Reposted from below, where I'm wagering few peoplw will find it appended to the end of the popular discussion:

An associate in the Washington DC area passed on updates on "Superheater the 1st" and "Mr. Peace Sign":

Superheater is still alive, well, and in good health in the suburban DC area, but seldom seen trackside since the end of NS steam.

I'm happy to report that the reports of the passing of Mr. Peace Sign are false. In the words of the associate, edited for privacy:

"[Peace Sign] was also a peace activist and marched in several marches in the South. During one of them in Georgia protesting the Ku Klux Klan in the 1980s someone in the crowd threw a rock at him, striking his hand. The injury was severe, causing a compound fracture (bone sticking out) of one of his fingers. But [Peace sign] being the [guy] he is, did not seek proper medical attention, and simply wrapped the injured finger in a bandage and let it go at that. As you can expect, infection developed, and then gangrene set in, and he lost a couple of fingers initially, however the most severe damage was that the infection got into his blood stream and then into his eyes. His doctor told him many years ago that there was nothing they could do to reverse the damage and he would eventually go blind, which he did. He is currently living in a state operated assisted living center."

A sad ending to the story, unfortunately. I'm tempted to go look him up and pay him a visit, just for old time's sake.


LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net