Hi all;

I'm packing up to go to a conference next week, so my mind is wandering.

I kind of like firing, and working around big steam. I miss the days when working on ex. CPR #1201; our shay that we fire and drive is fun, but we don't use it as it should be used.

How does one go about:

1) finding out what groups need help, for, say, one week in the summer?

2) How can one ensure that one learns more about slinging coal than cleaning toilets (a very necessary job, though)? I'd hate to fly/drive somewhere and stay in a hotel just to clean toilets :-)

3) How to ask this stuff without looking selfish?

I spent a day at the Roaring Camp last fall, and Ken down there asked if I could volunteer, but that is a looong way from home, and an expensive place to stay. Still, though, next time I am down there for business, I'll offer my services.

Thanks;

John Stewart
Ottawa, Canada.

Our shay.
john.stewart@crc.ca

> Hi all;

> I'm packing up to go to a conference next
> week, so my mind is wandering.

> I kind of like firing, and working around
> big steam. I miss the days when working on
> ex. CPR #1201; our shay that we fire and
> drive is fun, but we don't use it as it
> should be used.

> How does one go about:

> 1) finding out what groups need help, for,
> say, one week in the summer?

> 2) How can one ensure that one learns more
> about slinging coal than cleaning toilets (a
> very necessary job, though)? I'd hate to
> fly/drive somewhere and stay in a hotel just
> to clean toilets :-)

> 3) How to ask this stuff without looking
> selfish?

> I spent a day at the Roaring Camp last fall,
> and Ken down there asked if I could
> volunteer, but that is a looong way from
> home, and an expensive place to stay. Still,
> though, next time I am down there for
> business, I'll offer my services.

> Thanks;

> John Stewart
> Ottawa, Canada.

John,

At NCTM we've hosted a few folks for the summer or a week at a time. They sign up just like our regular folks and work in the shop. Presently there's not a method to get you into operations as our system is seniority based and the crews assigned this time of the year for the rest of the year (March through mid-December).

Nice looking ride you got there. Kinda reminds me of Graham Co. RR 2-truck Shay 112 when I was a kid. When does she run? I'd love to visit her.

Jim



http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

Hi Jim;

Thanks for the response. I know, and certainly understand the seniority system, and agree with it. It does make it hard, though, to go somewhere where there is a long distance involved and volunteer ones time, and learn something from it.

The Shay is owned by Canada's Science and Technology Museum up here in Ottawa. We run her during all run days, which are set by the Museum. All in all, a great arrangement for both parties.

Running days are usually Sundays and Wednesdays, July and August, and all Labour day weekend.

We have (our society) a GE 50 ton diesel (with side rods), Central Vermont steam crane, short ex. CPR wood business car, and a wooden CPR caboose at the Museum site.

Currently we go back and forth a couple of hundred metres with the caboose and business car; hopefully sometime in the future the run and consist can be extended.

Email me if you are going to be close this summer, and I'll also show you our miniature live steam operation :-)

Thanks;

John.

> Nice looking ride you got there. Kinda
> reminds me of Graham Co. RR 2-truck Shay 112
> when I was a kid. When does she run? I'd
> love to visit her.



Ottawa Live Steamers and Model Engineers
john.stewart@crc.ca

What is there to prevent a group of museums and tourist RRs (such as those represented by posters here) from forming a loose guesting co-operative? That way the toilet cleaning thing could possibly be avoided. To keep it from getting too confusing, require advance notification (two weeks, or a month) and a letter of introduction from the participating "home" museum.
No, I'm not advocating the bumping of your own volunteers, but one extra fireman in the cab might not crowd it too badly. I also think that, out of coutesy, the guest should probably purchase a ticket. Yes, I can see some bugs in the idea, but nothing too serious, as long as nobody abuses the privelege.

> Hi all;

> I'm packing up to go to a conference next
> week, so my mind is wandering.

> I kind of like firing, and working around
> big steam. I miss the days when working on
> ex. CPR #1201; our shay that we fire and
> drive is fun, but we don't use it as it
> should be used.

> How does one go about:

> 1) finding out what groups need help, for,
> say, one week in the summer?

> 2) How can one ensure that one learns more
> about slinging coal than cleaning toilets (a
> very necessary job, though)? I'd hate to
> fly/drive somewhere and stay in a hotel just
> to clean toilets :-)

> 3) How to ask this stuff without looking
> selfish?

