> At one point I understood that ex-Reading
> 4-8-4 #2100 was owned, in part, by Neil
> Young (of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
> fame).
That would be entirely false. It was partly owned by Dick Kuhn (sp?) who owned Lionel before Neil Young bought it. The T1 was also partly owned by "our own" Ross Rowland and Bill Benson.

In July 1966, on the eve of the dedication of the New Hope & Ivyland RR, famed jazz band leader Paul Whiteman (who composed for George Gershwin) toasted the railroad at a private party staged by the railroad's officials at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope.

> If we include model railroaders, the late
> orchestra leader and composer David Rose had
> a garden railroad on his estate. Also,
> singer/composer Mel Torme maintained a
> collection of brass locomotives and was
> featured in some ads in various model
> railroading magazines in years past. -- Ray

Dudley Moore visited the RRMPA in the Summer of 2000, shortly before his death. Tom Ridge spent almost four hours roaming the RRMPA (including the cab of 3750) back in 2000. Walter Cronkite made a special visit to the Strasburg RR a few years ago, and Paula Zahn, Amy Carter, Hubert Humphrey, and a few others have rode the Strasburg RR in the past. A few years ago, Neil Young stopped by the Toy Train Museum during a TCA visit to the York meet. The late Milton Shapp, former Governor of PA, once visited the RRMPA during his term in office, but it was for a brief stop to use the little boy's room while en route to Philadelphia.

> In July 1966, on the eve of the dedication
> of the New Hope & Ivyland RR, famed jazz
> band leader Paul Whiteman (who composed for
> George Gershwin) toasted the railroad at a
> private party staged by the railroad's
> officials at the Bucks County Playhouse in
> New Hope.

These days, it must be a strange thing for a celebrity to approach preservation. In the current situation with the media liking to report on all the very private parts of celebritie's lives (especially noted with politicians), they must have to approach evey charitable dime spent as a thing that could end up in the newspaper the next day. Then they have to justify why they spent 200,000 to fix some old boiler with wheels on it, and only gave 190,000 for AIDS research... Then the celebrity has to explain - in EVERY subequent interview - why preservation is important. Im almost surprised any celebrities at all "admit" to doing any preservation work.

bilburns1313@tds.net

> I just read an article that nationally
> syndicated Dallas political cartoonist Ben
> Sargent is a volunteer with the Austin Steam
> Train Association. The guy who played the
> dad on the 80's sitcom "Family
> Ties" is apparently a part-owner of a
> California short line. Through Ross
> Rowland's connections (who incidentally
> posts on this board), Barbra Streisand,
> Ernest Borgnine and John Wayne rode on High
> Iron Trips back in the 60's. Lee Marvin who
> starred in "Emporer of the North"
> on the Oregon, Pacific & Eastern was a
> grandson of a Baldwin Locomotive Works
> employee. All of these folks have something
> in common--they are/were famous and have
> toes to railway preservation.

> Can you think of any celebrities who
> volunteer at railway museums?

Seems this got a little off the original question, but I'll add a few who have not been listed as "liking trains".

First, and I know I will probably spell his name incorrectly, was Carroll O'Connor of "All In The Family" and "In The Heat of The Night" TV shows fame. When they were filming "ITHOTN" in the Covington, GA area (or was it Conyers?) a friend who worked for the shortline operation there noted that anytime they could insert a shot of the train, or at least a horn in the soundtrack, they would because Mr. O'Connor wanted it.

Second is former President Jimmy Carter, who was a great local supporter of the S.A.M. Shortline Excursion Train running from Cordele, GA to Plains, GA. He grew up in Archery (a couple miles west of Plains) across the road from the SAL line on which the S.A.M. Shortline now operates. After election as President in 1976, he and a large group of his supporters went to Washington D.C. aboard an Amtrak special called the "Peanut Express". He could have easily flown out of Albany, Columbus or Atlanta, but took the train from Plains all the way.

Stephen

ssyfrett@bellsouth.net

This one may not be familar to folks here in the US (as he is UK based), but Pete Waterman must be the worlds best Celebrity Railway Presevationist.

"In the February 2003 issue of "Heritage Railway", there was a six-page interview with a media mogul railway preservationist. As they put it, "Pop impresario Pete Waterman, whose Hit factory music company gave us amongst other household names, Kylie Minogue and Steps, has established his rail vehicle maintenance company LNWR as the market leader in contract rolling stock repairs."

Pete got his start in 1961 in railway service and success in his music career allowed his hobby to transition to a full-time booming business. For a while, he even owned what is likely the most well-known steam locomotive in the world, #4472, the "Flying Scotsman." (The locomotive has pulled excursion trains in England, Scotland and Wales as well as the United States, Canada and Australia.)"

He owns a great many pieces including the prototype APT high speed train as well as a model railway manufacturing company.

The man gets my vote.



LNWR shops Crewe
teamzurg@earthlink.net

> Can you think of any celebrities who
> volunteer at railway museums?

I don't recall details, but I remember something about Roger Daltry of the rock band "The WHO" is into live steamers...?

The Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad in Los Gatos, CA was host to Charles Kuralt in the 1970s, who ran a segment on the story of the railroad in the "On The Road" portion of Walter Cronkite's morning show. The 1905 18" gauge steam locomotive, #2, pulled/pushed the camera crew on a specially made camera car.

Walt Disney, who almost purchased equipment from Billy Jones (depending on who you talk to, some say the 2-spot...others say the Overfair equipment which sounds more likely), became good friends with him and visited on more than one occasion and ran the #2. A photo was taken of Walt with an oil can which was, with some digital magic, superimposed over a large photo of the "Lilly Belle", giving the appearence Walt was oiling a full-size version of his 1-1/2" scale model. I'm curious if a photo exists of Walt with the 2-spot. I have seen one photo of Billy and Walt together. In addition, Billy Jones visited Walt's Carolwood Pacific layout and was at the throttle of one of the Disneyland Railroad 5/8 scale replica 4-4-0s on opening weekend.

As proved by the little blue engine, "little engines can do big things"