Just thought I'd share this link I found. A free downloadable book on Mr. Blount, I found it on the Blount Seafood Company's website, he apparently started the company...

It took all of 12 seconds to down load.

Jeff Lisowski
West Chester, Pa

Free book
unfunkyufo76@hotmail.com

> Just thought I'd share this link I found. A
> free downloadable book on Mr. Blount, I
> found it on the Blount Seafood Company's
> website, he apparently started the
> company...

> It took all of 12 seconds to down load.

> Jeff Lisowski
> West Chester, Pa
The MAN FROM STEAMTOWN ENOUGH SAID

cprh1b@attbi.com

> "The MAN FROM STEAMTOWN". ENOUGH SAID!

Okay, maybe not quite enough said. Not all of us have been around for decades or have seen the book in question, remember.

The biography "The Man from Steamtown" was published by a Christian book publisher. It combines a straight biography of Blount with an evangelical coverage of his conversion to an evangelical, "born-again" Christian, and documents, among other things, how he preached to visitors at Steamtown. The book was written just before Blount's untimely death in a plane crash, and his "returning home to our Lord" is covered on the final page of the biography. The book can be described as half biography and half tract.

Personally, I have nothing against the man or his Christianity. It's part of who he was, and I think to ignore such aspects of a noted personality in examining such an individual is a disservice. However, anyone hoping to find a detailed railfan memoir or a "how-to" of locomotive collecting will be sorely disappointed by this story. Indeed, I don't know "the facts", but it could even be argued that part of the reason Steamtown was never quite a commercial success, besides location, might have been the unfocused aims of its founders, divided between railroading and evangelism.

[Please, this is no place for a religious flame war! Only comment on this if you have personal experience or knowledge about the subject at hand!]


LNER4472@bcpl.net

There is a fantastic article on Blount and Steamtown at Bellows Falls in Locomotive & Railway Preservation from Nov/Dec 1995.

It does mention Blounts lengthy 'sermons' on hot sweltering days.

Great read if you can dig up a back copy.

Jeff Lisowski
West Chester, Pa

Free book
unfunkyufo76@hotmail.com

> Okay, maybe not quite enough said. Not all
> of us have been around for decades or have
> seen the book in question, remember.

> The biography "The Man from
> Steamtown" was published by a Christian
> book publisher. It combines a straight
> biography of Blount with an evangelical
> coverage of his conversion to an
> evangelical, "born-again"
> Christian, and documents, among other
> things, how he preached to visitors at
> Steamtown. The book was written just before
> Blount's untimely death in a plane crash,
> and his "returning home to our
> Lord" is covered on the final page of
> the biography. The book can be described as
> half biography and half tract.

> Personally, I have nothing against the man
> or his Christianity. It's part of who he
> was, and I think to ignore such aspects of a
> noted personality in examining such an
> individual is a disservice. However, anyone
> hoping to find a detailed railfan memoir or
> a "how-to" of locomotive
> collecting will be sorely disappointed by
> this story. Indeed, I don't know "the
> facts", but it could even be argued
> that part of the reason Steamtown was never
> quite a commercial success, besides
> location, might have been the unfocused aims
> of its founders, divided between railroading
> and evangelism.

> [Please, this is no place for a religious
> flame war! Only comment on this if you have
> personal experience or knowledge about the
> subject at hand!]
Well all i can say at this point,, we all have our opointions,,we can all state a fact,, but IF it wasn't for F Nelson Blount would we have a Steamtown sure it was not in the best place in the U.S.in Vermort but this is where he wanted to located this fine collection. For when it was the old the Steamtown.. As for the collection Nelson did pick up for what he could find,, they maybe some who feel that he should have not picked up this engine for that engine,,but put yourself at his point and time,,what is accutlly left for STEAM if you think you could have done BETTER well maybe you should have been the F.NELSON BLOUNT..I am not trying to start trouble but without F.Nelson Blount would there be a Steamtown........

cprh1b@attbi.com

If you read criticism of Blount into the previous posts, I believe you're mistaken. The opinions expressed were about a particular biographical work, not the man himself. Nobody's denying the great thing Blount did by saving the steam locomotives he could and starting Steamtown.

davew833@yahoo.com