http://ibls.org/mediawiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=DnevilIBLS - User contributions [en]2026-05-04T11:00:00ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.39.2http://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Berthold_Audsley&diff=19044Berthold Audsley2026-05-01T20:28:52Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
[[Berthold Audsley]] (1874-1962) dedicated the majority of his career to the building of scale models for the Newark Museum (Newark, NJ) and the Edison Lamp Works. [[A P.R.R. K4s Locomotive|He designed a 1/8 scale model of the Pennsylvania Railroad K4s]], which was subsequently built by [[Calvert Holt]].<br />
<br />
Berthold's father was [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Ashdown_Audsley George Ashdown Audsley] (1838-1925), famed architect and organ designer.<br />
<br />
A biographical sketch of [[Berthold Audsley]] appeared in the 21 December 1930 issue of <i>The Sunday Call</i> of Newark, New Jersey: <br />
<br />
: Time was, back in 1912 while Mr. [Berthold] Audsley was in England, that he made a model of the Immingham docks on the Hummber River in Yorkshire. On a platform constructed in eleven sections, 28 by 16 feet, the model represented territory covering two square miles. Every building, crane and bridge and 8,000 tiny gondola cars filled with coal were made and put in their proper places by Mr. Audsley, who completed the exhibit in three months. The last six weeks of the time, he lived in a room at an inn next door to his specially built workshop and worked twenty-two hours a day. That model required the construction and placement of two miles of miniature railroad track. The model was placed on exhibition at the Ghent Exposition in 1913.<br />
<br />
: Mr. Audsley is the type of artist who can step down from a heavy machinery lathe to another bench and start work on an intricate lacy carving, or do a bit of painting in oils so exacting as to require the use of a magnifying glass.<br />
<br />
[https://wanamakerorgan.com/08/pdf/audsley.pdf David H. Fox wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Berthold Audsley]] also constructed models of ships, carriages, armor, and Medieval castles for use as educational materials in the Newark, New Jersey, public schools. Several of these are still preserved at the Newark Museum where he was employed. He additionally constructed working model steam locomotives of cast metal. One eighteen-inch-long example, presently in a private collection, developed 200 pounds pressure and ran at 40 miles per hour.<br />
<br />
[[File:Berthold audsley 1913 estate model.png|thumb|center|800px|Model by Berthold Audsley of an estate with model garden railroad, as reproduced in BUILDING AGE in 1913.]]<br />
<br />
== Obituary ==<br />
<br />
[https://wanamakerorgan.com/08/pdf/audsley.pdf David H. Fox wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Berthold Audsley]] Born 5 October 1873; model maker for Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey; model maker at Edison Lamp Works and Westinghouse firms; taught at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York; returned to Newark Museum, 1943; retired 1958; died 21 January 1962, Newark, New Jersey. Married Gertrude Clark Children: Hazel A. Monprode, Marion Hook <br />
<br />
== Bibliography ==<br />
<br />
* "Art of Polychromatic and Decorative Turning", George Ashdown Audsley and Berthold Audsley, 1911<br />
* [https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17356646W/Artistic_and_decorative_stencilling "Artistic and Decorative Stencilling"], George Ashdown Audsley and Berthold Audsley, Published by Small, Maynard and Co., 1916<br />
* "Amateur Joinery in the Home", George Ashdown Audsley and Berthold Audsley, 1916<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [https://www.design.upenn.edu/architectural-archives/george-ashdown-audsley-collection-013 "George Ashdown Audsley Collection", <i>Weitzman School of Design</i>]<br />
* [https://wanamakerorgan.com/08/pdf/audsley.pdf "Georghe Ashdown Audsley", David H. Fox]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Berthold_Audsley&diff=19043Berthold Audsley2026-05-01T20:26:50Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
[[Berthold Audsley]] (1874-1962) dedicated the majority of his career to the building of scale models for the Newark Museum (Newark, NJ) and the Edison Lamp Works. He designed a 1/8 scale model of the Pennsylvania Railroad K4s, which was subsequently built by [[Calvert Holt]].<br />
<br />
Berthold's father was [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Ashdown_Audsley George Ashdown Audsley] (1838-1925), famed architect and organ designer.<br />
<br />
A biographical sketch of [[Berthold Audsley]] appeared in the 21 December 1930 issue of <i>The Sunday Call</i> of Newark, New Jersey: <br />
<br />
: Time was, back in 1912 while Mr. [Berthold] Audsley was in England, that he made a model of the Immingham docks on the Hummber River in Yorkshire. On a platform constructed in eleven sections, 28 by 16 feet, the model represented territory covering two square miles. Every building, crane and bridge and 8,000 tiny gondola cars filled with coal were made and put in their proper places by Mr. Audsley, who completed the exhibit in three months. The last six weeks of the time, he lived in a room at an inn next door to his specially built workshop and worked twenty-two hours a day. That model required the construction and placement of two miles of miniature railroad track. The model was placed on exhibition at the Ghent Exposition in 1913.<br />
<br />
: Mr. Audsley is the type of artist who can step down from a heavy machinery lathe to another bench and start work on an intricate lacy carving, or do a bit of painting in oils so exacting as to require the use of a magnifying glass.<br />
<br />
[https://wanamakerorgan.com/08/pdf/audsley.pdf David H. Fox wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Berthold Audsley]] also constructed models of ships, carriages, armor, and Medieval castles for use as educational materials in the Newark, New Jersey, public schools. Several of these are still preserved at the Newark Museum where he was employed. He additionally constructed working model steam locomotives of cast metal. One eighteen-inch-long example, presently in a private collection, developed 200 pounds pressure and ran at 40 miles per hour.<br />
<br />
[[File:Berthold audsley 1913 estate model.png|thumb|center|800px|Model by Berthold Audsley of an estate with model garden railroad, as reproduced in BUILDING AGE in 1913.]]<br />
<br />
== Obituary ==<br />
<br />
[https://wanamakerorgan.com/08/pdf/audsley.pdf David H. Fox wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Berthold Audsley]] Born 5 October 1873; model maker for Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey; model maker at Edison Lamp Works and Westinghouse firms; taught at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York; returned to Newark Museum, 1943; retired 1958; died 21 January 1962, Newark, New Jersey. Married Gertrude Clark Children: Hazel A. Monprode, Marion Hook <br />
<br />
== Bibliography ==<br />
<br />
* "Art of Polychromatic and Decorative Turning", George Ashdown Audsley and Berthold Audsley, 1911<br />
* [https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17356646W/Artistic_and_decorative_stencilling "Artistic and Decorative Stencilling"], George Ashdown Audsley and Berthold Audsley, Published by Small, Maynard and Co., 1916<br />
* "Amateur Joinery in the Home", George Ashdown Audsley and Berthold Audsley, 1916<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [https://www.design.upenn.edu/architectural-archives/george-ashdown-audsley-collection-013 "George Ashdown Audsley Collection", <i>Weitzman School of Design</i>]<br />
* [https://wanamakerorgan.com/08/pdf/audsley.pdf "Georghe Ashdown Audsley", David H. Fox]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:Berthold_audsley_1913_estate_model.png&diff=19042File:Berthold audsley 1913 estate model.png2026-05-01T20:25:38Z<p>Dnevil: Model by Berthold Audsley of an estate with model garden railroad, as reproduced in BUILDING AGE in 1913. From https://www.rhymepaysage.com/off-the-rails</p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
Model by Berthold Audsley of an estate with model garden railroad, as reproduced in BUILDING AGE in 1913. From https://www.rhymepaysage.com/off-the-rails</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Steam_Locomotive_Drawings&diff=19041Steam Locomotive Drawings2026-05-01T20:03:45Z<p>Dnevil: /* Calvert Holt */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Steam Locomotive Models]]<br />
<br />
== 3.75 inch scale ==<br />
<br />
=== Dougal Hubner ===<br />
<br />
* [[Meg Wendy]] 0-4-0<br />
** Designed by [[Dougal Hubner]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
* "Uncle Sam" 0-4-0 Americanized version of [[Meg Wendy]]<br />
** Designed by [[Dougal Hubner]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Milner ===<br />
<br />
* Denver & Rio Grande C19 2-8-0<br />
** Designed by [[Milner Engineering]]<br />
** Drawings and casting available from [https://www.ajreeves.com/denver-rio-grande.html A.J. Reeves]<br />
<br />
=== Keith Watson ===<br />
<br />
* Sweet Creek 2-6-0<br />
** Designed by [[Keith Watson]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Roll Models Industrial Railworks]]<br />
<br />
* Prairie 2-6-2 version of Sweet Creek<br />
** Designed by [[Keith Watson]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Roll Models Industrial Railworks]]<br />
<br />
* Columbia 2-4-2 using Sweet Creek castings<br />
** Designed by [[Keith Watson]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Roll Models Industrial Railworks]]<br />
<br />
* Sandy River Forney 2-4-4 using Sweet Creek castings<br />
** Designed by [[Keith Watson]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Roll Models Industrial Railworks]]<br />
<br />
* Stuart Forney 2-4-2 using Sweet Creek castings<br />
** Designed by [[Keith Watson]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Roll Models Industrial Railworks]]<br />
<br />
=== Don Young ===<br />
<br />
* [[Lucky 7|Maxi Lucky 7]]<br />
** Based on B&SR 2-4-4T #7<br />
** 7.25/7.5 inch gauge<br />
** Designed by [[Don Young]]<br />
** Drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine]]</i> starting in 1977<br />
** Castings are available from [[Allen Models]]<br />
** IBLS Library has copies of magazine articles containing the drawings<br />
<br />
== 3 inch scale ==<br />
<br />
=== Winton Brown ===<br />
<br />
* 2-6-0 Mogul<br />
** Designed by [[Winton Brown]]<br />
** Drawings were offered by [[Winton Locomotive Works]]<br />
** [[Charles Wiegand]] purchased the drawings and patterns, along with some castings<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Seymour Johnson ===<br />
<br />
* [[Seymour_F._Johnson#3_inch_Hudson|Hudson 4-6-4]]<br />
** Designed by [[Seymour F. Johnson]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
== 2.5 inch scale ==<br />
<br />
=== Tom Artzberger ===<br />
<br />
* Rio Grande Southern #20 narrow gauge 4-6-0<br />
** Designed by [[Tom Artzberger]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Hartford Shops]]<br />
<br />
=== John Buckwalter ===<br />
<br />
* 2.5 inch scale, 7.x inch gauge Shay<br />
** Designed by [[John Buckwalter]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Narrow Gauge Shay]]<br />
<br />
=== Tom Miller ===<br />
<br />
* D&RG K-36 2-8-2<br />
** Designed by [[Tom Miller]]<br />
** Drawings and casting available from [[Alco West Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
=== Jeff Smith ===<br />
<br />
* D&RGW C-25 2-8-0<br />
** Designed by [[Jeff Smith]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Branchline Products]]<br />
<br />
=== Richard Ulin ===<br />
<br />
* D&RG K-27 2-8-2<br />
** Designed by [[Richard Ulin]]<br />
** Drawings and casting available from [[Alco West Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
* 2-6-4 Mason Bogie<br />
** Designed by [[Richard Ulin]]<br />
** Drawings and casting available from [[Alco West Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
=== Keith Watson ===<br />
<br />
* Li'l Lima 0-4-0<br />
** Designed by [[Keith Watson]]<br />
<br />
* Li'l Mogul 2-6-0 Baldwin 3 foot gauge<br />
** Designed by [[Keith Watson]]<br />
<br />
=== Don Young ===<br />
<br />
* <i>[[Marie Estelle]]</i> 0-4-0 narrow gauge<br />
** Designed by [[Ollie Johnston]] for 4-3/4 inch gauge<br />
** Scaled up by [[Don Young]]<br />
** 7.x inch narrow gauge<br />
** Drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine]]</i> starting October 1985<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has copies of magazine articles containing the drawings<br />
<br />
== 1.75 inch scale ==<br />
<br />
=== Don Young ===<br />
<br />
* [[Lucky 7]]<br />
** Based on B&SR 2-4-4T #7<br />
** 3/4 inch gauge<br />
** Designed by [[Don Young]]<br />
** Drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine]]</i> starting in 1977<br />
** IBLS Library has copies of magazine articles containing the drawings<br />
<br />
== 1.5/1.6 inch scale ==<br />
<br />
=== Allen Models ===<br />
<br />
[[Allen Models]]<br />
<br />
* [[Fitchburg Northern|Fitchburg Northern No. 34]]<br />
** Designed by [[Thomas Rhodes]]<br />
** Construction series ran in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine]]</i> starting Febrary 1988<br />
<br />
* Harpur 2-4-0<br />
** Designed by [[Bob Harpur]]<br />
<br />
* Wabash Mogul 2-6-0<br />
** Designed by [[Bob Harpur]]<br />
** Based on Wabash #573<br />
** IBLS Library has a copy of the drawings<br />
<br />
* Ten Wheeler 4-6-0<br />
** Designed by [[Gene Allen]]<br />
** IBLS Library has a copy of the drawings<br />
<br />
* American 4-4-0<br />
** Designed by [[Gene Allen]]<br />
<br />
* Consolidation 2-8-0<br />
** Designed by [[Gene Allen]]<br />
<br />
* Chloe 0-4-2<br />
** Designer unknown<br />
** Drawn by [[Gene Allen]]<br />
<br />
* Allen 0-4-0<br />
** Designed by [[Marty Knox]]<br />
** CAD drawings by [[Neil Knopf]]<br />
<br />
=== Walter Allen ===<br />
<br />
* Rutland F-2j 4-6-0<br />
** Designed by [[Walter Allen]]<br />
** Offered for sale in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine|Live Steam Newsletter]]</i>, Feb 1967 thru 1975<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Berthold Audsley ===<br />
<br />
* [[A P.R.R. K4s Locomotive|Pennsy K4s 4-6-2]] in 7.25 inch gauge<br />
** Designed by [[Berthold Audsley]]<br />
** Built by [[Calvert Holt]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Paul Brien ===<br />
<br />
* 0-6-0<br />
** Designed by [[Paul Brien]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
* 2-6-0 [[Scotty Mogul]]<br />
** Re-designed by [[Paul Brien]], based on [[Pershing Scott]]'s mogul, which was based on [[Charles A. Purinton|Carl Purinton's]] Mogul<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has drawings, see [[Scotty Mogul]]<br />
<br />
* 4-6-0 LLR Ten Wheeler<br />
** Designed by [[Paul Brien]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Winton Brown ===<br />
<br />
* 2-6-0 Mogul<br />
** Designed by [[Winton Brown]]<br />
** Drawings were offered by [[Winton Locomotive Works]]<br />
** [[Charles Wiegand]] purchased the drawings and patterns, along with some castings<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== John Clarke ===<br />
<br />
* N.Y.C. & H.R 4-4-0 American<br />
** Designed by John Clarke<br />
** Drawings offered by [https://www.ajreeves.com/category-127.html A.J. Reeves]<br />
<br />
=== Harry Coventry ===<br />
<br />
* Baltimore & Ohio 4-2-0 Lafayette<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Coventry]]<br />
** Drawings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
=== Walt Disney ===<br />
<br />
* CP-173 American 4-4-0 "Lilly Belle"<br />
** Designed by [[Walt Disney]] company<br />
** Offered for sale in <i>[[The Miniature Locomotive]]</i>, July/August 1953<br />
** Drawings are available from California State Railroad Museum<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== F. Brian Gittins ===<br />
<br />
* [[Pennsy E6 Atlantic 4-4-2]]<br />
** Designed by [[Brian Gittins|F. Brian Gittins]]<br />
** Published in <i>[[Modeltec]]</i> magazine from October 1987 through March 1996<br />
** Castings were offered by [[Saturated Steam]]<br />
** IBLS Library has copies of the Modeltec issues, but seeking drawings from [[Saturated Steam]]<br />
<br />
=== Roger Goldmann ===<br />
<br />
* UP Challenger 4-6-6-4<br />
** Designed by [[Roger Goldmann]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Live Steam Locomotives]] and [[Alco West Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
* UP Big Boy 4-8-8-4<br />
** Designed by [[Roger Goldmann]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Live Steam Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
* UP FEF 4-8-4 Northern<br />
** Designed by [[Roger Goldmann]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Live Steam Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
* USRA 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific<br />
** Designed by [[Roger Goldmann]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Live Steam Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
* 2-8-0 Consolidation<br />
** Designed by [[Roger Goldmann]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Live Steam Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
* USRA 0-6-0 Switch Engine<br />
** Designed by [[Roger Goldmann]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Live Steam Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
=== John Grant ===<br />
<br />
* 2-8-0 "baby" Consolidation<br />
** Designed by [[John Grant]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Henry Greenly ===<br />
<br />
* [[Hudson 4-6-4]] and Northern 4-8-4<br />
:: Designed by [[Henry Greenly]]<br />
:: Copyright expired in 2018<br />
:: [[IBLS Library]] has a copy of these drawings<br />
<br />
=== Bob Hannum ===<br />
<br />
* Cooke 4-4-0 American<br />
** Designed by [[Bob Hannum]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== William M Harris ===<br />
<br />
* Falk No. 1 0-4-0 logging locomotive<br />
** Designed by [[William Harris]]<br />
** Drawings available in book <i>[[Falk No. 1 Locomotive]]</i><br />
** Drawings and build articles appeared in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine]]</i> starting November/December 1992<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has a copy of the book and magazines<br />
<br />
* Mich-Cal No. 2 narrow gauge Shay in 4-3/4 inch gauge<br />
** Designed by [[William Harris]]<br />
** Drawings and build articles appeared in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine]]</i> starting July 1985<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has the magazines<br />
<br />
=== Kozo Hiraoka ===<br />
<br />
* Pennsylvania A3 0-4-0 Switcher<br />
** Designed by [[Kozo Hiraoka]]<br />
** Drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam & Outdoor Railroading]]</i> starting March/April 1998<br />
** Some castings for [[Kozo Hiraoka]] locomotives are available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
** [[IBLS]] Library has all magazine articles for these drawings<br />
<br />
=== Calvert Holt ===<br />
<br />
* NYC 4-6-4 Hudson<br />
** Designed by [[Calvert Holt]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== John D.L. Johnson ===<br />
<br />
* Western Maryland Railway #6 Shay<br />
** Designed by [[John D.L. Johnson]]<br />
** Drawings and casting available from [[LocoGear]]<br />
<br />
* Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk RR #12 Shay<br />
** Designed by [[John D.L. Johnson]]<br />
** Drawings and casting available from [[LocoGear]]<br />
<br />
=== Jim Kreider ===<br />
<br />
* Berkshire 2-8-4<br />
** Designed by [[Jim Kreider]]<br />
** Drawings and castings offered by [[Alco West Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
=== Ralph Lathrop ===<br />
<br />
* 4-4-0 American <i>Joel W. White</i><br />
** Designed by [[Ralph Lathrop]]<br />
** Previously sold by [[East Coast Locomotive Works]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
* Southern Railroad 4-6-2 Ps-4 Pacific<br />
** Designed by [[Ralph Lathrop]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
* 4-4-2 Atlantic<br />
** Designed by [[Ralph Lathrop]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
* 4-6-4 Hudson<br />
** Designed by [[Ralph Lathrop]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
* 4-8-4 Northern<br />
** Designed by [[Ralph Lathrop]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Robert Maynard ===<br />
<br />
* CliShay<br />
** Designed by [[Robert Maynard]]<br />
** Build articles including drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine]]</i> starting in December 1977<br />
** Drawings available in the book [[Building the CliShay]]<br />
<br />
=== Robert Miller ===<br />
<br />
* 4-4-0 American<br />
** Designed by Robert Miller of [[Miller Backyard Railroads]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Elmer Nuskey ===<br />
<br />
* [[Jack Bachmann|Pennsylvania A-5 0-4-0 Camelback]]<br />
** Designed by [[Elmer Nuskey]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Iron Horse Supply]]<br />
<br />
=== Bill Oberpriller ===<br />
<br />
* Freelance 2-4-2<br />
** Designed by Bill Oberpriller<br />
** Drawings and construction information: [[Bill Oberpriller's Minnie]]<br />
<br />
=== Carl Purinton ===<br />
<br />
* 2-6-0 Mogul<br />
** Designed by [[Charles A. Purinton]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Charlie Purinton ===<br />
<br />
* 0-4-0 Tank Switcher <i>[[Charles_S._Purinton#Minnie|Minnie]]</i><br />
** Designed and built by [[Charles S. Purinton]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has complete drawings<br />
<br />
=== Railroad Supply Corporation ===<br />
<br />
* CP-173 American 4-4-0<br />
** Designed by [[Railroad Supply Corporation]] personnel (e.g. [[Barry Hauge]])<br />
<br />
* Baltimore & Ohio C-16A 0-4-0 Switcher<br />
** Designed by [[Railroad Supply Corporation]] personnel<br />
<br />
* Baldwin Mogul 2-6-0<br />
** Designed by [[Railroad Supply Corporation]] personnel<br />
<br />
* Baldwin Consolidation 2-8-0<br />
** Designed by [[Railroad Supply Corporation]] personnel<br />
<br />
* USRA Heavy Mikado 2-8-2<br />
** Designed by [[Railroad Supply Corporation]] personnel<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Railroad Supply Corporation]] and [[Alco West Locomotives]]<br />
<br />
=== Ken Schroeder ===<br />
<br />
* Three truck Shay<br />
** Designed by [[Ken Schroeder]]<br />
** Drawings and castings offered by [[Shay Locomotive]]<br />
<br />
=== Lee Stephens ===<br />
<br />
* Southern Ps-4 Pacific 4-6-2<br />
** Designed by [[Lee Stephens]]<br />
** Advertised in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine]]</i> in 1972, 1973<br />
** Currently owned by [[Texas Railway Supply Inc]] e.g. Michael McGrath<br />
** Drawings only for locomotive, no tender drawings<br />
** IBLS Library has a copy of these drawings<br />
<br />
=== Bill Van Brocklin ===<br />
<br />
* American 4-4-0 [[Bill_Van_Brocklin#Loco_28|"Topsy"]]<br />
** Designed by [[Bill Van Brocklin]]<br />
** Drawings sold by [[Friends Models]], also has patterns<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has a copy of these drawings<br />
<br />
=== Don Viale ===<br />
<br />
* 4-6-2 Pacific PS-4<br />
** Designed by Donald and Robert Viale<br />
** Drawings and castings were offered by [[Klamath Locomotive Works]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has a copy of these drawings<br />
<br />
* 4-6-4 J1E Hudson<br />
** Designed by Donald and Robert Viale<br />
** Drawing and castings were offered by [[Klamath Locomotive Works]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking copies of drawings<br />
<br />
=== Steve Vitkovits ===<br />
<br />
* 2-8-2 light Mikado<br />
** Designed by [[Steve Vitkovits]]<br />
** Drawings and castings are for sale by [[Railroad Warehouse]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Weston/Gish ===<br />
<br />
* 4-6-0 Rio Grande T-12 Ten Wheeler<br />
** Designed by [[Warren Weston]] and [[Gail Gish]]<br />
** Construction articles serialized in [[Modeltec]], May 1985 through June 1987 (see [[Warren Weston]])<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
== 1 inch scale ==<br />
<br />
=== Frank "Doc Fixit" Barto ===<br />
<br />
* Southern Pacific 4-4-2 Atlantic A-6<br />