> I spent a day at the Roaring Camp last fall,
> and Ken down there asked if I could
> volunteer, but that is a looong way from
> home, and an expensive place to stay. Still,
> though, next time I am down there for
> business, I'll offer my services.

> Thanks;

> John Stewart
> Ottawa, Canada.

John,
I'm sorry I don't think there is a way for any one to ask to operate with out sounding selfish. You would be asking a person that has spent years restoring a locomotive to "let you play".
It's very hard work to restore a locomotive and volunteers are hard enough to find.
Now think if you were the one cleaning the bathroom and someone that you don't know was on the locomotive skipping the "hard work" how would you feel?

I'm sure many out there will agree with me.

What you may look into is paying for time in the cab. Many museums offer it IRM being one. This provides funds for restoration...so volunteers don't have to work and struggle so hard. Heck, I'll let you run a trip on one of our locomotives for a $1,000. $1,000 = appox 4 days of work so it's not too unreasonable as a matter of fact you would be getting off cheap.

Ted Rita


http://www.hesston.org
trita3361@yahoo.com

Hi Ted;

I know, I agree with you. Actually, when I travel, I'd rather spend a day helping than sitting in a hotel room.

Last time I was in St. Paul, I actually installed 2 toilets. Did not clean them, though. :-)

Hopefully next weekend, I'll be over in Europe, and my overalls will be in my bag. When I lived there, I tried to get out to the SSN in Rotterdam as often as my absent wife and small children would allow. (ie, not much. Now my 10 year old takes me out to restoration on Saturdays, so things change) Help is always needed, even if it is scraping paint.

1201 was oil fired; our shay is also oil fired. It would be nice to be able to share experiences; I sling coal on models and have done it once or twice on larger locomotives. Other people have shovelled tons, but have not seen an oil control valve.

It brings up an interesting problem: how does one gain a broad level of experience, as one had in the steam days?

Anyway, thanks for the reply. I'm off to pack for my trip!

John.

> John,
> I'm sorry I don't think there is a way for
> any one to ask to operate with out sounding
> selfish. You would be asking a person that
> has spent years restoring a locomotive to
> "let you play".
> It's very hard work to restore a locomotive
> and volunteers are hard enough to find.
> Now think if you were the one cleaning the
> bathroom and someone that you don't know was
> on the locomotive skipping the "hard
> work" how would you feel?

> I'm sure many out there will agree with me.

> What you may look into is paying for time in
> the cab. Many museums offer it IRM being
> one. This provides funds for
> restoration...so volunteers don't have to
> work and struggle so hard. Heck, I'll let
> you run a trip on one of our locomotives for
> a $1,000. $1,000 = appox 4 days of work so
> it's not too unreasonable as a matter of
> fact you would be getting off cheap.

> Ted Rita


john.stewart@crc.ca

It is all in the networking, John. Some places have made me welcome to pitch in, others have a hands off policy. Knowing somebody active and working will help smooth the way.

I have been booked as a fireman in Australia based on having hosted an Australian fireman in Colorado for a few days. He showed up when I was lighting up at 7AM and stayed for a week, and was firing under supervision by day two. Oil was new to him.

His network down under paved the way to my working on two steam railroads shovelling coal (been some years)and as a guest on a couple more. I also fired a wood burning Climax which rode smooth!

Professional courtesy and reciprocity are important, and it would be great if we could get past organizational politics and welcome each other regardless of toilet hygiene.

Dave

lathro19@idt.net

>Actually, We have similar program in place at S.V.Ry. If you have certification on another road.
we have a "visiting Engineer" policy that lets you operate our equipment. We've used this policy for quite some time...Jerry

lmcx@eoni.com

Reciprocity is a great thing. We practice "professional courtesy" and you would be surprised what a letter of introduction on official letterhead can do for you. I am trying to arrange something for the 2002 ARM Convention where we can have a guest operators. We are developing short-course on defensive driving and street operations to certify visiting motorman who already know how to start and stop a streetcar so that they can operate on our system with a 2.8 mile grade crossing known as McKinney Avenue.

Andy Nold


tnold@bigfoot.com

We are developing
> short-course on defensive driving and street
> operations to certify visiting motorman who
> already know how to start and stop a
> streetcar so that they can operate on our
> system with a 2.8 mile grade crossing known
> as McKinney Avenue.

> Andy Nold

Great idea, Andy. How about I send our guys to Dallas for training? We don't have the railroad yet but need to be ready to go when we get it.

Dave

lathro19@idt.net