Age of Steam Roundhouse to Begin Group Tours

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2015 4:10 pm

As per the Winter 2014-2015 report here:

http://www.ageofsteamroundhouse.com/Report%202015-02.html

With regards to the last item on the page, the AOS "Depot and Office Building":

"The building will also house a ticket office, waiting room, gift shop and ADA-compliant restrooms for the convenience of groups taking scheduled, guided tours through the Age of Steam Roundhouse starting this coming summer. Details regarding these upcoming scheduled tours and advance-sale ticketing will be announced on our website as soon as they become available.

Please DO NOT contact us for group tour information at this time."

Exciting news from Ohio and JJJ!

j32885 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:41 pm

I must say, It's About Time! Yay! ^_^

Last I did a lot of train stuff: NCTM Streamliners At Spencer, SRI Train Expo 2014, NS/NKP 765 Michigan Steam Excursions, & TCA Philadelphia/South NJ Convention last year. The train event I missed out on was NMRA 2014 Cleveland Convention, and that group got a tour the Age Of Steam Roundhouse. I looked all over the on internet from that event and didn't see any pictures or videos of AOSR Tour. I assumed they were asked not to post anything about the tour and what they saw.

I'm hoping after this announcement from AOSR, that they will be more open about what they got on site there. I would like to get a pictures & videos of their complete railroad equipment collection and personal tour once they are opened up shop to the public. Of their railroad rolling stock I'm interested in seeing the most is: GTW 6325, NKP 763, CPR 1293, & CNR 1551

The last Ohio roundhouse I was inside was the MRPS B&O Roundhouse up in Cleveland and found GTW 4070 being slowly put back together. I was able to get up close and personal with that locomotive. I'll probably will make a return trip to MRPS once American Steam Railroad Preservation Association, Inc (SLSF 1352) brings their locomotive there. I would like to do both roundhouses in the near future.

Enjoy! ^_^

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

I didnt think he could keep quiet forever. He wouldnt put all this together for nuthin...

p51 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2015 2:39 pm

dinwitty wrote:

He wouldnt put all this together for nuthin...

I don't know the man at all, but why wouldn't he?
It always annoys me when someone has the means and drive to accomplish what most of us merely dream of, then everyone else somehow feels entitled to get to see what the person acomplished, as if the man owes it to the public or something.
With public money, yeah, I get that. But if it's privately-funded, he has the right to put a fence outside the entire operation and thumb his nose at all the railfans in the world with big signs out front saying, "NO, you can't come in to take photos, so turn around and go away!"
If he choses to allow fans in to look around with tours, then good for him. But if he hadn't, I must admit I'd have totally understood.
I guess this stems from experiences of a pal of mine years ago, who owned an interesting RR... thing (decription left intentionally vague), on his own property, and he was annoyed almost day and night by fans trespassing, calling at all hours, and giving him grief at model trains shows if people recognized him, all demanding to be let in for photos. And they all could get demanding to the point of comedy. So, from knowing this, I feel for anyone who takes the time and money to pull something cool off and then has to deal with the entitlement of people who think they have the right to come in to take a look...

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

dinwitty wrote:

I didnt think he could keep quiet forever. He wouldnt put all this together for nuthin...

He put it together because he likes trains!

You, I and the rest of the foamers around here are hoping he'll give tours and who knows, maybe eventually run trips or photo freights or, or...

However, he has no such obligation, and very little reason to do so, other than out of the goodness of his heart. There are privately held auto and airplane collections out there that would make wonderful museums but aren't open to the public. Jay Leno's collection comes to mind, and I'm sure there are lots more. Often, but not always, they end up being shared with the public, sometimes after the owner's death.

Another example in the LeMay auto museum in Tacoma, WA. Harold and Nancy LeMay amassed the largest privately owned collection of automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, other vehicles and related memorabilia in the world, at one time numbering over 3,000 vehicles. (Apparently there's really good money to be made hauling garbage, as that's how he got his fortune.) Up until recently, it wasn't generally open to the public, though they did have the occasional showing. Finally Tacoma built a world class museum where a portion of the collection is on display.

http://www.lemaymuseum.org/page.php?id=65

Becky Morgan · **Joined:** Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:22 pm **Posts:** 495

JJJ is always afraid of being sued by guests. (Remember, he's an anesthesiologist, which is a high-risk specialty and makes him more aware than most.) I'd expect this year may have tours by groups who have their own insurance and sort-of chaperones, or tours with travel agencies that have a policy for everyone in their tour bus.

In the glorious days of daily steam at Sugarcreek, a lot of school and church groups went up to ride. If all goes well, perhaps that will start again.

p51 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:28 pm

I guess the question must be asked here:
What was his plan for all this after he passes on? This isn't your normal collection which gets scattered to the winds once the owner passes, there is a vast infrastructure in this case to be pondered after his passing that obviously can't be carted out of there.

joe6167 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:04 pm

From: http://www.ageofsteamroundhouse.com/about_going.htm

Quote:

Additionally, an endowment has been established so that the monumental construction work of this roundhouse and the treasures it contains may be guaranteed continued existence into the future.

p51 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:25 pm

Yeah, I read that, too, but what will be done with all that? Will it all be run as if he was still around (after he's gone)? It's fine as it is right now, a well-funded place for one man's toys. But after he's gone? What's the intended mission of the place at that point?

wesp · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:42 pm

Here is the web page for the San Filippo Foundation, owner of privately held collection of mechanical instruments, as an example of how AOS might be managed for future generations.

http://www.sanfilippofoundation.org/faq.html

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:19 am

Becky Morgan wrote:

JJJ is always afraid of being sued by guests. (Remember, he's an anesthesiologist, which is a high-risk specialty and makes him more aware than most.) I'd expect this year may have tours by groups who have their own insurance and sort-of chaperones, or tours with travel agencies that have a policy for everyone in their tour bus.

In the glorious days of daily steam at Sugarcreek, a lot of school and church groups went up to ride. If all goes well, perhaps that will start again.

Nurse anesthetist. I'm trying to stay out of this, but just to set the record straight...

wesp · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2015 3:04 pm

Jeff Lisowski wrote:

Instead of questioning his motives or ponder what he could do for us in the future, why can't we just accept the fact that JJJ is even letting any kind of tour take place?

p51 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2015 4:05 pm

Jeff Lisowski wrote:

Instead of questioning his motives or ponder what he could do for us in the future, why can't we just accept the fact that JJJ is even letting any kind of tour take place?

I could care less about him doing anything for railfans, as he doesn't owe fans anything and wasn't even asking that. I was wondering what the plan was for the future of the infrastructure he's paying for, as I'd hate to see it torn down and made into condos 6 months after he passes on.