** Designed by [[Frank Barto]]<br />
** Drawings and castings were offered by [[Frank Barto]]<br />
** IBLS Library seeking copies of the drawings<br />
<br />
=== Doug Alkire ===<br />
<br />
* Baltimore & Ohio 4-6-2 P7 Pacific "President Washington"<br />
** Designed by [[Doug Alkire]]<br />
** [[Doug_Alkire#5300_Drawings|IBLS Library has a copy of the drawings]]<br />
<br />
=== Harry Coventry ===<br />
<br />
* Baltimore & Ohio I-6 Class 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Coventry]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
* Baltimore & Ohio B-8 Class 4-4-0 American<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Coventry]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
=== Lester Friend ===<br />
<br />
* Atlantic 4-4-2<br />
** Designed by [[Lester Friend]]<br />
** Construction articles appeared in <i>[[The Miniature Locomotive]]</i> starting May/June 1952<br />
** Drawings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
* Narrow gauge 0-4-0 side tanker, 3.5 inch gauge<br />
** Designed by [[Lester Friend]]<br />
** Drawings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
=== Luker ===<br />
<br />
* American 4-4-0 <i>Wahya</i>, 4-3/4 inch gauge<br />
** Designed by [[Luker]]<br />
** Construction articles appear in [https://content.villagepress.com/LS/SO23/?loop-check=1701874376#p=8 <i>LSOR</i> starting Sep/Oct 2023]<br />
<br />
=== Eugene Paul ===<br />
<br />
* "Puffin Billy" 0-4-0 switcher<br />
** Designed by [[Eugene Paul]]<br />
** Drawings were offered by [[Coles Power Models]]<br />
** IBLS Library seeking copies of the drawings<br />
<br />
== 3/4 inch scale ==<br />
<br />
=== Alan Armitage ===<br />
<br />
* Boston & Maine 4-4-0 Atlantic<br />
** Designed by [[Alan Armitage]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
* Boston & Maine 4117 4-8-2 R1d<br />
** Designed by [[Alan Armitage]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Cliff Blackstaffe ===<br />
<br />
* 0-4-0<br />
** Designed by [[Cliff Blackstaffe]]<br />
** Construction articles appeared in <i>[[The Miniature Locomotive]]</i> starting September/October 1952<br />
*** See [[Blackstaffe Beginner's Locomotive]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Oliver Burnaby Bolton ===<br />
<br />
* L11 Baldwin 4-4-0 for New South Whales Railway (NSWR)<br />
** Designed by [[Oliver Burnaby Bolton]]<br />
** Drawings were offered by [[Caldwell Industries]]<br />
** Drawings are still be available from [[E and J Winter]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Clarkson Bundick ===<br />
<br />
* [[Model Maker's Dream Engine|NYC Dreyfuss 4-6-4 Hudson]]<br />
** Designed by [[Clarkson Bundick]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Harry Coventry ===<br />
<br />
* President Washington 5300 P-7 Class 4-6-2 Pacific<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Coventry]]<br />
** Drawings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has a copy of the drawings<br />
<br />
* Pennsy K4 Class 4-6-2 Pacific<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Coventry]]<br />
** Drawings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
* D-30 class USRA 0-6-0 Switcher<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Coventry]]<br />
** Construction articles appeared in <i>[[The Miniature Locomotive]]</i> starting March/April 1954, then continued in <i>[[The North American Live Steamer]]</i>, March 1956<br />
** Drawings and construction notes available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
* Beginners 4-4-4<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Coventry]]<br />
** Drawings were printed in [[The Model Craftsman]] starting in the January 1949 issue<br />
** [[Harry Coventry]] advertised drawings and castings for sale in [[The Model Craftsman]] January 1949 issue<br />
<br />
=== Martin Evans ===<br />
<br />
* 0-8-0 Canadian switcher "Caribou"<br />
** Designed by [[Martin Evans]]<br />
** Limited drawings available in the book [[0-8-0 Canadian Switcher Caribou]]<br />
** Full drawings available from [https://www.ajreeves.com/11089.html AJ Reeves]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has a copy of the book<br />
<br />
* 2-8-0 Consolidation "Buffalo" based on "Caribou"<br />
** Designed by [[Martin Evans]]<br />
** Limited drawings available in the book [[0-8-0 Canadian Switcher Caribou]]<br />
** [https://www.sarikhobbies.com/product/canadian-type-2-8-0-locomotive-tender-plan/ Single sheet drawing for 2-8-0 variation <i>Buffalo</i>, from <i>Sarik Hobbies</i>]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has a copy of the book<br />
<br />
* 4-8-4 "Columiba"<br />
** Designed by [[Martin Evans]]<br />
** Drawings and casting available from [http://www.blackgates.co.uk/3_5__gauge_locos.html Blackgates Engineering of England]<br />
<br />
=== Karl Friedrich ===<br />
<br />
* "Dinky" narrow gauge "shifter" 0-4-0, 1 inch scale, 3.5 inch gauge<br />
** Designed by [[Karl Friedrich]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
=== Lester Friend ===<br />
<br />
* Tom Thumb<br />
** Designed by [[Lester Friend]]<br />
** Drawings and castings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
=== Kozo Hiraoka ===<br />
<br />
* Pennsylvania A3 Switcher<br />
** Designed by [[Kozo Hiraoka]]<br />
** Drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam & Outdoor Railroading]]</i> starting September/October 1982<br />
** Also available in book form<br />
** Some castings for [[Kozo Hiraoka]] locomotives are available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has all magazine articles for these drawings<br />
<br />
* Heisler<br />
** Designed by [[Kozo Hiraoka]]<br />
** Drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam & Outdoor Railroading]]</i> starting January 1980<br />
** Also available in book form<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has all magazine articles for these drawings<br />
<br />
* New Shay<br />
** Designed by [[Kozo Hiraoka]]<br />
** Drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam & Outdoor Railroading]]</i> starting July/August 1999<br />
** Also available in book form<br />
** Some castings for [[Kozo Hiraoka]] locomotives are available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has all magazine articles for these drawings<br />
<br />
* Climax<br />
** Designed by [[Kozo Hiraoka]]<br />
** Drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam & Outdoor Railroading]]</i> starting February 1983<br />
** Also available in book form<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has all magazine articles for these drawings<br />
<br />
* Rio Grand K-27<br />
** Designed by [[Kozo Hiraoka]]<br />
** Drawings appeared in <i>[[Live Steam & Outdoor Railroading]]</i> starting July/August 2013<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has all magazine articles for these drawings (to date)<br />
<br />
=== Carl Hoffman ===<br />
<br />
* NYC 4-6-4 Hudson<br />
** Designed by [[Carl Hoffman]]<br />
** Advertised in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine|Live Steam Newsletter]]</i>, 1966<br />
** Drawings might be available from Don Carr ("Cardo" on <i>Chaski.org</i>)<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Calvert Holt ===<br />
<br />
* NYC 4-6-4 Hudson<br />
** Designed and built by [[Calvert Holt]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Fred Jerome ===<br />
<br />
* Timken "Four Aces" 4-8-4<br />
** Designed by [[Fred Jerome]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== James Alick Josslin ===<br />
<br />
* Hudson 4-6-4<br />
** Designed by [[James Alick Josslin]]<br />
** Castings supplied by [[Frank Birch]]<br />
** First described in the <i>[[Model Engineer]]</i> in 1933<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Laverne Langworthy ===<br />
<br />
* Hudson 4-6-4<br />
** Designed by [[Laverne Langworthy]]<br />
** Advertised in the April 1935 issue of <i>[[The Modelmaker]]</i><br />
** Later sold to [[Yankee Shop]]<br />
** Currently offered by [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
=== Lillian Lawrence ===<br />
<br />
* American 4-4-0 "Virginia"<br />
** Designed by [[LBSC]]<br />
** Drawings available in [[LBSC's Famous 4-4-0 Virginia]]<br />
** [[LBSC's Virginia|CAD Analysis by Don Althouse]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has the 1975 edition of [[LBSC's Famous 4-4-0 Virginia]]<br />
<br />
=== Bill Morewood ===<br />
<br />
* Raritan 2-4-0<br />
** Designed by [[William Morewood|Bill Morewood]]<br />
** Drawings available in the book [[Building the Raritan]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has a copy of [[Building the Raritan]]<br />
<br />
=== Gerry Penrose ===<br />
<br />
* Canadian 0-4-0 switcher<br />
** Designed by [[Gerry Penrose]]<br />
** Drawings and build article appeared in <i>[[Live Steam Magazine]]</i> starting November 1976<br />
** Drawings were offered by [[Gerry Penrose]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Charles S. Purinton ===<br />
<br />
* Angus 4-4-2 Atlantic<br />
** Designed by [[Charles S. Purinton|Charlie Purinton]]<br />
** Drawings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
=== Harry Sait ===<br />
<br />
* Boston and Albany 4-6-6-T<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Sait]]<br />
** Drawings available from [[Friends Models]]<br />
<br />
== 1/2 inch scale ==<br />
<br />
=== Harry Coventry ===<br />
<br />
* President Washington 5300 P-7 Class 4-6-2 Pacific<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Coventry]]<br />
** Drawn by [[Eugene Paul]]<br />
** Advertised in <i>[[The Modelmaker]]</i> magazine, October 1928<br />
<br />
* Pennsy K4 Class 4-6-2 Pacific<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Coventry]]<br />
** Drawing appeared in [[Harry_Coventry#Pennsy_K4|"Mechanical Package" magazine, #4]], Fall 1932<br />
<br />
=== Martin Lewis ===<br />
<br />
* Pacific 4-6-2, Hudson 4-6-4 and Northern 4-8-4<br />
** Designed by [[Martin Lewis]]<br />
** Drawings available in book form published by Little Engines<br />
** Appeared as serial articles in <i>[[The Modelmaker]]</i><br />
** Copyright of original drawings and text has expired<br />
** IBLS Library has copies of the magazines and book<br />
<br />
=== L.R. Miller ===<br />
<br />
* Hudson 4-6-4<br />
** Designed by [[L.R. Miller]]<br />
** Advertised in <i>[[The Modelmaker]]</i><br />
** [[IBLS Library]] has a copy of these drawings<br />
<br />
=== Lawrence Murphy ===<br />
<br />
* 4-6-2 Pacific<br />
** Designed by Lawrence Murphy of [[Rialto Models]]<br />
** Advertised castings and drawings in <i>[[The Modelmaker]]</i><br />
** [[IBLS Library]] is seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Harry Sait ===<br />
<br />
* Boston & Main 2-8-4 #4000<br />
** Designed by [[Harry Sait]]<br />
** Drawings by [[Charles A. Purinton]]<br />
** See [[Live Steam of Years Gone By]], page 11<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
== 1/4 inch scale ==<br />
<br />
=== Carl Purinton ===<br />
<br />
* 0-4-0 Switcher Pennsylvania Class A<br />
* Designed by [[Charles A. Purinton]]<br />
<br />
=== LBSC ===<br />
<br />
* 4-8-4<br />
** Designed by [[LBSC]]<br />
** Drawings appeared in [[The Modelmaker]] magazine<br />
<br />
=== Oliver Burnaby Bolton ===<br />
<br />
* L35 Hudson 4-6-4<br />
** Designed by [[Oliver Burnaby Bolton]]<br />
** Drawings were offered by [[Caldwell Industries]]<br />
** Drawings are still be available from [[E and J Winter]]<br />
** [[IBLS Library]] seeking drawings<br />
<br />
=== Harold Darr ===<br />
<br />
* Northern 4-8-4<br />
** Designed by [[Harold Darr]]<br />
** Drawings available from [[The National 2-1/2 Inch Gauge Association]]<br />
<br />
=== Martin Lewis ===<br />
<br />
* Hudson 4-6-4 and Northern 4-8-4<br />
** Designed by [[Martin Lewis]]<br />
** Drawings available in book form published by Little Engines<br />
** Appeared as serial articles in <i>[[The Modelmaker]]</i><br />
** Copyright of original drawings and text has expired<br />
** IBLS Library has copies of the magazines and book<br />
<br />
== Gauge 1 ==<br />
<br />
=== Ed Hume ===<br />
<br />
* Climax Class A<br />
** Designed by [[Ed Hume]]<br />
** Drawings available in the book [[A Climax Class A Live Steam Locomotive Model]].<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109037 "Steam Locomotive model drawings", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [https://www.discoverlivesteam.com/magazineold/33/33.html "Designers, Publishers & Builders form a Successful and Historic Partnership", <i>DiscoverLiveSteam.com</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Calvert_Holt&diff=19040Calvert Holt2026-05-01T19:59:03Z<p>Dnevil: /* Gallery */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
== Gallery ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px><br />
File:Calvert Holt Pennsy K4s Live Steamer 1935 03 p341.PNG|Calvert Holt Pennsy K4s Live Steamer, Popular Mechanics, March 1935 page 341.<br />
File:Calvert Holt PRR K4s 2.jpg|Calvert Holt with his wife and children, posing with his P.R.R. K4s Locomotive. "The Modelmaker", September 1932.<br />
File:CalvertHolt Pacific ownedby HenryStarring April2026.jpg|Calvert Holt's K4s Pacific, currently owned by Henry Starring.<br />
File:TheModelmaker March1931 CalvertHolt advert.jpg|Calvert Holt advertisement in the March 1931 edition of [[The Modelmaker]]. Scan provided by Pat Fahey and Fred Jaggi of Waushakum Live Steamers.<br />
File:CalvertHoltShop.jpg|Calvert Holt's emaculate shop. From "Mechanical Package Magazine #4 Fall 1932".<br />
File:Calvert Holt 2.jpg|Calvert Holt's 3-1/2 inch scale home railroad in Connecticut. From "Mechanical Package Magazine #4 Fall 1932".<br />
File:CalvertHolt HomeLayout Connecticut.jpg|Calvert Holt's 3-1/2 inch scale home railroad in Connecticut. From "Mechanical Package Magazine #4 Fall 1932".<br />
File:CalvertHoltsConnecticutHomeRailroad.jpg|Calvert Holt's 3-1/2 inch scale home railroad in Connecticut. From "Mechanical Package Magazine #4 Fall 1932".<br />
File:Holt Locomotives advert The Modelmaker Sept 1932.jpg|Advertisement for Holt Locomotives in "The Modelmaker", September 1932.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Visit from L.B.S.C. ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.modeng.johnbaguley.info/ John Baguley] provided the following information.<br />
<br />
: As there seems to be quite an interest in [[LBSC|'Curly' Lawrence]], the following photos may be of interest. They were taken by a Mr George Bender in 1930 (possibly March) during [[LBSC]]'s stay with Calvert Holt at his home in Greenwich. The house in the background is the one Holt had built for LBSC and his wife Mabel.<br />
<br />
: The loco is a 2½" K4 that LBSC converted from coal firing to oil (kerosene) firing for the owner. There is no mention who the owner was but LBSC "believed" it to be the first passenger hauling 2½" gauge engine built in the USA. The photos below show it in an unfinished state. <br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px"><br />
File:LBSC K4 at Calvert Holt 1.png|L.B.S.C. coupling up his "Norbury Light" Pacific in 2-1/2" gauge at Calvert Holt's home track. Photo by George Bender, from "The Model Engineer". Thanks to John Baguley.<br />
File:LBSC K4 at Calvert Holt 2.png|L.B.S.C.'s K4 at Calvert Holt's track, "Plenty of Steam". Photo by George Bender, from "The Model Engineer". Thanks to John Baguley.<br />
File:LBSC K4 at Calvert Holt 3.png|L.B.S.C. visiting Calvert Holt's home track. "The Resurrection of the 'Norbury Light'", photo by George Bender, from "The Model Engineer". Thanks to John Baguley.<br />
File:LBSC K4 at Calvert Holt 4.png|"Finished 2-1/2-in. Gauge Piston Valve 'Pacific' at Full Speed.". L.B.S.C. running on Calvert Holts track. Photo by Calvert Holt, from "The Model Engineer". Thanks to John Baguley.<br />
File:CalvertHolt home track.Toonerville Trolley.png|"Mr. Calvert Holt as 'Skipper of the Toonerville Trolley'". The Toonerville loco being driven by Calvert was built by a friend of his who had his own 3½" gauge track. Photo by George Bender, from "The Model Engineer". Thanks to John Baguley.<br />
File:CalverHolt Advert TheModelmaker Apr1930.jpg|Calvert Holt advertisement taken in front of his home in Connecticut. From "The Modelmaker", April 1930.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Tidbits from Chaski ==<br />
<br />
[[Keith Taylor]] wrote<br />
<br />
:There was a 3/4" Hudson of which several were built by Calvert Holt in the early 1930's. It is my understanding that they were not made with Langworthy castings. I had heard that they were from Mr. Holt's own design and patterns. I believe one was constructed by Mr. Holt for Vicent Astor.<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=91429&p=226949&hilit=calvert+holt#p226942 Larry (elm53)], 2 January 2009<br />
<br />
:Holt also supplied rail castings and completed locomotives for 1/4",1/2",3/4" and 1 1/2" scales. Years ago I made contact with one of Holt's sons, who had found one of his dads 3/4" Hudsons with the brass rail in an antique shop on the north shore. I believe the [[Joy Town Railroad|Yankee Hudson]] in 1 1/2" scale may be a Holt also.<br />
<br />
[[Keith Taylor]], 4 March 2007<br />
<br />
: Larry, I am pretty sure that the only 1 - 1/2" scale loco was "Miss Bay Shore" a Pennsylvania Railroad K-4. In fact, that K-4 was the cause of Calvert Holt's death. It started to slip off of the building stand and Mr. Holt tried to ease the loco to the floor of the shop and was struck in the legs. A blood clot dislodged and ended up in his brain.<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
:I do know that Calvert Holt of Greenwich, Connecticut died as a result of an accident while working on an inch and a half scale model locomotive. He was working on the loco on a rolling work stand and the loco started to roll off one end. Mr.Holt tried to stop the locomotive from hitting the floor and he caught the falling chassis on his lap and legs. A blood clot formed as a result of the massive trauma, and when the blood clot dislodged, it ended up in his brain....killing him. I have often wondered what ever happened to the 7-1/4" gauge Pennsylvania RR K-4s model that Mr. Holt built for a customer. It was pictured in [[The Modelmaker]] magazine and looked to be a fine locomotive.<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
:The chassis was built by Calvert Holt of Greenwich, Connecticut as part of a batch he was constructing for the 1939 World's Fair in New York City. During the construction one of the engines started to slide off of the building stand and Mr. Holt caught the locomotive as it fell, against his legs. Unbeknownst to him there was an internal injury that resulted in the formation of a blood clot. The clot dislodged and ended up in his brain killing him.<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
: The Calvert Holt locomotive was 7-1/4 inch gauge contrary to what was claimed in print.<br />
<br />
== Family ==<br />
<br />
From U.S. Census, 1930, Greenwich, CT:<br />
<br />
* Calvert Holt - born 1893, New York<br />
* Julia P Holt - wife, born 1903, New York<br />
* Calvert R Holt - son, born 1928, New York<br />
* Emmitt Holt - son, born 1929, New York<br />
<br />
== Obituary ==<br />
<br />
Thanks to Pat Fahey and the Greenwich, Connecticut library for the following, from "Greenwich Time", June 29th, 1938:<br />
<br />
: Calvert Holt Dies of Heart Trouble<br />
<br />
: Model Engine Builder Who Made Home Here for 11 Years<br />
<br />
: [[Calvert Holt]], a Greenwich resident for the past 11 years, died of a heart ailment early this morning at his home on Zaccheus Mead's Lane.<br />
<br />
: Born in New York 45 years ago, Mr. Holt had been connected with the Air Reduction Corp. for the last three years. Previously he had been a builder of model steam locomotives. He attended the Horace Mann School, Hill School and Brown University.<br />
<br />
: Surviving Mr. Holt are his widow, Mrs. Julia Grainger Porter Holt; his mother, Mrs. L. Emmett Holt; three children, Calvert P., L. Emmett, 3rd. and Julian Grainger Holt; a sister, Mrs. Holt Lowry of Vineyard Rd., and two brothers, Horace Holt of New York City, and Dr. L. Emmett Holt, Jr, of Baltimore.<br />
<br />
: Funeral services will be held Friday at 3 p.m. at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Chapel, Tarrytown, N.Y., where burial will follow. The Rev. Mr. Eugene Carder of the Riverside Church, New York, will conduct the services. Friends have been requested to omit flowers.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px perrow=2><br />
File:Calvert Holt obituary 1 of 2 .jpg<br />
File:Calvert Holt obituary 2 of 2 .jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
<br />
* "[[A P.R.R. K4s Locomotive]]", <i>The Modelmaker</i>, September 1932<br />
* "[[Calvert Holt Sees It Through]]", [[LBSC|L.B.S.C.]], <i>The Model Engineer and Practical Electrician</i>, October 20, 1932<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109662&p=426863#p426863 "Calvert Holt: what year did he pass away?", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109671 "Another Calvert Holt question How many engines did he produce?", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?t=108100 "Vincent Astor's railroad", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/vincent-astor-u-s-national-archives/wQ2hXHF9?hl=en "Vincent Astor" <i>U.S. National Archives</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:CalvertHolt_Pacific_ownedby_HenryStarring_April2026.jpg&diff=19039File:CalvertHolt Pacific ownedby HenryStarring April2026.jpg2026-05-01T19:58:30Z<p>Dnevil: Calvert Holt's K4s Pacific, currently owned by Henry Starring. Photo by Henry Starring, used with permission, May 2026.</p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
Calvert Holt's K4s Pacific, currently owned by Henry Starring. Photo by Henry Starring, used with permission, May 2026.</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Comanche_%26_Indian_Gap_Railroad&diff=19038Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad2026-04-09T14:16:45Z<p>Dnevil: /* Meets */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Tracks]]<br />
<br />
[[File:SantaFeCaboose999187 CGI.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Santa Fe caboose 999187 at the [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad]]. Photo by [[Daris A Nevil]], July 2015.]]<br />
The Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad is a private track located near Comanche, Texas. It was built by [[Roy Pickard]] and family and friends.<br />
<br />
== Meets ==<br />
<br />
=== 2025 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>g4JWC1lrlik</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2022 SWLS Spring Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>MzJKmB6D2B8</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2021 Spring Fling ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>bql8LAzFAWI</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2020 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>H6D9dVD0Ry4</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2018 Spring Fling ===<br />
<br />
See [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad 2018]]<br />
<br />
=== 2017 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px perrow=2><br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Cason F3-ABBA.001.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7 001.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7-ABBA.003.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7-ABBA.004.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 IMG 1741.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 The Chief.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
=== 2016 Spring Ops Meet ===<br />
<br />
The annual Spring Operations Meet was held the week of March 6, 2016. In spite of heavy rain the meet was a great success.<br />
<br />
Danny Click wrote the following:<br />
<br />
: We started the re-building of the C&IG in late February of last year. In 12 months we have re-laid and refurbished over 3,000' of C&IG mainline.<br />
<br />
:* 1,500' of steel rail. Mainly on the outside rail of the curves.<br />
:* Nearly 4,000 EP plastic ties, 500 concrete ties. Plus about 500 new wood ties.<br />
:* Over 18,000 screws.<br />
:* About 35 tons of ballast and another 30 tons of road base.<br />
<br />
: We have some really good track now in some critical areas around the railroad, however, this place is huge we have several more years to go. That is just fine with us because for the Friends of the C&IG the journey is the fun! Stay tuned.<br />
<br />
