Amusement Park west of Chicago.

The 1/8 scale steam railroad feature coal burning locomotives owned and built by the people that run them – a two and a half mile journey through deep woods, past lakes and farm fields.

It struck me that day how little attention the Santa Fe diesels needed in the morning to get ready for the day, as opposed to the steam engines which, like their full size relatives, require much time to prepare for the day’s work. Evident in images #10 & 14, the Warbonnet F-unit waits patiently for an operator.

Enjoy,
Matthew

Matthew -

Well done!


Les