== Renovation ==<br />
=== April 2026 ===<br />
<br />
Craig Stoops, C&IG Roadmaster, posted:<br />
<br />
: A work session was held the 1st week of April 2026, and a lot of work was completed getting ready for the spring meet:<br />
<br />
:* Re-leveling and re-ballasting Tlaquepaque to Anasazi<br />
:* Owens Junction erosion and track dip<br />
:* Pickard Gap winter storm rock slide damage. Replacement of damaged track section. Dug out the ROW to allow clearance for engine foot pegs<br />
:* Welding repairs on Lehnis Bridge<br />
:* Removal of dead trees hanging over the track<br />
:* Mexican hat tipple track wash out 1st order repairs.<br />
:* Crossing at the HE&WT smash gate was removed, cut and re-welded to fix the rabbit derailments.<br />
:* HE&WT track repairs at known derailment areas. Began track leveling project.<br />
:* Repainting of signage continues<br />
:* Rolling stock repairs<br />
<br />
: In Oct 2025 track maintenance work resumed after a 2 year hiatus with the leveling and re-ballasting of all 4 approaches to Slo Order.<br />
<br />
=== August 2016 ===<br />
Danny Click posted on <i>Facebook</i>, August 2016:<br />
<br />
: While working on the railroad, we always marvel at what Roy was able to build and accomplish. It is truly amazing. We will complete a section of the railroad and think about how much we accomplished that week look around and realize how big the railroad is! I wanted to see exactly how much of the railroad we have touched so far so I grabbed a track plan and highlighted the areas we have re-built or re-furbished in the last year and a half. The photo is below. I know Roy would enjoy the progress we've made and laugh out loud at the looks on our faces each time we look up covered in sweat and dirt and realize how far we have to go!....and love every minute of it! Most folks don't work as hard as we play!<br />
<br />
[[File:CIG Renovation as of August2016.jpg|thumb|center|500px]]<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
From [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=90539&p=218834&hilit=mid+central#p218834 Brian], posted on Chaski.org:<br />
<br />
: Roy and Marylin Pickard began this railroad way back in the late 70's - early 80's. It is the first point to point live steam railroad built and designed exclusively for operation, with dispatchers, radios, freight trains, and passenger trains running via timetable.<br />
<br />
: It takes a great amount of effort nearly year-round to maintain and then prepare the railroad for the runs in the spring and fall. The irregulars provide service from cutting brush, repairing and maintaining right of way and trackage, building and maintaining signals, and servicing and rebuilding rolling stock. We have folks that come from all over, and some of the gypsies have recently rebuilt one of the major steel bridges and a turntable.<br />
<br />
From [http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,2659543 Tom], posted on Trainorders.com:<br />
<br />
: In the late 1970's Roy Pickard bought a ranch near Priddy, Tx. He went to Texas A&M to learn how to raise cows so that he could get a agricultural tax exemption on the land. His real purpose was to build a live steam railroad, the Comanche and Indian Gap. It would be spread over about 150 acres of rolling land, some heavily forested and other parts out in the open.<br />
<br />
: Roy and his son built about 80% of the railroad moving a lot of dirt and rocks to provide a right of way. Word spread about it and some came to see what he had done before it was finished. Some said he was crazy, others just thought he was a little nuts. But, in spite of that some started helping and the railroad main line was finished. It had to cross some creeks, one in particular called Cowhouse Creek which required a 120 ft bridge that ranged to a height of 10 ft over the Creek,and rise up some tough hills with plenty of curvature. Some parts such as the "raceway allowed you to "come out" on the throttle if only for a 150 yards, then it was back to curves and grades.<br />
<br />
: Roy wasn't just building a live steam track, he was building a railroad complete with many passing tracks and sidings for freight trains to work. It was to be operated as a real railroad, dispatched by radio controlling train movements and meets. Roy made use of concealment of the track in wooded areas. In some places you would be close to another part of he mainline of the railroad and not even know it when trees and bushes were leafed out. The track ran from 3 terminals, West Yard, Comanche Yard, and Indian Gap each with a turntable and water spouts. It had tower 17, a tall structure that seated the dispatcher and a CTC machine for the Zuni (Tower 17) tracks and wye. It was the nerve center of the railroad. Radios were early radio shack 5 channel radios with only 1/4 miles range and not really good at that.<br />
<br />
: Roy's wife has said she will keep the meets going as long as she lives. All maintenance is now done by a small group of men who come to the track about 4 weekends a year plus all those who come to meets work on track Monday-Wednesday, and then run the rest of he week. The tracks 31 year history has almost a complete turnover in those who now come to the meets. Many of the original group have passed away and others are so old now they just don't travel the long distances to get there anymore. Even I don't come but a couple of days now. Knees just can't do what they used to do. Father time can be a little cruel.<br />
<br />
[[Terry McGrath]] wrote, 5 May 2014:<br />
<br />
: I attended the spring meet at the C&IG, rode the trains, walked the mainline, spent some time in the West Yard. I found concrete ties and new wood ties, expanded ballast work along portions of the main line and working signals. Trains had little trouble with derailments and I noticed a lot of retainer walls to keep mud from sliding onto the mainline during rains. While the railroad needs much more work, I have concluded that the C&IG is going to be around for many years to come. Peter is very enthusiastic about the future of the railroad, and has said the Pickard family is committed to keep operations going forward. If you are thinking of going to the C&IG's fall meet in October, right after the Terrell meet, consider taking your engine and some cars, as there will be even more work done on the railroad this summer.<br />
<br />
In 2018 Peter Bryan put together a list of key people responsible for the development of the railroad. Please note that this list is not complete.<br />
<br />
* [[Gene Allen]]<br />
* Joe & Gwen Baily<br />
* Lee Balkum<br />
* [[Harry Bean|Harry "Scorcher" Bean]]<br />
* Rick Bierman<br />
* [[Henry Blossom|Hank & Myra Blossom]]<br />
* Bob Blyth<br />
* [[Ken Casford]]<br />
* Billy Chaffin<br />
* Doug Chancey<br />
* [[John Enders]]<br />
* Tom Enloe<br />
* Harry Haas<br />
* [[Truman Hefner|Truman & Vera Hefner]]<br />
* Ernest Gerloff<br />
* [[Alex Hitzfelder|Alex, Grace and Nick Hitzfelder]]<br />
* Jack Green<br />
* James Goodson<br />
* [[David Hannah III]]<br />
* Ralph Howels<br />
* Loren Jennings<br />
* [[Walter Johnson]]<br />
* Tom Keenan<br />
* [[Ed Leatherwood|Ed & Jean Leatherwood]]<br />
* [[Jack Lucks|Jack & Shirley Lucks]]<br />
* Lee Lyons<br />
* [[Ed McCamey]]<br />
* [[Terry McGrath]]<br />
* [[Jim Murray]]<br />
* Art Olds<br />
* Jack & Lyrette Owen<br />
* [[Roy Pickard]]<br />
* Ben Pearlman<br />
* Ed Rains<br />
* Lynn Ratliff<br />
* Joe & May Robertson<br />
* Harry & Shirley Simpson<br />
* Dan Spiner<br />
* Mike Spoor<br />
* [[Fred Springer]]<br />
* Harold Staples<br />
* [[C.T. Sumrall]]<br />
* Jim "Tweetie" Tolson<br />
* Julian Van Sickle<br />
* K. Volrath<br />
* Curt Werner<br />
* Richard Wilms<br />
<br />
== Gallery ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:C&IG SlowOrderBridge LeeBalkam.jpg|Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad, Slo Order Bridge, photo from [http://www.balkum.com/lee.html Lee Balkham website]<br />
File:GarrettBean 3420X ComancheIndianGap 2001 DiscoverLiveSteam.jpg|Seven-year-old Garrett at the throttle of his grandfather's (Harry "Scorcher" Bean) 1.5-inch Southern Pacific consolidation #3420X pulling out of the Indian Gap yard on the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad in 2001. From [http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/photocontest/2001/photocontest2001-1.htm DiscoverLiveSteam.com]<br />
File:CIG ComancheYard Fall1999 FrolinMarek.jpg|A view of Comanche Yard in the Fall of 1999. Photo by Frolin Marek.<br />
File:TrumanHeffner Warbonnet CIG.jpg|Truman Heffer's 4-unit lash-up at the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad. Photo by C. Randall Wilson.<br />
File:CIG Spring Meet 20180426 by Danny Click 2.jpg|Comanche & Indian Gap RR Spring Meet 25 April 2018. Photo by Danny Click.<br />
File:CIG Spring Meet 20180426 by Danny Click.jpg<br />
File:JimRobison CompressorPowered 484 CIG byFrankPickard.jpg|Jim Robison built this 4-8-4 in 1.5 inch scale. It is shown here on the old hydraulic turntable of the Comanche & Indian Gap RR. Vance Nickerson said the locomotive was powered by a gas engine and compressor setup. Photo by Frank Pickard. Posted on Facebook, 20180509.<br />
File:FrankMann 5001 CIG 20180127 Click.jpg|Frank Mann's 5001 arrived at Comanche & Indian Gap RR, 27 January 2018. It will rest here until repairs begin later this year. Photo by Danny Click.<br />
File:FrankMann 5001 CIG 20180127 Click side.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
=== Pickard Gap ===<br />
<br />
by Tom Stamey<br />
<br />
Roy had named a lot of spots along the railroad, some for individuals, the bridge over helper, town of Gotebo, passing track of [[Martin Lehnis|Lehnis]], etc. We dept asking what he was going to name Pickard. He said absolutely nothing because if he did it would be kind of self serving and he was not into that because too many other people had helped.<br />
<br />
The loop around Comanche had been a thorn in his side for years. He had tried everyway under the sun to cut through and could not. Dick Parker of Chicago came up with the idea of people chipping in to pay for a BIG bull dozer to come do the work. $100 a person was asked and paid. All without Roy knowing what was going on until the money had been collected and he was told about it (becuase he would have to get someone with a dozer out there). [[Truman Hefner]] and I paid for a plack to be made naming the cut "Pickard Gap" and surprised Roy with it at a ceremony regarding the last rail being laid in the gap. [[Jack Lucks]] videoed it.<br />
<br />
== Models ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:CIG HO Boxcar.jpg|An Athearn HO Boxcar decorated in Comanche and Indian Gap colors.<br />
File:CIG NScale Boxcar.jpg|An N Scale model bearing the Comanche and Indian Gap herald. From ebay.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
[[Daris A Nevil]] built a caboose that approximates the Santa Fe Number 999187 that used to reside at the C&IG. See [[Building a Kitsap Caboose]].<br />
<br />
== Video ==<br />
<br />
<youtube>QAmjQNGe0Ns</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>qQZWcLmvGec</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>JPXP4WbwCik</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>ZyIL-Rg-rso</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>XNyc3XYj8B4</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>kkf3uWRjKYc</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>5H5a96H2F8w</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>70c_B4ng8gI</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>kNu5bL9PF2c</youtube><br />
<br />
=== Texas Live Steam ===<br />
<br />
[http://www.grandscales.com/media/Texa.html Robinson and Associates] published a video titled "Texas Live Steam" in 2008. The following description of the C&IG is from their website:<br />
<br />
: Robinson takes us to Roy Pickard’s Comanche & Indian Gap. Even though most of the railroad is just a few hundred yards from the rest of the railroad there is a wide variety of landscape in miniature. Portions of the railroad run through rolling hills with deep cuts and high fills. There are thick patches of bushes and small gnarled trees that make very believable scale woods. Other areas evoke a sense of broad grassy prairies with sun scorched earth. <br />
<br />
: For the last hundred years the most common form of live steam “operations” has been heading out on the mainline loop and making sure you didn’t run into the train ahead of you. From the beginning Mr. Pickard wanted a railroad that would more closely replicate the activity of the prototype. This was a rather revolutionary idea in the live steam world thirty years ago. And the C&IG deserves credit for being a pioneer in live steam railroad operations.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=400px heights=400px><br />
File:TexasLiveSteam cover.jpg<br />
File:TexasLiveSteam back.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Bibliography ==<br />
<br />
* "The Comanche & Indian Gap RR", Peter R. Bryan, '''Model Railroader''', July 1997, Vol 64, Issue 7, page 74<br />
* [http://www.digitalmediatree.com/tommoody/comment/23313/ Tom Moody comments and photos on C&IG]<br />
* [http://sanjac.leoslair.com/resources/Derails/Derail-2010/derail-06-2010_derail.pdf 2010 Operations on C&IG <i>The Drail</i>]<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=67620 Meet Report, May 2005, <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Comanche_%26_Indian_Gap_Railroad&diff=19037Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad2026-04-09T14:13:45Z<p>Dnevil: /* Models */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Tracks]]<br />
<br />
[[File:SantaFeCaboose999187 CGI.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Santa Fe caboose 999187 at the [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad]]. Photo by [[Daris A Nevil]], July 2015.]]<br />
The Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad is a private track located near Comanche, Texas. It was built by [[Roy Pickard]] and family and friends.<br />
<br />
== Meets ==<br />
<br />
=== 2025 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>g4JWC1lrlik</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2022 SWLS Spring Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>MzJKmB6D2B8</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2021 Spring Fling ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>bql8LAzFAWI</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2020 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>H6D9dVD0Ry4</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2018 Spring Fling ===<br />
<br />
See [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad 2018]]<br />
<br />
=== 2017 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px perrow=2><br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Cason F3-ABBA.001.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7 001.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7-ABBA.003.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7-ABBA.004.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 IMG 1741.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 The Chief.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
=== 2016 Spring Ops Meet ===<br />
<br />
The annual Spring Operations Meet was held the week of March 6, 2016. In spite of heavy rain the meet was a great success.<br />
<br />
Danny Click wrote the following:<br />
<br />
: We started the re-building of the C&IG in late February of last year. In 12 months we have re-laid and refurbished over 3,000' of C&IG mainline.<br />
<br />
:* 1,500' of steel rail. Mainly on the outside rail of the curves.<br />
:* Nearly 4,000 EP plastic ties, 500 concrete ties. Plus about 500 new wood ties.<br />
:* Over 18,000 screws.<br />
:* About 35 tons of ballast and another 30 tons of road base.<br />
<br />
: We have some really good track now in some critical areas around the railroad, however, this place is huge we have several more years to go. That is just fine with us because for the Friends of the C&IG the journey is the fun! Stay tuned.<br />
<br />
== Renovation ==<br />
=== April 2026 ===<br />
<br />
Craig Stoops, C&IG Roadmaster, posted:<br />
<br />
: A work session was held the 1st week of April 2026, and a lot of work was completed getting ready for the spring meet:<br />
<br />
:* Re-leveling and re-ballasting Tlaquepaque to Anasazi<br />
:* Owens Junction erosion and track dip<br />
:* Pickard Gap winter storm rock slide damage. Replacement of damaged track section. Dug out the ROW to allow clearance for engine foot pegs<br />
:* Welding repairs on Lehnis Bridge<br />
:* Removal of dead trees hanging over the track<br />
:* Mexican hat tipple track wash out 1st order repairs.<br />
:* Crossing at the HE&WT smash gate was removed, cut and re-welded to fix the rabbit derailments.<br />
:* HE&WT track repairs at known derailment areas. Began track leveling project.<br />
:* Repainting of signage continues<br />
:* Rolling stock repairs<br />
<br />
: In Oct 2025 track maintenance work resumed after a 2 year hiatus with the leveling and re-ballasting of all 4 approaches to Slo Order.<br />
<br />
=== August 2016 ===<br />
Danny Click posted on <i>Facebook</i>, August 2016:<br />
<br />
: While working on the railroad, we always marvel at what Roy was able to build and accomplish. It is truly amazing. We will complete a section of the railroad and think about how much we accomplished that week look around and realize how big the railroad is! I wanted to see exactly how much of the railroad we have touched so far so I grabbed a track plan and highlighted the areas we have re-built or re-furbished in the last year and a half. The photo is below. I know Roy would enjoy the progress we've made and laugh out loud at the looks on our faces each time we look up covered in sweat and dirt and realize how far we have to go!....and love every minute of it! Most folks don't work as hard as we play!<br />
<br />
[[File:CIG Renovation as of August2016.jpg|thumb|center|500px]]<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
From [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=90539&p=218834&hilit=mid+central#p218834 Brian], posted on Chaski.org:<br />
<br />
: Roy and Marylin Pickard began this railroad way back in the late 70's - early 80's. It is the first point to point live steam railroad built and designed exclusively for operation, with dispatchers, radios, freight trains, and passenger trains running via timetable.<br />
<br />
: It takes a great amount of effort nearly year-round to maintain and then prepare the railroad for the runs in the spring and fall. The irregulars provide service from cutting brush, repairing and maintaining right of way and trackage, building and maintaining signals, and servicing and rebuilding rolling stock. We have folks that come from all over, and some of the gypsies have recently rebuilt one of the major steel bridges and a turntable.<br />
<br />
From [http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,2659543 Tom], posted on Trainorders.com:<br />
<br />
: In the late 1970's Roy Pickard bought a ranch near Priddy, Tx. He went to Texas A&M to learn how to raise cows so that he could get a agricultural tax exemption on the land. His real purpose was to build a live steam railroad, the Comanche and Indian Gap. It would be spread over about 150 acres of rolling land, some heavily forested and other parts out in the open.<br />
<br />
: Roy and his son built about 80% of the railroad moving a lot of dirt and rocks to provide a right of way. Word spread about it and some came to see what he had done before it was finished. Some said he was crazy, others just thought he was a little nuts. But, in spite of that some started helping and the railroad main line was finished. It had to cross some creeks, one in particular called Cowhouse Creek which required a 120 ft bridge that ranged to a height of 10 ft over the Creek,and rise up some tough hills with plenty of curvature. Some parts such as the "raceway allowed you to "come out" on the throttle if only for a 150 yards, then it was back to curves and grades.<br />
<br />
: Roy wasn't just building a live steam track, he was building a railroad complete with many passing tracks and sidings for freight trains to work. It was to be operated as a real railroad, dispatched by radio controlling train movements and meets. Roy made use of concealment of the track in wooded areas. In some places you would be close to another part of he mainline of the railroad and not even know it when trees and bushes were leafed out. The track ran from 3 terminals, West Yard, Comanche Yard, and Indian Gap each with a turntable and water spouts. It had tower 17, a tall structure that seated the dispatcher and a CTC machine for the Zuni (Tower 17) tracks and wye. It was the nerve center of the railroad. Radios were early radio shack 5 channel radios with only 1/4 miles range and not really good at that.<br />
<br />
: Roy's wife has said she will keep the meets going as long as she lives. All maintenance is now done by a small group of men who come to the track about 4 weekends a year plus all those who come to meets work on track Monday-Wednesday, and then run the rest of he week. The tracks 31 year history has almost a complete turnover in those who now come to the meets. Many of the original group have passed away and others are so old now they just don't travel the long distances to get there anymore. Even I don't come but a couple of days now. Knees just can't do what they used to do. Father time can be a little cruel.<br />
<br />
[[Terry McGrath]] wrote, 5 May 2014:<br />
<br />
: I attended the spring meet at the C&IG, rode the trains, walked the mainline, spent some time in the West Yard. I found concrete ties and new wood ties, expanded ballast work along portions of the main line and working signals. Trains had little trouble with derailments and I noticed a lot of retainer walls to keep mud from sliding onto the mainline during rains. While the railroad needs much more work, I have concluded that the C&IG is going to be around for many years to come. Peter is very enthusiastic about the future of the railroad, and has said the Pickard family is committed to keep operations going forward. If you are thinking of going to the C&IG's fall meet in October, right after the Terrell meet, consider taking your engine and some cars, as there will be even more work done on the railroad this summer.<br />
<br />
In 2018 Peter Bryan put together a list of key people responsible for the development of the railroad. Please note that this list is not complete.<br />
<br />
* [[Gene Allen]]<br />
* Joe & Gwen Baily<br />
* Lee Balkum<br />
* [[Harry Bean|Harry "Scorcher" Bean]]<br />
* Rick Bierman<br />
* [[Henry Blossom|Hank & Myra Blossom]]<br />
* Bob Blyth<br />
* [[Ken Casford]]<br />
* Billy Chaffin<br />
* Doug Chancey<br />
* [[John Enders]]<br />
* Tom Enloe<br />
* Harry Haas<br />
* [[Truman Hefner|Truman & Vera Hefner]]<br />
* Ernest Gerloff<br />
* [[Alex Hitzfelder|Alex, Grace and Nick Hitzfelder]]<br />
* Jack Green<br />
* James Goodson<br />
* [[David Hannah III]]<br />
* Ralph Howels<br />
* Loren Jennings<br />
* [[Walter Johnson]]<br />
* Tom Keenan<br />
* [[Ed Leatherwood|Ed & Jean Leatherwood]]<br />
* [[Jack Lucks|Jack & Shirley Lucks]]<br />
* Lee Lyons<br />
* [[Ed McCamey]]<br />
* [[Terry McGrath]]<br />
* [[Jim Murray]]<br />
* Art Olds<br />
* Jack & Lyrette Owen<br />
* [[Roy Pickard]]<br />
* Ben Pearlman<br />
* Ed Rains<br />
* Lynn Ratliff<br />
* Joe & May Robertson<br />
* Harry & Shirley Simpson<br />
* Dan Spiner<br />
* Mike Spoor<br />
* [[Fred Springer]]<br />
* Harold Staples<br />
* [[C.T. Sumrall]]<br />
* Jim "Tweetie" Tolson<br />
* Julian Van Sickle<br />
* K. Volrath<br />
* Curt Werner<br />
* Richard Wilms<br />
<br />
== Gallery ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:C&IG SlowOrderBridge LeeBalkam.jpg|Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad, Slo Order Bridge, photo from [http://www.balkum.com/lee.html Lee Balkham website]<br />
File:GarrettBean 3420X ComancheIndianGap 2001 DiscoverLiveSteam.jpg|Seven-year-old Garrett at the throttle of his grandfather's (Harry "Scorcher" Bean) 1.5-inch Southern Pacific consolidation #3420X pulling out of the Indian Gap yard on the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad in 2001. From [http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/photocontest/2001/photocontest2001-1.htm DiscoverLiveSteam.com]<br />
File:CIG ComancheYard Fall1999 FrolinMarek.jpg|A view of Comanche Yard in the Fall of 1999. Photo by Frolin Marek.<br />
File:TrumanHeffner Warbonnet CIG.jpg|Truman Heffer's 4-unit lash-up at the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad. Photo by C. Randall Wilson.<br />
File:CIG Spring Meet 20180426 by Danny Click 2.jpg|Comanche & Indian Gap RR Spring Meet 25 April 2018. Photo by Danny Click.<br />
File:CIG Spring Meet 20180426 by Danny Click.jpg<br />
File:JimRobison CompressorPowered 484 CIG byFrankPickard.jpg|Jim Robison built this 4-8-4 in 1.5 inch scale. It is shown here on the old hydraulic turntable of the Comanche & Indian Gap RR. Vance Nickerson said the locomotive was powered by a gas engine and compressor setup. Photo by Frank Pickard. Posted on Facebook, 20180509.<br />
File:FrankMann 5001 CIG 20180127 Click.jpg|Frank Mann's 5001 arrived at Comanche & Indian Gap RR, 27 January 2018. It will rest here until repairs begin later this year. Photo by Danny Click.<br />
File:FrankMann 5001 CIG 20180127 Click side.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
=== Pickard Gap ===<br />
<br />
by Tom Stamey<br />
<br />
Roy had named a lot of spots along the railroad, some for individuals, the bridge over helper, town of Gotebo, passing track of [[Martin Lehnis|Lehnis]], etc. We dept asking what he was going to name Pickard. He said absolutely nothing because if he did it would be kind of self serving and he was not into that because too many other people had helped.<br />
<br />
The loop around Comanche had been a thorn in his side for years. He had tried everyway under the sun to cut through and could not. Dick Parker of Chicago came up with the idea of people chipping in to pay for a BIG bull dozer to come do the work. $100 a person was asked and paid. All without Roy knowing what was going on until the money had been collected and he was told about it (becuase he would have to get someone with a dozer out there). [[Truman Hefner]] and I paid for a plack to be made naming the cut "Pickard Gap" and surprised Roy with it at a ceremony regarding the last rail being laid in the gap. [[Jack Lucks]] videoed it.<br />
<br />
== Meets ==<br />
<br />
* [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad 2018]]<br />
<br />
== Models ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:CIG HO Boxcar.jpg|An Athearn HO Boxcar decorated in Comanche and Indian Gap colors.<br />
File:CIG NScale Boxcar.jpg|An N Scale model bearing the Comanche and Indian Gap herald. From ebay.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
[[Daris A Nevil]] built a caboose that approximates the Santa Fe Number 999187 that used to reside at the C&IG. See [[Building a Kitsap Caboose]].<br />
<br />
== Video ==<br />
<br />
<youtube>QAmjQNGe0Ns</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>qQZWcLmvGec</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>JPXP4WbwCik</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>ZyIL-Rg-rso</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>XNyc3XYj8B4</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>kkf3uWRjKYc</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>5H5a96H2F8w</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>70c_B4ng8gI</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>kNu5bL9PF2c</youtube><br />
<br />
=== Texas Live Steam ===<br />
<br />
[http://www.grandscales.com/media/Texa.html Robinson and Associates] published a video titled "Texas Live Steam" in 2008. The following description of the C&IG is from their website:<br />
<br />
: Robinson takes us to Roy Pickard’s Comanche & Indian Gap. Even though most of the railroad is just a few hundred yards from the rest of the railroad there is a wide variety of landscape in miniature. Portions of the railroad run through rolling hills with deep cuts and high fills. There are thick patches of bushes and small gnarled trees that make very believable scale woods. Other areas evoke a sense of broad grassy prairies with sun scorched earth. <br />
<br />
: For the last hundred years the most common form of live steam “operations” has been heading out on the mainline loop and making sure you didn’t run into the train ahead of you. From the beginning Mr. Pickard wanted a railroad that would more closely replicate the activity of the prototype. This was a rather revolutionary idea in the live steam world thirty years ago. And the C&IG deserves credit for being a pioneer in live steam railroad operations.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=400px heights=400px><br />
File:TexasLiveSteam cover.jpg<br />
File:TexasLiveSteam back.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Bibliography ==<br />
<br />
* "The Comanche & Indian Gap RR", Peter R. Bryan, '''Model Railroader''', July 1997, Vol 64, Issue 7, page 74<br />
* [http://www.digitalmediatree.com/tommoody/comment/23313/ Tom Moody comments and photos on C&IG]<br />
* [http://sanjac.leoslair.com/resources/Derails/Derail-2010/derail-06-2010_derail.pdf 2010 Operations on C&IG <i>The Drail</i>]<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=67620 Meet Report, May 2005, <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Comanche_%26_Indian_Gap_Railroad&diff=19036Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad2026-04-09T14:11:51Z<p>Dnevil: /* 2020 Fall Meet */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Tracks]]<br />
<br />
[[File:SantaFeCaboose999187 CGI.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Santa Fe caboose 999187 at the [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad]]. Photo by [[Daris A Nevil]], July 2015.]]<br />
The Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad is a private track located near Comanche, Texas. It was built by [[Roy Pickard]] and family and friends.<br />
<br />
== Meets ==<br />
<br />
=== 2025 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>g4JWC1lrlik</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2022 SWLS Spring Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>MzJKmB6D2B8</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2021 Spring Fling ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>bql8LAzFAWI</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2020 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>H6D9dVD0Ry4</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2018 Spring Fling ===<br />
<br />
See [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad 2018]]<br />
<br />
=== 2017 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px perrow=2><br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Cason F3-ABBA.001.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7 001.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7-ABBA.003.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7-ABBA.004.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 IMG 1741.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 The Chief.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
=== 2016 Spring Ops Meet ===<br />
<br />
The annual Spring Operations Meet was held the week of March 6, 2016. In spite of heavy rain the meet was a great success.<br />
<br />
Danny Click wrote the following:<br />
<br />
: We started the re-building of the C&IG in late February of last year. In 12 months we have re-laid and refurbished over 3,000' of C&IG mainline.<br />
<br />
:* 1,500' of steel rail. Mainly on the outside rail of the curves.<br />
:* Nearly 4,000 EP plastic ties, 500 concrete ties. Plus about 500 new wood ties.<br />
:* Over 18,000 screws.<br />
:* About 35 tons of ballast and another 30 tons of road base.<br />
<br />
: We have some really good track now in some critical areas around the railroad, however, this place is huge we have several more years to go. That is just fine with us because for the Friends of the C&IG the journey is the fun! Stay tuned.<br />
<br />
== Renovation ==<br />
=== April 2026 ===<br />
<br />
Craig Stoops, C&IG Roadmaster, posted:<br />
<br />
: A work session was held the 1st week of April 2026, and a lot of work was completed getting ready for the spring meet:<br />
<br />
:* Re-leveling and re-ballasting Tlaquepaque to Anasazi<br />
:* Owens Junction erosion and track dip<br />
:* Pickard Gap winter storm rock slide damage. Replacement of damaged track section. Dug out the ROW to allow clearance for engine foot pegs<br />
:* Welding repairs on Lehnis Bridge<br />
:* Removal of dead trees hanging over the track<br />
:* Mexican hat tipple track wash out 1st order repairs.<br />
:* Crossing at the HE&WT smash gate was removed, cut and re-welded to fix the rabbit derailments.<br />
:* HE&WT track repairs at known derailment areas. Began track leveling project.<br />
:* Repainting of signage continues<br />
:* Rolling stock repairs<br />
<br />
: In Oct 2025 track maintenance work resumed after a 2 year hiatus with the leveling and re-ballasting of all 4 approaches to Slo Order.<br />
<br />
=== August 2016 ===<br />
Danny Click posted on <i>Facebook</i>, August 2016:<br />
<br />
: While working on the railroad, we always marvel at what Roy was able to build and accomplish. It is truly amazing. We will complete a section of the railroad and think about how much we accomplished that week look around and realize how big the railroad is! I wanted to see exactly how much of the railroad we have touched so far so I grabbed a track plan and highlighted the areas we have re-built or re-furbished in the last year and a half. The photo is below. I know Roy would enjoy the progress we've made and laugh out loud at the looks on our faces each time we look up covered in sweat and dirt and realize how far we have to go!....and love every minute of it! Most folks don't work as hard as we play!<br />
<br />
[[File:CIG Renovation as of August2016.jpg|thumb|center|500px]]<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
From [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=90539&p=218834&hilit=mid+central#p218834 Brian], posted on Chaski.org:<br />
<br />
: Roy and Marylin Pickard began this railroad way back in the late 70's - early 80's. It is the first point to point live steam railroad built and designed exclusively for operation, with dispatchers, radios, freight trains, and passenger trains running via timetable.<br />
<br />
: It takes a great amount of effort nearly year-round to maintain and then prepare the railroad for the runs in the spring and fall. The irregulars provide service from cutting brush, repairing and maintaining right of way and trackage, building and maintaining signals, and servicing and rebuilding rolling stock. We have folks that come from all over, and some of the gypsies have recently rebuilt one of the major steel bridges and a turntable.<br />
<br />
From [http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,2659543 Tom], posted on Trainorders.com:<br />
<br />
: In the late 1970's Roy Pickard bought a ranch near Priddy, Tx. He went to Texas A&M to learn how to raise cows so that he could get a agricultural tax exemption on the land. His real purpose was to build a live steam railroad, the Comanche and Indian Gap. It would be spread over about 150 acres of rolling land, some heavily forested and other parts out in the open.<br />
<br />
: Roy and his son built about 80% of the railroad moving a lot of dirt and rocks to provide a right of way. Word spread about it and some came to see what he had done before it was finished. Some said he was crazy, others just thought he was a little nuts. But, in spite of that some started helping and the railroad main line was finished. It had to cross some creeks, one in particular called Cowhouse Creek which required a 120 ft bridge that ranged to a height of 10 ft over the Creek,and rise up some tough hills with plenty of curvature. Some parts such as the "raceway allowed you to "come out" on the throttle if only for a 150 yards, then it was back to curves and grades.<br />
<br />
: Roy wasn't just building a live steam track, he was building a railroad complete with many passing tracks and sidings for freight trains to work. It was to be operated as a real railroad, dispatched by radio controlling train movements and meets. Roy made use of concealment of the track in wooded areas. In some places you would be close to another part of he mainline of the railroad and not even know it when trees and bushes were leafed out. The track ran from 3 terminals, West Yard, Comanche Yard, and Indian Gap each with a turntable and water spouts. It had tower 17, a tall structure that seated the dispatcher and a CTC machine for the Zuni (Tower 17) tracks and wye. It was the nerve center of the railroad. Radios were early radio shack 5 channel radios with only 1/4 miles range and not really good at that.<br />
<br />
: Roy's wife has said she will keep the meets going as long as she lives. All maintenance is now done by a small group of men who come to the track about 4 weekends a year plus all those who come to meets work on track Monday-Wednesday, and then run the rest of he week. The tracks 31 year history has almost a complete turnover in those who now come to the meets. Many of the original group have passed away and others are so old now they just don't travel the long distances to get there anymore. Even I don't come but a couple of days now. Knees just can't do what they used to do. Father time can be a little cruel.<br />
<br />
[[Terry McGrath]] wrote, 5 May 2014:<br />
<br />
: I attended the spring meet at the C&IG, rode the trains, walked the mainline, spent some time in the West Yard. I found concrete ties and new wood ties, expanded ballast work along portions of the main line and working signals. Trains had little trouble with derailments and I noticed a lot of retainer walls to keep mud from sliding onto the mainline during rains. While the railroad needs much more work, I have concluded that the C&IG is going to be around for many years to come. Peter is very enthusiastic about the future of the railroad, and has said the Pickard family is committed to keep operations going forward. If you are thinking of going to the C&IG's fall meet in October, right after the Terrell meet, consider taking your engine and some cars, as there will be even more work done on the railroad this summer.<br />
<br />
In 2018 Peter Bryan put together a list of key people responsible for the development of the railroad. Please note that this list is not complete.<br />
<br />
* [[Gene Allen]]<br />
* Joe & Gwen Baily<br />
* Lee Balkum<br />
* [[Harry Bean|Harry "Scorcher" Bean]]<br />
* Rick Bierman<br />
* [[Henry Blossom|Hank & Myra Blossom]]<br />
* Bob Blyth<br />
* [[Ken Casford]]<br />
* Billy Chaffin<br />
* Doug Chancey<br />
* [[John Enders]]<br />
* Tom Enloe<br />
* Harry Haas<br />
* [[Truman Hefner|Truman & Vera Hefner]]<br />
* Ernest Gerloff<br />
* [[Alex Hitzfelder|Alex, Grace and Nick Hitzfelder]]<br />
* Jack Green<br />
* James Goodson<br />
* [[David Hannah III]]<br />
* Ralph Howels<br />
* Loren Jennings<br />
* [[Walter Johnson]]<br />
* Tom Keenan<br />
* [[Ed Leatherwood|Ed & Jean Leatherwood]]<br />
* [[Jack Lucks|Jack & Shirley Lucks]]<br />
* Lee Lyons<br />
* [[Ed McCamey]]<br />
* [[Terry McGrath]]<br />
* [[Jim Murray]]<br />
* Art Olds<br />
* Jack & Lyrette Owen<br />
* [[Roy Pickard]]<br />
* Ben Pearlman<br />
* Ed Rains<br />
* Lynn Ratliff<br />
* Joe & May Robertson<br />
* Harry & Shirley Simpson<br />
* Dan Spiner<br />
* Mike Spoor<br />
* [[Fred Springer]]<br />
* Harold Staples<br />
* [[C.T. Sumrall]]<br />
* Jim "Tweetie" Tolson<br />
* Julian Van Sickle<br />
* K. Volrath<br />
* Curt Werner<br />
* Richard Wilms<br />
<br />
== Gallery ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:C&IG SlowOrderBridge LeeBalkam.jpg|Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad, Slo Order Bridge, photo from [http://www.balkum.com/lee.html Lee Balkham website]<br />
File:GarrettBean 3420X ComancheIndianGap 2001 DiscoverLiveSteam.jpg|Seven-year-old Garrett at the throttle of his grandfather's (Harry "Scorcher" Bean) 1.5-inch Southern Pacific consolidation #3420X pulling out of the Indian Gap yard on the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad in 2001. From [http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/photocontest/2001/photocontest2001-1.htm DiscoverLiveSteam.com]<br />
File:CIG ComancheYard Fall1999 FrolinMarek.jpg|A view of Comanche Yard in the Fall of 1999. Photo by Frolin Marek.<br />
File:TrumanHeffner Warbonnet CIG.jpg|Truman Heffer's 4-unit lash-up at the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad. Photo by C. Randall Wilson.<br />
File:CIG Spring Meet 20180426 by Danny Click 2.jpg|Comanche & Indian Gap RR Spring Meet 25 April 2018. Photo by Danny Click.<br />
File:CIG Spring Meet 20180426 by Danny Click.jpg<br />
File:JimRobison CompressorPowered 484 CIG byFrankPickard.jpg|Jim Robison built this 4-8-4 in 1.5 inch scale. It is shown here on the old hydraulic turntable of the Comanche & Indian Gap RR. Vance Nickerson said the locomotive was powered by a gas engine and compressor setup. Photo by Frank Pickard. Posted on Facebook, 20180509.<br />
File:FrankMann 5001 CIG 20180127 Click.jpg|Frank Mann's 5001 arrived at Comanche & Indian Gap RR, 27 January 2018. It will rest here until repairs begin later this year. Photo by Danny Click.<br />
File:FrankMann 5001 CIG 20180127 Click side.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
=== Pickard Gap ===<br />
<br />
by Tom Stamey<br />
<br />
Roy had named a lot of spots along the railroad, some for individuals, the bridge over helper, town of Gotebo, passing track of [[Martin Lehnis|Lehnis]], etc. We dept asking what he was going to name Pickard. He said absolutely nothing because if he did it would be kind of self serving and he was not into that because too many other people had helped.<br />
<br />
The loop around Comanche had been a thorn in his side for years. He had tried everyway under the sun to cut through and could not. Dick Parker of Chicago came up with the idea of people chipping in to pay for a BIG bull dozer to come do the work. $100 a person was asked and paid. All without Roy knowing what was going on until the money had been collected and he was told about it (becuase he would have to get someone with a dozer out there). [[Truman Hefner]] and I paid for a plack to be made naming the cut "Pickard Gap" and surprised Roy with it at a ceremony regarding the last rail being laid in the gap. [[Jack Lucks]] videoed it.<br />
<br />
== Meets ==<br />
<br />
* [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad 2018]]<br />
<br />
== Models ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:CIG HO Boxcar.jpg|An Athearn HO Boxcar decorated in Comanche and Indian Gap colors.<br />
File:CIG NScale Boxcar.jpg|An N Scale model bearing the Comanche and Indian Gap herald. From ebay.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Video ==<br />
<br />
<youtube>QAmjQNGe0Ns</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>qQZWcLmvGec</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>JPXP4WbwCik</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>ZyIL-Rg-rso</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>XNyc3XYj8B4</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>kkf3uWRjKYc</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>5H5a96H2F8w</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>70c_B4ng8gI</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>kNu5bL9PF2c</youtube><br />
<br />
=== Texas Live Steam ===<br />
<br />
[http://www.grandscales.com/media/Texa.html Robinson and Associates] published a video titled "Texas Live Steam" in 2008. The following description of the C&IG is from their website:<br />
<br />
: Robinson takes us to Roy Pickard’s Comanche & Indian Gap. Even though most of the railroad is just a few hundred yards from the rest of the railroad there is a wide variety of landscape in miniature. Portions of the railroad run through rolling hills with deep cuts and high fills. There are thick patches of bushes and small gnarled trees that make very believable scale woods. Other areas evoke a sense of broad grassy prairies with sun scorched earth. <br />
<br />
: For the last hundred years the most common form of live steam “operations” has been heading out on the mainline loop and making sure you didn’t run into the train ahead of you. From the beginning Mr. Pickard wanted a railroad that would more closely replicate the activity of the prototype. This was a rather revolutionary idea in the live steam world thirty years ago. And the C&IG deserves credit for being a pioneer in live steam railroad operations.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=400px heights=400px><br />
File:TexasLiveSteam cover.jpg<br />
File:TexasLiveSteam back.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Bibliography ==<br />
<br />
* "The Comanche & Indian Gap RR", Peter R. Bryan, '''Model Railroader''', July 1997, Vol 64, Issue 7, page 74<br />
* [http://www.digitalmediatree.com/tommoody/comment/23313/ Tom Moody comments and photos on C&IG]<br />
* [http://sanjac.leoslair.com/resources/Derails/Derail-2010/derail-06-2010_derail.pdf 2010 Operations on C&IG <i>The Drail</i>]<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=67620 Meet Report, May 2005, <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Thurber_Mingus_%26_Southern_Railroad&diff=19035Thurber Mingus & Southern Railroad2026-04-09T13:56:26Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Tracks]]<br />
The [[Thurber Mingus & Southern Railroad]] is a 7-1/2 inch gauge back yard railroad owned and operated by [[Daris A Nevil|Daris & Brenda Nevil]]. It is informally referred to as "The West Texas Route".<br />
<br />
<youtube>81xjDCcwMag</youtube><br />
<br />
== Track ==<br />
<br />
=== Construction ===<br />
<br />
* West Coast rail using [[IBLS Track Standard]]<br />
* [[Texas Standard Tie Spacing]]<br />
* [[Sagitta Rule]] for measuring curves<br />
* [[Charles Field Track Panel Jig]]<br />
* Plastic ties from [[Enterprise Plastics Inc]]<br />
* [https://accu-tierailsystem.com/product-category/rail-bender/ Accu-tie Rail Bender]<br />
<br />
=== Parts List ===<br />
<br />
* Rail joiner screws<br />
** Star Pan Head MS 304 SS #10-32 x 3/4<br />
** Part Number TXM00026<br />
** https://AlbanyCountyFasteners.com<br />
** Drive tool: T25 (CR-V T25)<br />
** Notes: These were recommended by Ken Smith. They have worked very well. The Star tool provides positive grip and does not strip out like Phillips. I drive these with a DeWalt drill with the torque setting on 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
* Switch throw spring<br />
** Stock Code: [https://www.leespring.com/compression-springs?search=LC038E18M LC 038E 18 M (CAD drawings available here)]<br />
** Outside Diameter (inch): 0.36<br />
** Hole Diameter (inch): 0.375<br />
** Rod Diameter (inch): 0.271 (Fits over 1/4 inch threaded rod)<br />
** Free Length (inch): 2.5<br />
** Rate (lb/inch): 5.8<br />
** Solid Height (inch): 0.714<br />
** Wire Diameter (inch): 0.038<br />
** Material: Music Wire<br />
** Load at Solid Height(lb): 10.3<br />
** Notes: These were recommended by Ken Smith. They hold the blades firmly to the rail, but allow trains to trail through the turnout without derailing.</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Thurber_Mingus_%26_Southern_Railroad&diff=19034Thurber Mingus & Southern Railroad2026-04-09T13:55:43Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Tracks]]<br />
The [[Thurber Mingus & Southern Railroad]] is a 7-1/2 inch gauge back yard railroad owned and operated by [[Daris A Nevil|Daris & Brenda Nevil]]. It is informally referred to as "The Texas Route".<br />
<br />
<youtube>81xjDCcwMag</youtube><br />
<br />
== Track ==<br />
<br />
=== Construction ===<br />
<br />
* West Coast rail using [[IBLS Track Standard]]<br />
* [[Texas Standard Tie Spacing]]<br />
* [[Sagitta Rule]] for measuring curves<br />
* [[Charles Field Track Panel Jig]]<br />
* Plastic ties from [[Enterprise Plastics Inc]]<br />
* [https://accu-tierailsystem.com/product-category/rail-bender/ Accu-tie Rail Bender]<br />
<br />
=== Parts List ===<br />
<br />
* Rail joiner screws<br />
** Star Pan Head MS 304 SS #10-32 x 3/4<br />
** Part Number TXM00026<br />
** https://AlbanyCountyFasteners.com<br />
** Drive tool: T25 (CR-V T25)<br />
** Notes: These were recommended by Ken Smith. They have worked very well. The Star tool provides positive grip and does not strip out like Phillips. I drive these with a DeWalt drill with the torque setting on 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
* Switch throw spring<br />
** Stock Code: [https://www.leespring.com/compression-springs?search=LC038E18M LC 038E 18 M (CAD drawings available here)]<br />
** Outside Diameter (inch): 0.36<br />
** Hole Diameter (inch): 0.375<br />
** Rod Diameter (inch): 0.271 (Fits over 1/4 inch threaded rod)<br />
** Free Length (inch): 2.5<br />
** Rate (lb/inch): 5.8<br />
** Solid Height (inch): 0.714<br />
** Wire Diameter (inch): 0.038<br />
** Material: Music Wire<br />
** Load at Solid Height(lb): 10.3<br />
** Notes: These were recommended by Ken Smith. They hold the blades firmly to the rail, but allow trains to trail through the turnout without derailing.</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Thurber_Mingus_%26_Southern_Railroad&diff=19033Thurber Mingus & Southern Railroad2026-04-09T13:55:26Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Tracks]]<br />
The [[Thurber Mingus & Southern Railroad]] is a 7-1/2 inch gauge back yard railroad owned and operated by Daris & Brenda Nevil. It is informally referred to as "The Texas Route".<br />
<br />
<youtube>81xjDCcwMag</youtube><br />
<br />
== Track ==<br />
<br />
=== Construction ===<br />
<br />
* West Coast rail using [[IBLS Track Standard]]<br />
* [[Texas Standard Tie Spacing]]<br />
* [[Sagitta Rule]] for measuring curves<br />
* [[Charles Field Track Panel Jig]]<br />
* Plastic ties from [[Enterprise Plastics Inc]]<br />
* [https://accu-tierailsystem.com/product-category/rail-bender/ Accu-tie Rail Bender]<br />
<br />
=== Parts List ===<br />
<br />
* Rail joiner screws<br />
** Star Pan Head MS 304 SS #10-32 x 3/4<br />
** Part Number TXM00026<br />
** https://AlbanyCountyFasteners.com<br />
** Drive tool: T25 (CR-V T25)<br />
** Notes: These were recommended by Ken Smith. They have worked very well. The Star tool provides positive grip and does not strip out like Phillips. I drive these with a DeWalt drill with the torque setting on 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
* Switch throw spring<br />
** Stock Code: [https://www.leespring.com/compression-springs?search=LC038E18M LC 038E 18 M (CAD drawings available here)]<br />
** Outside Diameter (inch): 0.36<br />
** Hole Diameter (inch): 0.375<br />
** Rod Diameter (inch): 0.271 (Fits over 1/4 inch threaded rod)<br />
** Free Length (inch): 2.5<br />
** Rate (lb/inch): 5.8<br />
** Solid Height (inch): 0.714<br />
** Wire Diameter (inch): 0.038<br />
** Material: Music Wire<br />
** Load at Solid Height(lb): 10.3<br />
** Notes: These were recommended by Ken Smith. They hold the blades firmly to the rail, but allow trains to trail through the turnout without derailing.</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Mark_Bing&diff=19032Mark Bing2026-04-08T15:29:33Z<p>Dnevil: /* External Links */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
[[Mark Bing]] was a live steamer in Katy, Texas. His railroad has been featured on television and newspapers.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px perrow=2><br />
File:JakeCooper MarkBingTrack byBrianBanksw.jpg|Jake Cooper posted on Facebook, 21 February 2020: When I was probably 13 at Mark Bing track in Katy Texas running Walts loco. Photo courtesy of Brian Banks.<br />
File:LeeBalkum Becky MarkBing Track 1997.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/katy/news/article/Katy-doctor-caught-train-bug-at-an-early-age-6372972.php "Katy Doctor Caught Train Bug at an Early Age", <i>Chron.com</i>]<br />
* [http://texascountryreporter.com/rfd-tv/rfd-archive Texas Country Reporter Episode #431, originally aired 12-2-1995, featured Mark Bing's railroad]<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=110253 "Last Run, Dr. Mark Bing, M.D.", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [https://www.schmidtfuneralhome.net/obituaries/Mark-Lyndon-Bing-MD?obId=32432265 Obituary]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Mark_Bing&diff=19031Mark Bing2026-04-08T15:15:37Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
[[Mark Bing]] was a live steamer in Katy, Texas. His railroad has been featured on television and newspapers.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px perrow=2><br />
File:JakeCooper MarkBingTrack byBrianBanksw.jpg|Jake Cooper posted on Facebook, 21 February 2020: When I was probably 13 at Mark Bing track in Katy Texas running Walts loco. Photo courtesy of Brian Banks.<br />
File:LeeBalkum Becky MarkBing Track 1997.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/katy/news/article/Katy-doctor-caught-train-bug-at-an-early-age-6372972.php "Katy Doctor Caught Train Bug at an Early Age", <i>Chron.com</i>]<br />
* [http://texascountryreporter.com/rfd-tv/rfd-archive Texas Country Reporter Episode #431, originally aired 12-2-1995, featured Mark Bing's railroad]<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=110253 "Last Run, Dr. Mark Bing, M.D.", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [https://www.schmidtfuneralhome.net/obituary/dr-mark-bing?fbclid=IwAR1MtqT37hJMirIUeTP2ZaiyyuyIZe_W0G0wvfvDwAJpuCbRjzri1zTPy2Q Obituary]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:LeeBalkum_Becky_MarkBing_Track_1997.jpg&diff=19030File:LeeBalkum Becky MarkBing Track 1997.jpg2026-04-08T15:14:48Z<p>Dnevil: From https://www.balkum.com/lee.html</p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
From https://www.balkum.com/lee.html</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Comanche_%26_Indian_Gap_Railroad&diff=19029Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad2026-04-08T15:09:45Z<p>Dnevil: /* Renovation */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Tracks]]<br />
<br />
[[File:SantaFeCaboose999187 CGI.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Santa Fe caboose 999187 at the [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad]]. Photo by [[Daris A Nevil]], July 2015.]]<br />
The Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad is a private track located near Comanche, Texas. It was built by [[Roy Pickard]] and family and friends.<br />
<br />
== Meets ==<br />
<br />
=== 2025 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>g4JWC1lrlik</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2022 SWLS Spring Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>MzJKmB6D2B8</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2021 Spring Fling ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>bql8LAzFAWI</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2020 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<youtube>H6D9dVD0Ry4</youtube><br />
<br />
=== 2017 Fall Meet ===<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px perrow=2><br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Cason F3-ABBA.001.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7 001.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7-ABBA.003.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 Click F7-ABBA.004.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 IMG 1741.jpg<br />
File:CIG Fall Meet 2017 The Chief.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
=== 2016 Spring Ops Meet ===<br />
<br />
The annual Spring Operations Meet was held the week of March 6, 2016. In spite of heavy rain the meet was a great success.<br />
<br />
Danny Click wrote the following:<br />
<br />
: We started the re-building of the C&IG in late February of last year. In 12 months we have re-laid and refurbished over 3,000' of C&IG mainline.<br />
<br />
:* 1,500' of steel rail. Mainly on the outside rail of the curves.<br />
:* Nearly 4,000 EP plastic ties, 500 concrete ties. Plus about 500 new wood ties.<br />
:* Over 18,000 screws.<br />
:* About 35 tons of ballast and another 30 tons of road base.<br />
<br />
: We have some really good track now in some critical areas around the railroad, however, this place is huge we have several more years to go. That is just fine with us because for the Friends of the C&IG the journey is the fun! Stay tuned.<br />
<br />
== Renovation ==<br />
=== April 2026 ===<br />
<br />
Craig Stoops, C&IG Roadmaster, posted:<br />
<br />
: A work session was held the 1st week of April 2026, and a lot of work was completed getting ready for the spring meet:<br />
<br />
:* Re-leveling and re-ballasting Tlaquepaque to Anasazi<br />
:* Owens Junction erosion and track dip<br />
:* Pickard Gap winter storm rock slide damage. Replacement of damaged track section. Dug out the ROW to allow clearance for engine foot pegs<br />
:* Welding repairs on Lehnis Bridge<br />
:* Removal of dead trees hanging over the track<br />
:* Mexican hat tipple track wash out 1st order repairs.<br />
:* Crossing at the HE&WT smash gate was removed, cut and re-welded to fix the rabbit derailments.<br />
:* HE&WT track repairs at known derailment areas. Began track leveling project.<br />
:* Repainting of signage continues<br />
:* Rolling stock repairs<br />
<br />
: In Oct 2025 track maintenance work resumed after a 2 year hiatus with the leveling and re-ballasting of all 4 approaches to Slo Order.<br />
<br />
=== August 2016 ===<br />
Danny Click posted on <i>Facebook</i>, August 2016:<br />
<br />
: While working on the railroad, we always marvel at what Roy was able to build and accomplish. It is truly amazing. We will complete a section of the railroad and think about how much we accomplished that week look around and realize how big the railroad is! I wanted to see exactly how much of the railroad we have touched so far so I grabbed a track plan and highlighted the areas we have re-built or re-furbished in the last year and a half. The photo is below. I know Roy would enjoy the progress we've made and laugh out loud at the looks on our faces each time we look up covered in sweat and dirt and realize how far we have to go!....and love every minute of it! Most folks don't work as hard as we play!<br />
<br />
[[File:CIG Renovation as of August2016.jpg|thumb|center|500px]]<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
From [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=90539&p=218834&hilit=mid+central#p218834 Brian], posted on Chaski.org:<br />
<br />
: Roy and Marylin Pickard began this railroad way back in the late 70's - early 80's. It is the first point to point live steam railroad built and designed exclusively for operation, with dispatchers, radios, freight trains, and passenger trains running via timetable.<br />
<br />
: It takes a great amount of effort nearly year-round to maintain and then prepare the railroad for the runs in the spring and fall. The irregulars provide service from cutting brush, repairing and maintaining right of way and trackage, building and maintaining signals, and servicing and rebuilding rolling stock. We have folks that come from all over, and some of the gypsies have recently rebuilt one of the major steel bridges and a turntable.<br />
<br />
From [http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,2659543 Tom], posted on Trainorders.com:<br />
<br />
: In the late 1970's Roy Pickard bought a ranch near Priddy, Tx. He went to Texas A&M to learn how to raise cows so that he could get a agricultural tax exemption on the land. His real purpose was to build a live steam railroad, the Comanche and Indian Gap. It would be spread over about 150 acres of rolling land, some heavily forested and other parts out in the open.<br />
<br />
: Roy and his son built about 80% of the railroad moving a lot of dirt and rocks to provide a right of way. Word spread about it and some came to see what he had done before it was finished. Some said he was crazy, others just thought he was a little nuts. But, in spite of that some started helping and the railroad main line was finished. It had to cross some creeks, one in particular called Cowhouse Creek which required a 120 ft bridge that ranged to a height of 10 ft over the Creek,and rise up some tough hills with plenty of curvature. Some parts such as the "raceway allowed you to "come out" on the throttle if only for a 150 yards, then it was back to curves and grades.<br />
<br />
: Roy wasn't just building a live steam track, he was building a railroad complete with many passing tracks and sidings for freight trains to work. It was to be operated as a real railroad, dispatched by radio controlling train movements and meets. Roy made use of concealment of the track in wooded areas. In some places you would be close to another part of he mainline of the railroad and not even know it when trees and bushes were leafed out. The track ran from 3 terminals, West Yard, Comanche Yard, and Indian Gap each with a turntable and water spouts. It had tower 17, a tall structure that seated the dispatcher and a CTC machine for the Zuni (Tower 17) tracks and wye. It was the nerve center of the railroad. Radios were early radio shack 5 channel radios with only 1/4 miles range and not really good at that.<br />
<br />
: Roy's wife has said she will keep the meets going as long as she lives. All maintenance is now done by a small group of men who come to the track about 4 weekends a year plus all those who come to meets work on track Monday-Wednesday, and then run the rest of he week. The tracks 31 year history has almost a complete turnover in those who now come to the meets. Many of the original group have passed away and others are so old now they just don't travel the long distances to get there anymore. Even I don't come but a couple of days now. Knees just can't do what they used to do. Father time can be a little cruel.<br />
<br />
[[Terry McGrath]] wrote, 5 May 2014:<br />
<br />
: I attended the spring meet at the C&IG, rode the trains, walked the mainline, spent some time in the West Yard. I found concrete ties and new wood ties, expanded ballast work along portions of the main line and working signals. Trains had little trouble with derailments and I noticed a lot of retainer walls to keep mud from sliding onto the mainline during rains. While the railroad needs much more work, I have concluded that the C&IG is going to be around for many years to come. Peter is very enthusiastic about the future of the railroad, and has said the Pickard family is committed to keep operations going forward. If you are thinking of going to the C&IG's fall meet in October, right after the Terrell meet, consider taking your engine and some cars, as there will be even more work done on the railroad this summer.<br />
<br />
In 2018 Peter Bryan put together a list of key people responsible for the development of the railroad. Please note that this list is not complete.<br />
<br />
* [[Gene Allen]]<br />
* Joe & Gwen Baily<br />
* Lee Balkum<br />
* [[Harry Bean|Harry "Scorcher" Bean]]<br />
* Rick Bierman<br />
* [[Henry Blossom|Hank & Myra Blossom]]<br />
* Bob Blyth<br />
* [[Ken Casford]]<br />
* Billy Chaffin<br />
* Doug Chancey<br />
* [[John Enders]]<br />
* Tom Enloe<br />
* Harry Haas<br />
* [[Truman Hefner|Truman & Vera Hefner]]<br />
* Ernest Gerloff<br />
* [[Alex Hitzfelder|Alex, Grace and Nick Hitzfelder]]<br />
* Jack Green<br />
* James Goodson<br />
* [[David Hannah III]]<br />
* Ralph Howels<br />
* Loren Jennings<br />
* [[Walter Johnson]]<br />
* Tom Keenan<br />
* [[Ed Leatherwood|Ed & Jean Leatherwood]]<br />
* [[Jack Lucks|Jack & Shirley Lucks]]<br />
* Lee Lyons<br />
* [[Ed McCamey]]<br />
* [[Terry McGrath]]<br />
* [[Jim Murray]]<br />
* Art Olds<br />
* Jack & Lyrette Owen<br />
* [[Roy Pickard]]<br />
* Ben Pearlman<br />
* Ed Rains<br />
* Lynn Ratliff<br />
* Joe & May Robertson<br />
* Harry & Shirley Simpson<br />
* Dan Spiner<br />
* Mike Spoor<br />
* [[Fred Springer]]<br />
* Harold Staples<br />
* [[C.T. Sumrall]]<br />
* Jim "Tweetie" Tolson<br />
* Julian Van Sickle<br />
* K. Volrath<br />
* Curt Werner<br />
* Richard Wilms<br />
<br />
== Gallery ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:C&IG SlowOrderBridge LeeBalkam.jpg|Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad, Slo Order Bridge, photo from [http://www.balkum.com/lee.html Lee Balkham website]<br />
File:GarrettBean 3420X ComancheIndianGap 2001 DiscoverLiveSteam.jpg|Seven-year-old Garrett at the throttle of his grandfather's (Harry "Scorcher" Bean) 1.5-inch Southern Pacific consolidation #3420X pulling out of the Indian Gap yard on the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad in 2001. From [http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/photocontest/2001/photocontest2001-1.htm DiscoverLiveSteam.com]<br />
File:CIG ComancheYard Fall1999 FrolinMarek.jpg|A view of Comanche Yard in the Fall of 1999. Photo by Frolin Marek.<br />
File:TrumanHeffner Warbonnet CIG.jpg|Truman Heffer's 4-unit lash-up at the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad. Photo by C. Randall Wilson.<br />
File:CIG Spring Meet 20180426 by Danny Click 2.jpg|Comanche & Indian Gap RR Spring Meet 25 April 2018. Photo by Danny Click.<br />
File:CIG Spring Meet 20180426 by Danny Click.jpg<br />
File:JimRobison CompressorPowered 484 CIG byFrankPickard.jpg|Jim Robison built this 4-8-4 in 1.5 inch scale. It is shown here on the old hydraulic turntable of the Comanche & Indian Gap RR. Vance Nickerson said the locomotive was powered by a gas engine and compressor setup. Photo by Frank Pickard. Posted on Facebook, 20180509.<br />
File:FrankMann 5001 CIG 20180127 Click.jpg|Frank Mann's 5001 arrived at Comanche & Indian Gap RR, 27 January 2018. It will rest here until repairs begin later this year. Photo by Danny Click.<br />
File:FrankMann 5001 CIG 20180127 Click side.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
=== Pickard Gap ===<br />
<br />
by Tom Stamey<br />
<br />
Roy had named a lot of spots along the railroad, some for individuals, the bridge over helper, town of Gotebo, passing track of [[Martin Lehnis|Lehnis]], etc. We dept asking what he was going to name Pickard. He said absolutely nothing because if he did it would be kind of self serving and he was not into that because too many other people had helped.<br />
<br />
The loop around Comanche had been a thorn in his side for years. He had tried everyway under the sun to cut through and could not. Dick Parker of Chicago came up with the idea of people chipping in to pay for a BIG bull dozer to come do the work. $100 a person was asked and paid. All without Roy knowing what was going on until the money had been collected and he was told about it (becuase he would have to get someone with a dozer out there). [[Truman Hefner]] and I paid for a plack to be made naming the cut "Pickard Gap" and surprised Roy with it at a ceremony regarding the last rail being laid in the gap. [[Jack Lucks]] videoed it.<br />
<br />
== Meets ==<br />
<br />
* [[Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad 2018]]<br />
<br />
== Models ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:CIG HO Boxcar.jpg|An Athearn HO Boxcar decorated in Comanche and Indian Gap colors.<br />
File:CIG NScale Boxcar.jpg|An N Scale model bearing the Comanche and Indian Gap herald. From ebay.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Video ==<br />
<br />
<youtube>QAmjQNGe0Ns</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>qQZWcLmvGec</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>JPXP4WbwCik</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>ZyIL-Rg-rso</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>XNyc3XYj8B4</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>kkf3uWRjKYc</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>5H5a96H2F8w</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>70c_B4ng8gI</youtube><br />
<br />
<youtube>kNu5bL9PF2c</youtube><br />
<br />
=== Texas Live Steam ===<br />
<br />
[http://www.grandscales.com/media/Texa.html Robinson and Associates] published a video titled "Texas Live Steam" in 2008. The following description of the C&IG is from their website:<br />
<br />
: Robinson takes us to Roy Pickard’s Comanche & Indian Gap. Even though most of the railroad is just a few hundred yards from the rest of the railroad there is a wide variety of landscape in miniature. Portions of the railroad run through rolling hills with deep cuts and high fills. There are thick patches of bushes and small gnarled trees that make very believable scale woods. Other areas evoke a sense of broad grassy prairies with sun scorched earth. <br />
<br />
: For the last hundred years the most common form of live steam “operations” has been heading out on the mainline loop and making sure you didn’t run into the train ahead of you. From the beginning Mr. Pickard wanted a railroad that would more closely replicate the activity of the prototype. This was a rather revolutionary idea in the live steam world thirty years ago. And the C&IG deserves credit for being a pioneer in live steam railroad operations.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=400px heights=400px><br />
File:TexasLiveSteam cover.jpg<br />
File:TexasLiveSteam back.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Bibliography ==<br />
<br />
* "The Comanche & Indian Gap RR", Peter R. Bryan, '''Model Railroader''', July 1997, Vol 64, Issue 7, page 74<br />
* [http://www.digitalmediatree.com/tommoody/comment/23313/ Tom Moody comments and photos on C&IG]<br />
* [http://sanjac.leoslair.com/resources/Derails/Derail-2010/derail-06-2010_derail.pdf 2010 Operations on C&IG <i>The Drail</i>]<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=67620 Meet Report, May 2005, <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Richard_Ulin&diff=19028Richard Ulin2026-04-08T14:43:49Z<p>Dnevil: /* 2-6-4 Mason Bogie */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
[[Richard Ulin]] founded [[Ulin Locomotive Works]]. He designed a D&RG K-27 2-8-2 and a 2-6-4 Mason Bogie, both in 2.5 inch scale.<br />
<br />
== 2-6-4 Mason Bogie ==<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px perrow=2><br />
File:RichUlin on MasonBogie1.jpg|Richard Ulin on his 2-6-4 Mason Bogie.<br />
File:RichUlin MasonBogie2.jpg<br />
File:RichUlin MasonBogie cylinder drive.jpg<br />
File:RichUlin MasonBogie drivers.jpg<br />
File:RichUlin MasonBogie rear truck.jpg<br />
File:RichUlin MasonBogie stack.jpg<br />
File:RichUlin MasonBogie Bell.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=110114 "In Memory - Richard Ulin", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Ulin_Locomotive_Works&diff=19027Ulin Locomotive Works2026-04-08T14:43:17Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Suppliers]]<br />
<br />
[[Ulin Locomotive Works]] was founded by [[Richard Ulin]] of Colorado.<br />
<br />
As of June 2017 all [[Ulin Locomotive Works|Ulin]] line was purchase by [[Alco West Locomotives]].<br />
<br />
Rob Gardner posted the following on <i>Facebook</i>, April 2026:<br />
<br />
: [[Accucraft Ride-On Trains|Accucraft]] bought [[Richard Ulin]]'s patterns and castings including those for the 2.5 inch scale K-27 that he had designed and offered, but I don't believe they are currently being offered for sale.<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?t=93695 "Ulin Locomotive", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [http://www.fpvrr.org/locomotive-photos/the-richard-ulin-designed-contraption/ "Richard Ulin designed Contraption", <i>Flintridge & Portola Valley</i>]<br />
* [http://oldtomstoys.com/2013/12/14/ulins-2-12-inch-mason-bogie/ "Ulin’s 2 1/2 Inch Mason Bogie"]<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=105410 "Ulin Locomotive Works", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?t=110228 "Ulin Locomotive Works Production Data", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Ulin_Locomotive_Works&diff=19026Ulin Locomotive Works2026-04-08T14:42:23Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Suppliers]]<br />
<br />
[[Ulin Locomotive Works]] was founded by [[Richard Ulin]] of Colorado.<br />
<br />
As of June 2017 all [[Ulin Locomotive Works|Ulin]] line was purchase by [[Alco West Locomotives]].<br />
<br />
Rob Gardner posted the following on <i>Facebook</i>, April 2026:<br />
<br />
: [[Accucraft]] bought [[Richard Ulin]]'s patterns and castings including those for the 2.5 inch scale K-27 that he had designed and offered, but I don't believe they are currently being offered for sale.<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?t=93695 "Ulin Locomotive", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [http://www.fpvrr.org/locomotive-photos/the-richard-ulin-designed-contraption/ "Richard Ulin designed Contraption", <i>Flintridge & Portola Valley</i>]<br />
* [http://oldtomstoys.com/2013/12/14/ulins-2-12-inch-mason-bogie/ "Ulin’s 2 1/2 Inch Mason Bogie"]<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=105410 "Ulin Locomotive Works", <i>Chaski.org</i>]<br />
* [https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?t=110228 "Ulin Locomotive Works Production Data", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_American_No56-08.jpeg&diff=19025File:AlMilburn American No56-08.jpeg2026-04-04T10:22:44Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
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<div></div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_American_No56-11.jpeg&diff=19024File:AlMilburn American No56-11.jpeg2026-04-04T10:21:44Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
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<div></div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_American_No56-07.jpeg&diff=19019File:AlMilburn American No56-07.jpeg2026-04-04T10:17:29Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
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<div></div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_American_No56-06.jpeg&diff=19018File:AlMilburn American No56-06.jpeg2026-04-04T10:16:14Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
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<div></div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_American_No56-04.jpeg&diff=19016File:AlMilburn American No56-04.jpeg2026-04-04T10:14:46Z<p>Dnevil: Dnevil uploaded a new version of File:AlMilburn American No56-04.jpeg</p>
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<div></div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_American_No56-04.jpeg&diff=19015File:AlMilburn American No56-04.jpeg2026-04-04T10:14:02Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_American_No56-02.jpeg&diff=19014File:AlMilburn American No56-02.jpeg2026-04-04T10:13:27Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_American_No56-12.jpeg&diff=19013File:AlMilburn American No56-12.jpeg2026-04-04T10:09:11Z<p>Dnevil: From ebay</p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
From ebay</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Al_Milburn&diff=19012Al Milburn2026-04-04T10:08:29Z<p>Dnevil: /* American No. 56 */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
Alder Milburn was a Live Steamer who lived in Milford, Connecticut. He was a member of the [[New England Live Steamers]]. He produced several fine locomotives, all created from raw stock without castings. <br />
<br />
== 1940 ==<br />
<br />
From [[New_England_Live_Steamers#1940|New England Live Steamers]]:<br />
<br />
: Upper-right: -- 4-4-2 3-1/2" gague. [[Bill Van Brocklin|W. S. Van Brocklin, Jr.]], builder. [[Al Milburn]] running the engine with Billy as passenger.<br />
<br />
[[File:NELS Meet Danvers 1940.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]<br />
<br />
== 1949 ==<br />
<br />
[[File:LesterFriendsHomeShop Davners1949 AWLeggett.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Lester Friend]]'s home shop, Danvers, Mass., 1949. Front left to right: [[Arthur Wegner|Art Wegner]], Ray Peck, Lester Friend's daughter. Bending over: Lester Friend. At right behind: [[Al Milburn]]. Photo by A.W. Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
== 1950 ==<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1950]]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]]'s cut from the solid Atlantic a beautiful job to see.<br />
<br />
[[File:Danvers50 billy leggett layout watercolour.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Bill Leggett admiring [[Al Milburn]]'s Atlantic (top) at BLS Meet at Danvers, MA, 1950. Photo by A.W. Leggett, provided by Jim Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079&p=212684&hilit=Milburn#p212684 [[Keith Taylor]] posted on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4" scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1951 ==<br />
<br />
From [[Youd Better Not Call Them Toys]]:<br />
<br />
[[File:AC Milburn Atlantic Progress May 1951.jpg|thumb|right|300px|From "You'd Better Not Call Them Toys"]]<br />
<br />
: Many men who didn't know a drill press from a grape press until they started their first loco have found that the thousands of hours of trial-and-error shop work have made them competent machinists. One such is [[Al Milburn|A. C. Milburn]] of Milford, Connecticut. Ten years ago he started work on a 1/2-inch scale freight engine in his spare time from a 4,000-foot coal shaft where he was a digger, today Milburn is a well-paid toolmaker-thanks to live steam.<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1951]]:<br />
<br />
: The former speed record of 26 MPH set at Danvers some years ago by Norm Robinson & his 3/4 inch scale Fayette, or our friend [[Al Milburn]]'s record of 22 MPH on his own former home loop with his 2-1/2 inch gauge Lucy-Ann 4-8-4, would very likely raise the hair on the necks of these California steam boys. These records were watch timed and are actual miles per hour, not scale MPH.<br />
<br />
== 3/4" Atlantic ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079 Keith Taylor wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4 inch scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1960's ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109746 Mark Bassini wrote on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: The 1 inch scale 870 built by [[Al Milburn]] & once owned by Pierre Mauer & then by my father, now in my possession.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961 unknown.jpg|Al Milburn's No 870 4-4-0 in 1 inch scale. Note that [[Brenton Barnfather]]'s tote box is in the background. Photo was taken May 1961 at unknown location.<br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961.jpg<br />
File:AlMilburn PVLS circa1960 SteveBratina.jpg|Adrian Buyse and [[Al Milburn]] with Milburn's New York Central and Hudson River Railroad 870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers|PVLS]]. Milburn built #870 from solid stock. Circa 1960. Photo by Steve Bratina.<br />
File:AlMilburns NYC870 PVLS1965.jpg|[[Al Milburn]]'s NYC&HR RR #870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers]], 1965. Photo by Sandiapaul.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Raybestos Article ==<br />
<br />
[[File:AlMilburn basement workshop.jpeg|Al Milburn in his basement workshop|thumb|500px|center]]<br />
We are very happy to include in our Hobby Show Case this week [[Al Milburn]], who is pictured above working on the miniature of a large locomotive which is the second one he has constructed since starting his hobby in 1935.<br />
<br />
Back in 1933, Al visited a sports show and saw his first miniature engine and decided at that time he would some day design and construct one of his own miniatures.<br />
<br />
In 1935 Al started to work on his first engine. He was a book binder by trade, with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, and through research and book learning he completed his first locomotive with two flat cars after 10 long years of work at his hobby. He approximates that the engine took him 4,000 hours to build.<br />
<br />
This engine was designed by an Englishman who wrote a series of articles in an American publication. Al says that the knowledge gained the first year in working with his hobby through this self education enabled him to give up book binding and take a job as an instrument maker in a local plant, so actually he had a new trade, a hobby and a wealth of mechanical<br />
knowledge.<br />
<br />
The engine shown above is about 80% complete, and is Al's own design. It is cut from solid steel with no castings used.<br />
<br />
All parts are hand filed and cut. He figures that the four driving wheels took him approximately 400 hours to complete.<br />
<br />
We could fill pages on interesting facts concerning Al's hobby and have only touched on some of the outstanding ones, but we feel it is worth mentioning that Al has been written up six times in [[Model Engineer]], which is a London publication having a very large worldwide circulation.<br />
<br />
Al has a photograph album which shows the construction of his<br />
first miniature from the beginning up to its completion, together with pictures of many outstanding personages who are fascinated by his hobby and have visited his home to learn more about it while other individuals who have the same interests are there to compare notes on his masterpieces.<br />
<br />
In looking over Al's album it was interesting to note that he is considered a friendly rival to Dr. J. Bradbury Winter who built the finest little locomotive ever seen, and Al had the fortitude to follow the example of this fine craftsman in completing an engine comparable to Dr. Winter's.<br />
<br />
Through his photography work in connection with pictures of each stage of his engine, Al has become a first rate photographer and this can also be added as another one of his accomplishments. Al welcomes visitors to see his engines and many of our readers will recall that he had his first miniature on display at Raybestos Family Day two years ago.<br />
<br />
== American No. 56 ==<br />
<br />
Al’s last locomotive was listed on <i>eBay</i>, April 2026. <br />
<br />
: This is a nearly complete live steam engine and elevated track stand hand precision made by renowned maker, Al Milburn. Also included is his handmade prototype of the link motion and blueprints. See last picture. The boiler needs to be completed. He passed before he could complete this, his last of many live steam, highly collectible trains. All his live steam trains were built in his basement machine shop in Milford, Connecticut.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px><br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-01.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-02.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-03.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-04.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-05.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-06.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-07.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-08.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-09.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-10.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-11.jpeg<br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-12.jpeg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99962&hilit=Milburn "The Norman Mottshaw NYC Hudson in 3/4" Scale", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Al_Milburn&diff=19011Al Milburn2026-04-04T09:57:49Z<p>Dnevil: /* American No. 56 */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
Alder Milburn was a Live Steamer who lived in Milford, Connecticut. He was a member of the [[New England Live Steamers]]. He produced several fine locomotives, all created from raw stock without castings. <br />
<br />
== 1940 ==<br />
<br />
From [[New_England_Live_Steamers#1940|New England Live Steamers]]:<br />
<br />
: Upper-right: -- 4-4-2 3-1/2" gague. [[Bill Van Brocklin|W. S. Van Brocklin, Jr.]], builder. [[Al Milburn]] running the engine with Billy as passenger.<br />
<br />
[[File:NELS Meet Danvers 1940.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]<br />
<br />
== 1949 ==<br />
<br />
[[File:LesterFriendsHomeShop Davners1949 AWLeggett.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Lester Friend]]'s home shop, Danvers, Mass., 1949. Front left to right: [[Arthur Wegner|Art Wegner]], Ray Peck, Lester Friend's daughter. Bending over: Lester Friend. At right behind: [[Al Milburn]]. Photo by A.W. Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
== 1950 ==<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1950]]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]]'s cut from the solid Atlantic a beautiful job to see.<br />
<br />
[[File:Danvers50 billy leggett layout watercolour.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Bill Leggett admiring [[Al Milburn]]'s Atlantic (top) at BLS Meet at Danvers, MA, 1950. Photo by A.W. Leggett, provided by Jim Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079&p=212684&hilit=Milburn#p212684 [[Keith Taylor]] posted on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4" scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1951 ==<br />
<br />
From [[Youd Better Not Call Them Toys]]:<br />
<br />
[[File:AC Milburn Atlantic Progress May 1951.jpg|thumb|right|300px|From "You'd Better Not Call Them Toys"]]<br />
<br />
: Many men who didn't know a drill press from a grape press until they started their first loco have found that the thousands of hours of trial-and-error shop work have made them competent machinists. One such is [[Al Milburn|A. C. Milburn]] of Milford, Connecticut. Ten years ago he started work on a 1/2-inch scale freight engine in his spare time from a 4,000-foot coal shaft where he was a digger, today Milburn is a well-paid toolmaker-thanks to live steam.<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1951]]:<br />
<br />
: The former speed record of 26 MPH set at Danvers some years ago by Norm Robinson & his 3/4 inch scale Fayette, or our friend [[Al Milburn]]'s record of 22 MPH on his own former home loop with his 2-1/2 inch gauge Lucy-Ann 4-8-4, would very likely raise the hair on the necks of these California steam boys. These records were watch timed and are actual miles per hour, not scale MPH.<br />
<br />
== 3/4" Atlantic ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079 Keith Taylor wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4 inch scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1960's ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109746 Mark Bassini wrote on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: The 1 inch scale 870 built by [[Al Milburn]] & once owned by Pierre Mauer & then by my father, now in my possession.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961 unknown.jpg|Al Milburn's No 870 4-4-0 in 1 inch scale. Note that [[Brenton Barnfather]]'s tote box is in the background. Photo was taken May 1961 at unknown location.<br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961.jpg<br />
File:AlMilburn PVLS circa1960 SteveBratina.jpg|Adrian Buyse and [[Al Milburn]] with Milburn's New York Central and Hudson River Railroad 870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers|PVLS]]. Milburn built #870 from solid stock. Circa 1960. Photo by Steve Bratina.<br />
File:AlMilburns NYC870 PVLS1965.jpg|[[Al Milburn]]'s NYC&HR RR #870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers]], 1965. Photo by Sandiapaul.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Raybestos Article ==<br />
<br />
[[File:AlMilburn basement workshop.jpeg|Al Milburn in his basement workshop|thumb|500px|center]]<br />
We are very happy to include in our Hobby Show Case this week [[Al Milburn]], who is pictured above working on the miniature of a large locomotive which is the second one he has constructed since starting his hobby in 1935.<br />
<br />
Back in 1933, Al visited a sports show and saw his first miniature engine and decided at that time he would some day design and construct one of his own miniatures.<br />
<br />
In 1935 Al started to work on his first engine. He was a book binder by trade, with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, and through research and book learning he completed his first locomotive with two flat cars after 10 long years of work at his hobby. He approximates that the engine took him 4,000 hours to build.<br />
<br />
This engine was designed by an Englishman who wrote a series of articles in an American publication. Al says that the knowledge gained the first year in working with his hobby through this self education enabled him to give up book binding and take a job as an instrument maker in a local plant, so actually he had a new trade, a hobby and a wealth of mechanical<br />
knowledge.<br />
<br />
The engine shown above is about 80% complete, and is Al's own design. It is cut from solid steel with no castings used.<br />
<br />
All parts are hand filed and cut. He figures that the four driving wheels took him approximately 400 hours to complete.<br />
<br />
We could fill pages on interesting facts concerning Al's hobby and have only touched on some of the outstanding ones, but we feel it is worth mentioning that Al has been written up six times in [[Model Engineer]], which is a London publication having a very large worldwide circulation.<br />
<br />
Al has a photograph album which shows the construction of his<br />
first miniature from the beginning up to its completion, together with pictures of many outstanding personages who are fascinated by his hobby and have visited his home to learn more about it while other individuals who have the same interests are there to compare notes on his masterpieces.<br />
<br />
In looking over Al's album it was interesting to note that he is considered a friendly rival to Dr. J. Bradbury Winter who built the finest little locomotive ever seen, and Al had the fortitude to follow the example of this fine craftsman in completing an engine comparable to Dr. Winter's.<br />
<br />
Through his photography work in connection with pictures of each stage of his engine, Al has become a first rate photographer and this can also be added as another one of his accomplishments. Al welcomes visitors to see his engines and many of our readers will recall that he had his first miniature on display at Raybestos Family Day two years ago.<br />
<br />
== American No. 56 ==<br />
<br />
Al’s last locomotive was listed on <i>eBay</i>, April 2026. <br />
<br />
: This is a nearly complete live steam engine and elevated track stand hand precision made by renowned maker, Al Milburn. Also included is his handmade prototype of the link motion and blueprints. See last picture. The boiler needs to be completed. He passed before he could complete this, his last of many live steam, highly collectible trains. All his live steam trains were built in his basement machine shop in Milford, Connecticut.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px><br />
File:AlMilburn American No56-01.jpeg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99962&hilit=Milburn "The Norman Mottshaw NYC Hudson in 3/4" Scale", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_American_No56-01.jpeg&diff=19010File:AlMilburn American No56-01.jpeg2026-04-04T09:57:03Z<p>Dnevil: From ebay</p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
From ebay</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Al_Milburn&diff=19009Al Milburn2026-04-04T09:49:26Z<p>Dnevil: /* American No. 56 */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
Alder Milburn was a Live Steamer who lived in Milford, Connecticut. He was a member of the [[New England Live Steamers]]. He produced several fine locomotives, all created from raw stock without castings. <br />
<br />
== 1940 ==<br />
<br />
From [[New_England_Live_Steamers#1940|New England Live Steamers]]:<br />
<br />
: Upper-right: -- 4-4-2 3-1/2" gague. [[Bill Van Brocklin|W. S. Van Brocklin, Jr.]], builder. [[Al Milburn]] running the engine with Billy as passenger.<br />
<br />
[[File:NELS Meet Danvers 1940.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]<br />
<br />
== 1949 ==<br />
<br />
[[File:LesterFriendsHomeShop Davners1949 AWLeggett.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Lester Friend]]'s home shop, Danvers, Mass., 1949. Front left to right: [[Arthur Wegner|Art Wegner]], Ray Peck, Lester Friend's daughter. Bending over: Lester Friend. At right behind: [[Al Milburn]]. Photo by A.W. Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
== 1950 ==<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1950]]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]]'s cut from the solid Atlantic a beautiful job to see.<br />
<br />
[[File:Danvers50 billy leggett layout watercolour.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Bill Leggett admiring [[Al Milburn]]'s Atlantic (top) at BLS Meet at Danvers, MA, 1950. Photo by A.W. Leggett, provided by Jim Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079&p=212684&hilit=Milburn#p212684 [[Keith Taylor]] posted on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4" scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1951 ==<br />
<br />
From [[Youd Better Not Call Them Toys]]:<br />
<br />
[[File:AC Milburn Atlantic Progress May 1951.jpg|thumb|right|300px|From "You'd Better Not Call Them Toys"]]<br />
<br />
: Many men who didn't know a drill press from a grape press until they started their first loco have found that the thousands of hours of trial-and-error shop work have made them competent machinists. One such is [[Al Milburn|A. C. Milburn]] of Milford, Connecticut. Ten years ago he started work on a 1/2-inch scale freight engine in his spare time from a 4,000-foot coal shaft where he was a digger, today Milburn is a well-paid toolmaker-thanks to live steam.<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1951]]:<br />
<br />
: The former speed record of 26 MPH set at Danvers some years ago by Norm Robinson & his 3/4 inch scale Fayette, or our friend [[Al Milburn]]'s record of 22 MPH on his own former home loop with his 2-1/2 inch gauge Lucy-Ann 4-8-4, would very likely raise the hair on the necks of these California steam boys. These records were watch timed and are actual miles per hour, not scale MPH.<br />
<br />
== 3/4" Atlantic ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079 Keith Taylor wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4 inch scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1960's ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109746 Mark Bassini wrote on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: The 1 inch scale 870 built by [[Al Milburn]] & once owned by Pierre Mauer & then by my father, now in my possession.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961 unknown.jpg|Al Milburn's No 870 4-4-0 in 1 inch scale. Note that [[Brenton Barnfather]]'s tote box is in the background. Photo was taken May 1961 at unknown location.<br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961.jpg<br />
File:AlMilburn PVLS circa1960 SteveBratina.jpg|Adrian Buyse and [[Al Milburn]] with Milburn's New York Central and Hudson River Railroad 870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers|PVLS]]. Milburn built #870 from solid stock. Circa 1960. Photo by Steve Bratina.<br />
File:AlMilburns NYC870 PVLS1965.jpg|[[Al Milburn]]'s NYC&HR RR #870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers]], 1965. Photo by Sandiapaul.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Raybestos Article ==<br />
<br />
[[File:AlMilburn basement workshop.jpeg|Al Milburn in his basement workshop|thumb|500px|center]]<br />
We are very happy to include in our Hobby Show Case this week [[Al Milburn]], who is pictured above working on the miniature of a large locomotive which is the second one he has constructed since starting his hobby in 1935.<br />
<br />
Back in 1933, Al visited a sports show and saw his first miniature engine and decided at that time he would some day design and construct one of his own miniatures.<br />
<br />
In 1935 Al started to work on his first engine. He was a book binder by trade, with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, and through research and book learning he completed his first locomotive with two flat cars after 10 long years of work at his hobby. He approximates that the engine took him 4,000 hours to build.<br />
<br />
This engine was designed by an Englishman who wrote a series of articles in an American publication. Al says that the knowledge gained the first year in working with his hobby through this self education enabled him to give up book binding and take a job as an instrument maker in a local plant, so actually he had a new trade, a hobby and a wealth of mechanical<br />
knowledge.<br />
<br />
The engine shown above is about 80% complete, and is Al's own design. It is cut from solid steel with no castings used.<br />
<br />
All parts are hand filed and cut. He figures that the four driving wheels took him approximately 400 hours to complete.<br />
<br />
We could fill pages on interesting facts concerning Al's hobby and have only touched on some of the outstanding ones, but we feel it is worth mentioning that Al has been written up six times in [[Model Engineer]], which is a London publication having a very large worldwide circulation.<br />
<br />
Al has a photograph album which shows the construction of his<br />
first miniature from the beginning up to its completion, together with pictures of many outstanding personages who are fascinated by his hobby and have visited his home to learn more about it while other individuals who have the same interests are there to compare notes on his masterpieces.<br />
<br />
In looking over Al's album it was interesting to note that he is considered a friendly rival to Dr. J. Bradbury Winter who built the finest little locomotive ever seen, and Al had the fortitude to follow the example of this fine craftsman in completing an engine comparable to Dr. Winter's.<br />
<br />
Through his photography work in connection with pictures of each stage of his engine, Al has become a first rate photographer and this can also be added as another one of his accomplishments. Al welcomes visitors to see his engines and many of our readers will recall that he had his first miniature on display at Raybestos Family Day two years ago.<br />
<br />
== American No. 56 ==<br />
<br />
Al’s last locomotive was listed on <i>eBay</i>, April 2026. <br />
<br />
: This is a nearly complete live steam engine and elevated track stand hand precision made by renowned maker, Al Milburn. Also included is his handmade prototype of the link motion and blueprints. See last picture. The boiler needs to be completed. He passed before he could complete this, his last of many live steam, highly collectible trains. All his live steam trains were built in his basement machine shop in Milford, Connecticut.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px><br />
<br />
<gallery><br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99962&hilit=Milburn "The Norman Mottshaw NYC Hudson in 3/4" Scale", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Al_Milburn&diff=19008Al Milburn2026-04-04T09:49:05Z<p>Dnevil: /* American No. 56 */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
Alder Milburn was a Live Steamer who lived in Milford, Connecticut. He was a member of the [[New England Live Steamers]]. He produced several fine locomotives, all created from raw stock without castings. <br />
<br />
== 1940 ==<br />
<br />
From [[New_England_Live_Steamers#1940|New England Live Steamers]]:<br />
<br />
: Upper-right: -- 4-4-2 3-1/2" gague. [[Bill Van Brocklin|W. S. Van Brocklin, Jr.]], builder. [[Al Milburn]] running the engine with Billy as passenger.<br />
<br />
[[File:NELS Meet Danvers 1940.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]<br />
<br />
== 1949 ==<br />
<br />
[[File:LesterFriendsHomeShop Davners1949 AWLeggett.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Lester Friend]]'s home shop, Danvers, Mass., 1949. Front left to right: [[Arthur Wegner|Art Wegner]], Ray Peck, Lester Friend's daughter. Bending over: Lester Friend. At right behind: [[Al Milburn]]. Photo by A.W. Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
== 1950 ==<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1950]]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]]'s cut from the solid Atlantic a beautiful job to see.<br />
<br />
[[File:Danvers50 billy leggett layout watercolour.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Bill Leggett admiring [[Al Milburn]]'s Atlantic (top) at BLS Meet at Danvers, MA, 1950. Photo by A.W. Leggett, provided by Jim Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079&p=212684&hilit=Milburn#p212684 [[Keith Taylor]] posted on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4" scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1951 ==<br />
<br />
From [[Youd Better Not Call Them Toys]]:<br />
<br />
[[File:AC Milburn Atlantic Progress May 1951.jpg|thumb|right|300px|From "You'd Better Not Call Them Toys"]]<br />
<br />
: Many men who didn't know a drill press from a grape press until they started their first loco have found that the thousands of hours of trial-and-error shop work have made them competent machinists. One such is [[Al Milburn|A. C. Milburn]] of Milford, Connecticut. Ten years ago he started work on a 1/2-inch scale freight engine in his spare time from a 4,000-foot coal shaft where he was a digger, today Milburn is a well-paid toolmaker-thanks to live steam.<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1951]]:<br />
<br />
: The former speed record of 26 MPH set at Danvers some years ago by Norm Robinson & his 3/4 inch scale Fayette, or our friend [[Al Milburn]]'s record of 22 MPH on his own former home loop with his 2-1/2 inch gauge Lucy-Ann 4-8-4, would very likely raise the hair on the necks of these California steam boys. These records were watch timed and are actual miles per hour, not scale MPH.<br />
<br />
== 3/4" Atlantic ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079 Keith Taylor wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4 inch scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1960's ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109746 Mark Bassini wrote on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: The 1 inch scale 870 built by [[Al Milburn]] & once owned by Pierre Mauer & then by my father, now in my possession.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961 unknown.jpg|Al Milburn's No 870 4-4-0 in 1 inch scale. Note that [[Brenton Barnfather]]'s tote box is in the background. Photo was taken May 1961 at unknown location.<br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961.jpg<br />
File:AlMilburn PVLS circa1960 SteveBratina.jpg|Adrian Buyse and [[Al Milburn]] with Milburn's New York Central and Hudson River Railroad 870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers|PVLS]]. Milburn built #870 from solid stock. Circa 1960. Photo by Steve Bratina.<br />
File:AlMilburns NYC870 PVLS1965.jpg|[[Al Milburn]]'s NYC&HR RR #870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers]], 1965. Photo by Sandiapaul.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Raybestos Article ==<br />
<br />
[[File:AlMilburn basement workshop.jpeg|Al Milburn in his basement workshop|thumb|500px|center]]<br />
We are very happy to include in our Hobby Show Case this week [[Al Milburn]], who is pictured above working on the miniature of a large locomotive which is the second one he has constructed since starting his hobby in 1935.<br />
<br />
Back in 1933, Al visited a sports show and saw his first miniature engine and decided at that time he would some day design and construct one of his own miniatures.<br />
<br />
In 1935 Al started to work on his first engine. He was a book binder by trade, with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, and through research and book learning he completed his first locomotive with two flat cars after 10 long years of work at his hobby. He approximates that the engine took him 4,000 hours to build.<br />
<br />
This engine was designed by an Englishman who wrote a series of articles in an American publication. Al says that the knowledge gained the first year in working with his hobby through this self education enabled him to give up book binding and take a job as an instrument maker in a local plant, so actually he had a new trade, a hobby and a wealth of mechanical<br />
knowledge.<br />
<br />
The engine shown above is about 80% complete, and is Al's own design. It is cut from solid steel with no castings used.<br />
<br />
All parts are hand filed and cut. He figures that the four driving wheels took him approximately 400 hours to complete.<br />
<br />
We could fill pages on interesting facts concerning Al's hobby and have only touched on some of the outstanding ones, but we feel it is worth mentioning that Al has been written up six times in [[Model Engineer]], which is a London publication having a very large worldwide circulation.<br />
<br />
Al has a photograph album which shows the construction of his<br />
first miniature from the beginning up to its completion, together with pictures of many outstanding personages who are fascinated by his hobby and have visited his home to learn more about it while other individuals who have the same interests are there to compare notes on his masterpieces.<br />
<br />
In looking over Al's album it was interesting to note that he is considered a friendly rival to Dr. J. Bradbury Winter who built the finest little locomotive ever seen, and Al had the fortitude to follow the example of this fine craftsman in completing an engine comparable to Dr. Winter's.<br />
<br />
Through his photography work in connection with pictures of each stage of his engine, Al has become a first rate photographer and this can also be added as another one of his accomplishments. Al welcomes visitors to see his engines and many of our readers will recall that he had his first miniature on display at Raybestos Family Day two years ago.<br />
<br />
== American No. 56 ==<br />
<br />
Al’s last locomotive was listed on <i>eBay<\i>, April 2026. <br />
<br />
: This is a nearly complete live steam engine and elevated track stand hand precision made by renowned maker, Al Milburn. Also included is his handmade prototype of the link motion and blueprints. See last picture. The boiler needs to be completed. He passed before he could complete this, his last of many live steam, highly collectible trains. All his live steam trains were built in his basement machine shop in Milford, Connecticut.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300px><br />
<br />
<gallery><br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99962&hilit=Milburn "The Norman Mottshaw NYC Hudson in 3/4" Scale", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Al_Milburn&diff=19007Al Milburn2026-04-04T09:46:26Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
<br />
Alder Milburn was a Live Steamer who lived in Milford, Connecticut. He was a member of the [[New England Live Steamers]]. He produced several fine locomotives, all created from raw stock without castings. <br />
<br />
== 1940 ==<br />
<br />
From [[New_England_Live_Steamers#1940|New England Live Steamers]]:<br />
<br />
: Upper-right: -- 4-4-2 3-1/2" gague. [[Bill Van Brocklin|W. S. Van Brocklin, Jr.]], builder. [[Al Milburn]] running the engine with Billy as passenger.<br />
<br />
[[File:NELS Meet Danvers 1940.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]<br />
<br />
== 1949 ==<br />
<br />
[[File:LesterFriendsHomeShop Davners1949 AWLeggett.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Lester Friend]]'s home shop, Danvers, Mass., 1949. Front left to right: [[Arthur Wegner|Art Wegner]], Ray Peck, Lester Friend's daughter. Bending over: Lester Friend. At right behind: [[Al Milburn]]. Photo by A.W. Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
== 1950 ==<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1950]]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]]'s cut from the solid Atlantic a beautiful job to see.<br />
<br />
[[File:Danvers50 billy leggett layout watercolour.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Bill Leggett admiring [[Al Milburn]]'s Atlantic (top) at BLS Meet at Danvers, MA, 1950. Photo by A.W. Leggett, provided by Jim Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079&p=212684&hilit=Milburn#p212684 [[Keith Taylor]] posted on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4" scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1951 ==<br />
<br />
From [[Youd Better Not Call Them Toys]]:<br />
<br />
[[File:AC Milburn Atlantic Progress May 1951.jpg|thumb|right|300px|From "You'd Better Not Call Them Toys"]]<br />
<br />
: Many men who didn't know a drill press from a grape press until they started their first loco have found that the thousands of hours of trial-and-error shop work have made them competent machinists. One such is [[Al Milburn|A. C. Milburn]] of Milford, Connecticut. Ten years ago he started work on a 1/2-inch scale freight engine in his spare time from a 4,000-foot coal shaft where he was a digger, today Milburn is a well-paid toolmaker-thanks to live steam.<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1951]]:<br />
<br />
: The former speed record of 26 MPH set at Danvers some years ago by Norm Robinson & his 3/4 inch scale Fayette, or our friend [[Al Milburn]]'s record of 22 MPH on his own former home loop with his 2-1/2 inch gauge Lucy-Ann 4-8-4, would very likely raise the hair on the necks of these California steam boys. These records were watch timed and are actual miles per hour, not scale MPH.<br />
<br />
== 3/4" Atlantic ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079 Keith Taylor wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4 inch scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1960's ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109746 Mark Bassini wrote on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: The 1 inch scale 870 built by [[Al Milburn]] & once owned by Pierre Mauer & then by my father, now in my possession.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961 unknown.jpg|Al Milburn's No 870 4-4-0 in 1 inch scale. Note that [[Brenton Barnfather]]'s tote box is in the background. Photo was taken May 1961 at unknown location.<br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961.jpg<br />
File:AlMilburn PVLS circa1960 SteveBratina.jpg|Adrian Buyse and [[Al Milburn]] with Milburn's New York Central and Hudson River Railroad 870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers|PVLS]]. Milburn built #870 from solid stock. Circa 1960. Photo by Steve Bratina.<br />
File:AlMilburns NYC870 PVLS1965.jpg|[[Al Milburn]]'s NYC&HR RR #870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers]], 1965. Photo by Sandiapaul.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Raybestos Article ==<br />
<br />
[[File:AlMilburn basement workshop.jpeg|Al Milburn in his basement workshop|thumb|500px|center]]<br />
We are very happy to include in our Hobby Show Case this week [[Al Milburn]], who is pictured above working on the miniature of a large locomotive which is the second one he has constructed since starting his hobby in 1935.<br />
<br />
Back in 1933, Al visited a sports show and saw his first miniature engine and decided at that time he would some day design and construct one of his own miniatures.<br />
<br />
In 1935 Al started to work on his first engine. He was a book binder by trade, with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, and through research and book learning he completed his first locomotive with two flat cars after 10 long years of work at his hobby. He approximates that the engine took him 4,000 hours to build.<br />
<br />
This engine was designed by an Englishman who wrote a series of articles in an American publication. Al says that the knowledge gained the first year in working with his hobby through this self education enabled him to give up book binding and take a job as an instrument maker in a local plant, so actually he had a new trade, a hobby and a wealth of mechanical<br />
knowledge.<br />
<br />
The engine shown above is about 80% complete, and is Al's own design. It is cut from solid steel with no castings used.<br />
<br />
All parts are hand filed and cut. He figures that the four driving wheels took him approximately 400 hours to complete.<br />
<br />
We could fill pages on interesting facts concerning Al's hobby and have only touched on some of the outstanding ones, but we feel it is worth mentioning that Al has been written up six times in [[Model Engineer]], which is a London publication having a very large worldwide circulation.<br />
<br />
Al has a photograph album which shows the construction of his<br />
first miniature from the beginning up to its completion, together with pictures of many outstanding personages who are fascinated by his hobby and have visited his home to learn more about it while other individuals who have the same interests are there to compare notes on his masterpieces.<br />
<br />
In looking over Al's album it was interesting to note that he is considered a friendly rival to Dr. J. Bradbury Winter who built the finest little locomotive ever seen, and Al had the fortitude to follow the example of this fine craftsman in completing an engine comparable to Dr. Winter's.<br />
<br />
Through his photography work in connection with pictures of each stage of his engine, Al has become a first rate photographer and this can also be added as another one of his accomplishments. Al welcomes visitors to see his engines and many of our readers will recall that he had his first miniature on display at Raybestos Family Day two years ago.<br />
<br />
== American No. 56 ==<br />
<br />
This is a nearly complete live steam engine and elevated track stand hand precision made by renowned maker, Al Milburn. Also included is his handmade prototype of the link motion and blueprints. See last picture. The boiler needs to be completed. He passed before he could complete this, his last of many live steam, highly collectible trains. All his live steam trains were built in his basement machine shop in Milford, Connecticut.<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99962&hilit=Milburn "The Norman Mottshaw NYC Hudson in 3/4" Scale", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Al_Milburn&diff=19006Al Milburn2026-04-04T09:44:00Z<p>Dnevil: /* Raybestos Article */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
== 1940 ==<br />
<br />
From [[New_England_Live_Steamers#1940|New England Live Steamers]]:<br />
<br />
: Upper-right: -- 4-4-2 3-1/2" gague. [[Bill Van Brocklin|W. S. Van Brocklin, Jr.]], builder. [[Al Milburn]] running the engine with Billy as passenger.<br />
<br />
[[File:NELS Meet Danvers 1940.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]<br />
<br />
== 1949 ==<br />
<br />
[[File:LesterFriendsHomeShop Davners1949 AWLeggett.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Lester Friend]]'s home shop, Danvers, Mass., 1949. Front left to right: [[Arthur Wegner|Art Wegner]], Ray Peck, Lester Friend's daughter. Bending over: Lester Friend. At right behind: [[Al Milburn]]. Photo by A.W. Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
== 1950 ==<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1950]]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]]'s cut from the solid Atlantic a beautiful job to see.<br />
<br />
[[File:Danvers50 billy leggett layout watercolour.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Bill Leggett admiring [[Al Milburn]]'s Atlantic (top) at BLS Meet at Danvers, MA, 1950. Photo by A.W. Leggett, provided by Jim Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079&p=212684&hilit=Milburn#p212684 [[Keith Taylor]] posted on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4" scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1951 ==<br />
<br />
From [[Youd Better Not Call Them Toys]]:<br />
<br />
[[File:AC Milburn Atlantic Progress May 1951.jpg|thumb|right|300px|From "You'd Better Not Call Them Toys"]]<br />
<br />
: Many men who didn't know a drill press from a grape press until they started their first loco have found that the thousands of hours of trial-and-error shop work have made them competent machinists. One such is [[Al Milburn|A. C. Milburn]] of Milford, Connecticut. Ten years ago he started work on a 1/2-inch scale freight engine in his spare time from a 4,000-foot coal shaft where he was a digger, today Milburn is a well-paid toolmaker-thanks to live steam.<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1951]]:<br />
<br />
: The former speed record of 26 MPH set at Danvers some years ago by Norm Robinson & his 3/4 inch scale Fayette, or our friend [[Al Milburn]]'s record of 22 MPH on his own former home loop with his 2-1/2 inch gauge Lucy-Ann 4-8-4, would very likely raise the hair on the necks of these California steam boys. These records were watch timed and are actual miles per hour, not scale MPH.<br />
<br />
== 3/4" Atlantic ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079 Keith Taylor wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4 inch scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1960's ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109746 Mark Bassini wrote on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: The 1 inch scale 870 built by [[Al Milburn]] & once owned by Pierre Mauer & then by my father, now in my possession.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961 unknown.jpg|Al Milburn's No 870 4-4-0 in 1 inch scale. Note that [[Brenton Barnfather]]'s tote box is in the background. Photo was taken May 1961 at unknown location.<br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961.jpg<br />
File:AlMilburn PVLS circa1960 SteveBratina.jpg|Adrian Buyse and [[Al Milburn]] with Milburn's New York Central and Hudson River Railroad 870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers|PVLS]]. Milburn built #870 from solid stock. Circa 1960. Photo by Steve Bratina.<br />
File:AlMilburns NYC870 PVLS1965.jpg|[[Al Milburn]]'s NYC&HR RR #870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers]], 1965. Photo by Sandiapaul.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Raybestos Article ==<br />
<br />
[[File:AlMilburn basement workshop.jpeg|Al Milburn in his basement workshop|thumb|500px|center]]<br />
We are very happy to include in our Hobby Show Case this week [[Al Milburn]], who is pictured above working on the miniature of a large locomotive which is the second one he has constructed since starting his hobby in 1935.<br />
<br />
Back in 1933, Al visited a sports show and saw his first miniature engine and decided at that time he would some day design and construct one of his own miniatures.<br />
<br />
In 1935 Al started to work on his first engine. He was a book binder by trade, with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, and through research and book learning he completed his first locomotive with two flat cars after 10 long years of work at his hobby. He approximates that the engine took him 4,000 hours to build.<br />
<br />
This engine was designed by an Englishman who wrote a series of articles in an American publication. Al says that the knowledge gained the first year in working with his hobby through this self education enabled him to give up book binding and take a job as an instrument maker in a local plant, so actually he had a new trade, a hobby and a wealth of mechanical<br />
knowledge.<br />
<br />
The engine shown above is about 80% complete, and is Al's own design. It is cut from solid steel with no castings used.<br />
<br />
All parts are hand filed and cut. He figures that the four driving wheels took him approximately 400 hours to complete.<br />
<br />
We could fill pages on interesting facts concerning Al's hobby and have only touched on some of the outstanding ones, but we feel it is worth mentioning that Al has been written up six times in [[Model Engineer]], which is a London publication having a very large worldwide circulation.<br />
<br />
Al has a photograph album which shows the construction of his<br />
first miniature from the beginning up to its completion, together with pictures of many outstanding personages who are fascinated by his hobby and have visited his home to learn more about it while other individuals who have the same interests are there to compare notes on his masterpieces.<br />
<br />
In looking over Al's album it was interesting to note that he is considered a friendly rival to Dr. J. Bradbury Winter who built the finest little locomotive ever seen, and Al had the fortitude to follow the example of this fine craftsman in completing an engine comparable to Dr. Winter's.<br />
<br />
Through his photography work in connection with pictures of each stage of his engine, Al has become a first rate photographer and this can also be added as another one of his accomplishments. Al welcomes visitors to see his engines and many of our readers will recall that he had his first miniature on display at Raybestos Family Day two years ago.<br />
<br />
== American No. 56 ==<br />
<br />
This is a nearly complete live steam engine and elevated track stand hand precision made by renowned maker, Al Milburn. Also included is his handmade prototype of the link motion and blueprints. See last picture. The boiler needs to be completed. He passed before he could complete this, his last of many live steam, highly collectible trains. All his live steam trains were built in his basement machine shop in Milford, Connecticut.<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99962&hilit=Milburn "The Norman Mottshaw NYC Hudson in 3/4" Scale", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Al_Milburn&diff=19005Al Milburn2026-04-04T09:36:26Z<p>Dnevil: /* Raybestos Article */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
== 1940 ==<br />
<br />
From [[New_England_Live_Steamers#1940|New England Live Steamers]]:<br />
<br />
: Upper-right: -- 4-4-2 3-1/2" gague. [[Bill Van Brocklin|W. S. Van Brocklin, Jr.]], builder. [[Al Milburn]] running the engine with Billy as passenger.<br />
<br />
[[File:NELS Meet Danvers 1940.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]<br />
<br />
== 1949 ==<br />
<br />
[[File:LesterFriendsHomeShop Davners1949 AWLeggett.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Lester Friend]]'s home shop, Danvers, Mass., 1949. Front left to right: [[Arthur Wegner|Art Wegner]], Ray Peck, Lester Friend's daughter. Bending over: Lester Friend. At right behind: [[Al Milburn]]. Photo by A.W. Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
== 1950 ==<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1950]]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]]'s cut from the solid Atlantic a beautiful job to see.<br />
<br />
[[File:Danvers50 billy leggett layout watercolour.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Bill Leggett admiring [[Al Milburn]]'s Atlantic (top) at BLS Meet at Danvers, MA, 1950. Photo by A.W. Leggett, provided by Jim Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079&p=212684&hilit=Milburn#p212684 [[Keith Taylor]] posted on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4" scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1951 ==<br />
<br />
From [[Youd Better Not Call Them Toys]]:<br />
<br />
[[File:AC Milburn Atlantic Progress May 1951.jpg|thumb|right|300px|From "You'd Better Not Call Them Toys"]]<br />
<br />
: Many men who didn't know a drill press from a grape press until they started their first loco have found that the thousands of hours of trial-and-error shop work have made them competent machinists. One such is [[Al Milburn|A. C. Milburn]] of Milford, Connecticut. Ten years ago he started work on a 1/2-inch scale freight engine in his spare time from a 4,000-foot coal shaft where he was a digger, today Milburn is a well-paid toolmaker-thanks to live steam.<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1951]]:<br />
<br />
: The former speed record of 26 MPH set at Danvers some years ago by Norm Robinson & his 3/4 inch scale Fayette, or our friend [[Al Milburn]]'s record of 22 MPH on his own former home loop with his 2-1/2 inch gauge Lucy-Ann 4-8-4, would very likely raise the hair on the necks of these California steam boys. These records were watch timed and are actual miles per hour, not scale MPH.<br />
<br />
== 3/4" Atlantic ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079 Keith Taylor wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4 inch scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1960's ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109746 Mark Bassini wrote on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: The 1 inch scale 870 built by [[Al Milburn]] & once owned by Pierre Mauer & then by my father, now in my possession.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961 unknown.jpg|Al Milburn's No 870 4-4-0 in 1 inch scale. Note that [[Brenton Barnfather]]'s tote box is in the background. Photo was taken May 1961 at unknown location.<br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961.jpg<br />
File:AlMilburn PVLS circa1960 SteveBratina.jpg|Adrian Buyse and [[Al Milburn]] with Milburn's New York Central and Hudson River Railroad 870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers|PVLS]]. Milburn built #870 from solid stock. Circa 1960. Photo by Steve Bratina.<br />
File:AlMilburns NYC870 PVLS1965.jpg|[[Al Milburn]]'s NYC&HR RR #870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers]], 1965. Photo by Sandiapaul.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Raybestos Article ==<br />
<br />
[[File:AlMilburn basement workshop.jpeg|Al Milburn in his basement workshop|thumb|500px|center]]<br />
We are very happy to include in our Hobby Show Case this week [[Al Milburn]], who is pictured above working on the miniature of a large locomotive which is the second one he has constructed since starting his hobby in 1935.<br />
<br />
Back in 1933, Al visited a sports show and saw his first miniature engine and decided at that time he would some day design and construct one of his own miniatures.<br />
<br />
In 1935 Al started to work on his first engine. He was a book binder by trade, with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, and through research and book learning he completed his first locomotive with two flat cars after 10 long years of work at his hobby. He approximates that the engine took him 4,000 hours to build.<br />
<br />
This engine was designed by an Englishman who wrote a series of articles in an American publication. Al says that the knowledge gained the first year in working with his hobby through this self education enabled him to give up book binding and take a job as an instrument maker in a local plant, so actually he had a new trade, a hobby and a wealth of mechanical<br />
knowledge.<br />
<br />
The engine shown above is about 80% complete, and is Al's own design. It is cut from solid steel with no castings used.<br />
<br />
All parts are hand filed and cut. He figures that the four driving wheels took him approximately 400 hours to complete.<br />
<br />
We could fill pages on interesting facts concerning Al's hobby and have only touched on some of the outstanding ones, but we feel it is worth mentioning that Al has been written up six times in [[Model Engineer]], which is a London publication having a very large worldwide circulation.<br />
<br />
Al has a photograph album which shows the construction of his<br />
first miniature from the beginning up to its completion, together with pictures of many outstanding personages who are fascinated by his hobby and have visited his home to learn more about it while other individuals who have the same interests are there to compare notes on his masterpieces.<br />
<br />
In looking over Al's album it was interesting to note that he is considered a friendly rival to Dr. J. Bradbury Winter who built the finest little locomotive ever seen, and Al had the fortitude to follow the example of this fine craftsman in completing an engine comparable to Dr. Winter's.<br />
<br />
Through his photography work in connection with pictures of each stage of his engine, Al has become a first rate photographer and this can also be added as another one of his accomplishments. Al welcomes visitors to see his engines and many of our readers will recall that he had his first miniature on display at Raybestos Family Day two years ago.<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99962&hilit=Milburn "The Norman Mottshaw NYC Hudson in 3/4" Scale", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:AlMilburn_basement_workshop.jpeg&diff=19004File:AlMilburn basement workshop.jpeg2026-04-04T09:34:41Z<p>Dnevil: Al Milburn basement workshop.</p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
Al Milburn basement workshop.</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Al_Milburn&diff=19003Al Milburn2026-04-04T09:31:22Z<p>Dnevil: /* Raybestos Article */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
== 1940 ==<br />
<br />
From [[New_England_Live_Steamers#1940|New England Live Steamers]]:<br />
<br />
: Upper-right: -- 4-4-2 3-1/2" gague. [[Bill Van Brocklin|W. S. Van Brocklin, Jr.]], builder. [[Al Milburn]] running the engine with Billy as passenger.<br />
<br />
[[File:NELS Meet Danvers 1940.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]<br />
<br />
== 1949 ==<br />
<br />
[[File:LesterFriendsHomeShop Davners1949 AWLeggett.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Lester Friend]]'s home shop, Danvers, Mass., 1949. Front left to right: [[Arthur Wegner|Art Wegner]], Ray Peck, Lester Friend's daughter. Bending over: Lester Friend. At right behind: [[Al Milburn]]. Photo by A.W. Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
== 1950 ==<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1950]]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]]'s cut from the solid Atlantic a beautiful job to see.<br />
<br />
[[File:Danvers50 billy leggett layout watercolour.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Bill Leggett admiring [[Al Milburn]]'s Atlantic (top) at BLS Meet at Danvers, MA, 1950. Photo by A.W. Leggett, provided by Jim Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079&p=212684&hilit=Milburn#p212684 [[Keith Taylor]] posted on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4" scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1951 ==<br />
<br />
From [[Youd Better Not Call Them Toys]]:<br />
<br />
[[File:AC Milburn Atlantic Progress May 1951.jpg|thumb|right|300px|From "You'd Better Not Call Them Toys"]]<br />
<br />
: Many men who didn't know a drill press from a grape press until they started their first loco have found that the thousands of hours of trial-and-error shop work have made them competent machinists. One such is [[Al Milburn|A. C. Milburn]] of Milford, Connecticut. Ten years ago he started work on a 1/2-inch scale freight engine in his spare time from a 4,000-foot coal shaft where he was a digger, today Milburn is a well-paid toolmaker-thanks to live steam.<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1951]]:<br />
<br />
: The former speed record of 26 MPH set at Danvers some years ago by Norm Robinson & his 3/4 inch scale Fayette, or our friend [[Al Milburn]]'s record of 22 MPH on his own former home loop with his 2-1/2 inch gauge Lucy-Ann 4-8-4, would very likely raise the hair on the necks of these California steam boys. These records were watch timed and are actual miles per hour, not scale MPH.<br />
<br />
== 3/4" Atlantic ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079 Keith Taylor wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4 inch scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1960's ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109746 Mark Bassini wrote on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: The 1 inch scale 870 built by [[Al Milburn]] & once owned by Pierre Mauer & then by my father, now in my possession.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961 unknown.jpg|Al Milburn's No 870 4-4-0 in 1 inch scale. Note that [[Brenton Barnfather]]'s tote box is in the background. Photo was taken May 1961 at unknown location.<br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961.jpg<br />
File:AlMilburn PVLS circa1960 SteveBratina.jpg|Adrian Buyse and [[Al Milburn]] with Milburn's New York Central and Hudson River Railroad 870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers|PVLS]]. Milburn built #870 from solid stock. Circa 1960. Photo by Steve Bratina.<br />
File:AlMilburns NYC870 PVLS1965.jpg|[[Al Milburn]]'s NYC&HR RR #870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers]], 1965. Photo by Sandiapaul.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Raybestos Article ==<br />
<br />
We are very happy to include in our Hobby Show Case this week [[Al Milburn]], who is pictured above working on the miniature of a large locomotive which is the second one he has constructed since starting his hobby in 1935.<br />
<br />
Back in 1933, Al visited a sports show and saw his first miniature engine and decided at that time he would some day design and construct one of his own miniatures.<br />
<br />
In 1935 Al started to work on his first engine. He was a book binder by trade, with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, and through research and book learning he completed his first locomotive with two flat cars after 10 long years of work at his hobby. He approximates that the engine took him 4,000 hours to build.<br />
<br />
This engine was designed by an Englishman who wrote a series of articles in an American publication. Al says that the knowledge gained the first year in working with his hobby through this self education enabled him to give up book binding and take a job as an instrument maker in a local plant, so actually he had a new trade, a hobby and a wealth of mechanical<br />
knowledge.<br />
<br />
The engine shown above is about 80% complete, and is Al's own design. It is cut from solid steel with no castings used.<br />
<br />
All parts are hand filed and cut. He figures that the four driving wheels took him approximately 400 hours to complete.<br />
<br />
We could fill pages on interesting facts concerning Al's hobby and have only touched on some of the outstanding ones, but we feel it is worth mentioning that Al has been written up six times in [[Model Engineer]], which is a London publication having a very large worldwide circulation.<br />
<br />
Al has a photograph album which shows the construction of his<br />
first miniature from the beginning up to its completion, together with pictures of many outstanding personages who are fascinated by his hobby and have visited his home to learn more about it while other individuals who have the same interests are there to compare notes on his masterpieces.<br />
<br />
In looking over Al's album it was interesting to note that he is considered a friendly rival to Dr. J. Bradbury Winter who built the finest little locomotive ever seen, and Al had the fortitude to follow the example of this fine craftsman in completing an engine comparable to Dr. Winter's.<br />
<br />
Through his photography work in connection with pictures of each stage of his engine, Al has become a first rate photographer and this can also be added as another one of his accomplishments. Al welcomes visitors to see his engines and many of our readers will recall that he had his first miniature on display at Raybestos Family Day two years ago.<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99962&hilit=Milburn "The Norman Mottshaw NYC Hudson in 3/4" Scale", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Al_Milburn&diff=19002Al Milburn2026-04-04T09:28:14Z<p>Dnevil: /* 1960's */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:People]]<br />
== 1940 ==<br />
<br />
From [[New_England_Live_Steamers#1940|New England Live Steamers]]:<br />
<br />
: Upper-right: -- 4-4-2 3-1/2" gague. [[Bill Van Brocklin|W. S. Van Brocklin, Jr.]], builder. [[Al Milburn]] running the engine with Billy as passenger.<br />
<br />
[[File:NELS Meet Danvers 1940.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]<br />
<br />
== 1949 ==<br />
<br />
[[File:LesterFriendsHomeShop Davners1949 AWLeggett.jpg|thumb|center|400px|[[Lester Friend]]'s home shop, Danvers, Mass., 1949. Front left to right: [[Arthur Wegner|Art Wegner]], Ray Peck, Lester Friend's daughter. Bending over: Lester Friend. At right behind: [[Al Milburn]]. Photo by A.W. Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
== 1950 ==<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1950]]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]]'s cut from the solid Atlantic a beautiful job to see.<br />
<br />
[[File:Danvers50 billy leggett layout watercolour.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Bill Leggett admiring [[Al Milburn]]'s Atlantic (top) at BLS Meet at Danvers, MA, 1950. Photo by A.W. Leggett, provided by Jim Leggett.]]<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079&p=212684&hilit=Milburn#p212684 [[Keith Taylor]] posted on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4" scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1951 ==<br />
<br />
From [[Youd Better Not Call Them Toys]]:<br />
<br />
[[File:AC Milburn Atlantic Progress May 1951.jpg|thumb|right|300px|From "You'd Better Not Call Them Toys"]]<br />
<br />
: Many men who didn't know a drill press from a grape press until they started their first loco have found that the thousands of hours of trial-and-error shop work have made them competent machinists. One such is [[Al Milburn|A. C. Milburn]] of Milford, Connecticut. Ten years ago he started work on a 1/2-inch scale freight engine in his spare time from a 4,000-foot coal shaft where he was a digger, today Milburn is a well-paid toolmaker-thanks to live steam.<br />
<br />
From [[IBLS Journal 1951]]:<br />
<br />
: The former speed record of 26 MPH set at Danvers some years ago by Norm Robinson & his 3/4 inch scale Fayette, or our friend [[Al Milburn]]'s record of 22 MPH on his own former home loop with his 2-1/2 inch gauge Lucy-Ann 4-8-4, would very likely raise the hair on the necks of these California steam boys. These records were watch timed and are actual miles per hour, not scale MPH.<br />
<br />
== 3/4" Atlantic ==<br />
<br />
[http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90079 Keith Taylor wrote]:<br />
<br />
: [[Al Milburn]] built a beautiful 3/4 inch scale Atlantic where everything was hacked from solid. The drivers were sawn out by hand with a jeweler's saw, then filed to the correct profile...then sand blasted so they would look like castings!<br />
<br />
== 1960's ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109746 Mark Bassini wrote on <i>Chaski.org</i>]:<br />
<br />
: The 1 inch scale 870 built by [[Al Milburn]] & once owned by Pierre Mauer & then by my father, now in my possession.<br />
<br />
<gallery widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2"><br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961 unknown.jpg|Al Milburn's No 870 4-4-0 in 1 inch scale. Note that [[Brenton Barnfather]]'s tote box is in the background. Photo was taken May 1961 at unknown location.<br />
File:Al Milburn No 870 May 1961.jpg<br />
File:AlMilburn PVLS circa1960 SteveBratina.jpg|Adrian Buyse and [[Al Milburn]] with Milburn's New York Central and Hudson River Railroad 870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers|PVLS]]. Milburn built #870 from solid stock. Circa 1960. Photo by Steve Bratina.<br />
File:AlMilburns NYC870 PVLS1965.jpg|[[Al Milburn]]'s NYC&HR RR #870 at [[Pioneer Valley Live Steamers]], 1965. Photo by Sandiapaul.<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== Raybestos Article ==<br />
<br />
We are very happy to include in our Hobby Show Case this week [[Al Milburn]], who is pictured above working on the miniature of a large locomotive which is the second one he has constructed since starting his hobby in 1935.<br />
<br />
Back in 1933, Al visited a sports show and saw his first miniature engine and decided at that time he would some day design and construct one of his own miniatures.<br />
<br />
In 1935 Al started to work on his first engine. He was a book binder by trade, with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, and through research and book learning he completed his first locomotive with two flat cars after 10 long years of work at his hobby. He approximates that the engine took him 4,000 hours to build.<br />
<br />
This engine was designed by an Englishman who wrote a series of articles in an American publication. Al says that the knowledge gained the first year in working with his hobby through this self education enabled him to give up book binding and take a job as an instrument maker in a local plant, so actually he had a new trade, a hobby and a wealth of mechanical<br />
knowledge.<br />
<br />
The engine shown above is about 80% complete, and is Al's own design. It is cut from solid steel with no castings used.<br />
<br />
All parts are hand filed and cut. He figures that the four driving wheels took him ap-<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99962&hilit=Milburn "The Norman Mottshaw NYC Hudson in 3/4" Scale", <i>Chaski.org</i>]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Morris_Railroad_Supplies&diff=19001Morris Railroad Supplies2026-03-25T21:34:53Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Suppliers]]<br />
<br />
[[Morris Railroad Supplies]] produces 1/8 scale EMD Switchers.<br />
<br />
From the Morris R.R. Supplies website previously hosted on <i>DiscoverLiveSteam.com</i><br />
<br />
Features of our EMD Switcher...<br />
* 5.5hp. Honda - 2 to 1 reduction with oil alert (Not available with electric Start.)<br />
* Eaton Hyd. Trans. Model 7 with by-pass valve<br />
* Atlas universal joints<br />
* Tol-o-matic - 2 to 1 gear reduction - Right angle drive<br />
* Front headlight lighted - works great<br />
* Louvered + engraved doors<br />
* Bell and horn mounted (dummy)<br />
* All wheel powered<br />
* Body is # 16 gauge crs and chassis deck is # 12 gauge crs with 2x1x1/8 C channel frame<br />
* Primed - and ready to paint<br />
* Coupler front and rear (Tom Bee couplers - cast steel)<br />
* One lever on Toe board to control forward and Backwards and speed<br />
* Throttle is located in rear window<br />
* Locomotive Specs: 60"long X 22" high X 16"wide.66" overall with couplers. weight is 300 lbs with battery (customer installed).<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300x><br />
File:MorrisRRSupply EMDSwitcher 1.jpg<br />
File:MorrisRRSupply EMDSwitcher 2.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== End of Production ==<br />
<br />
Wayne Fort posted the following on Facebook, March 2026:<br />
<br />
: From the 1990's through around 2010 Steve Morris of Charlotte, Michigan made an outstanding switcher around a Honda 5HP with hydrostatic drive. He made 100+ of them.<br />
<br />
: Unfortunately, he stopped producing and having trouble reassembling his supply chain again. Eaton does not directly product, etc.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140331094505/http://discoverlivesteam.com/forsale/MorrisRR/index.htm Official website (<i>Archive.org</i>)]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Morris_Railroad_Supplies&diff=19000Morris Railroad Supplies2026-03-25T21:32:47Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Suppliers]]<br />
<br />
[[Morris Railroad Supplies]] produces 1/8 scale EMD Switchers.<br />
<br />
From the Morris R.R. Supplies website previously hosted on <i>DiscoverLiveSteam.com</i><br />
<br />
Features of our EMD Switcher...<br />
* 5.5hp. Honda - 2 to 1 reduction with oil alert (Not available with electric Start.)<br />
* Eaton Hyd. Trans. Model 7 with by-pass valve<br />
* Atlas universal joints<br />
* Tol-o-matic - 2 to 1 gear reduction - Right angle drive<br />
* Front headlight lighted - works great<br />
* Louvered + engraved doors<br />
* Bell and horn mounted (dummy)<br />
* All wheel powered<br />
* Body is # 16 gauge crs and chassis deck is # 12 gauge crs with 2x1x1/8 C channel frame<br />
* Primed - and ready to paint<br />
* Coupler front and rear (Tom Bee couplers - cast steel)<br />
* One lever on Toe board to control forward and Backwards and speed<br />
* Throttle is located in rear window<br />
* Locomotive Specs: 60"long X 22" high X 16"wide.66" overall with couplers. weight is 300 lbs with battery (customer installed).<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=300x><br />
File:MorrisRRSupply EMDSwitcher 1.jpg<br />
File:MorrisRRSupply EMDSwitcher 2.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140331094505/http://discoverlivesteam.com/forsale/MorrisRR/index.htm Official website (<i>Archive.org</i>)]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Morris_Railroad_Supplies&diff=18999Morris Railroad Supplies2026-03-25T21:32:24Z<p>Dnevil: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Suppliers]]<br />
<br />
[[Morris Railroad Supplies]] produces 1/8 scale EMD Switchers.<br />
<br />
From the Morris R.R. Supplies website previously hosted on <i>DiscoverLiveSteam.com</i><br />
<br />
Features of our EMD Switcher...<br />
* 5.5hp. Honda - 2 to 1 reduction with oil alert (Not available with electric Start.)<br />
* Eaton Hyd. Trans. Model 7 with by-pass valve<br />
* Atlas universal joints<br />
* Tol-o-matic - 2 to 1 gear reduction - Right angle drive<br />
* Front headlight lighted - works great<br />
* Louvered + engraved doors<br />
* Bell and horn mounted (dummy)<br />
* All wheel powered<br />
* Body is # 16 gauge crs and chassis deck is # 12 gauge crs with 2x1x1/8 C channel frame<br />
* Primed - and ready to paint<br />
* Coupler front and rear (Tom Bee couplers - cast steel)<br />
* One lever on Toe board to control forward and Backwards and speed<br />
* Throttle is located in rear window<br />
* Locomotive Specs: 60"long X 22" high X 16"wide.66" overall with couplers. weight is 300 lbs with battery (customer installed).<br />
<br />
<gallery widths=400px heights=400x><br />
File:MorrisRRSupply EMDSwitcher 1.jpg<br />
File:MorrisRRSupply EMDSwitcher 2.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140331094505/http://discoverlivesteam.com/forsale/MorrisRR/index.htm Official website (<i>Archive.org</i>)]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Morris_R.R._Supplies&diff=18998Morris R.R. Supplies2026-03-25T21:31:33Z<p>Dnevil: Dnevil moved page Morris R.R. Supplies to Morris Railroad Supplies: Proper name of business</p>
<hr />
<div>#REDIRECT [[Morris Railroad Supplies]]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Morris_Railroad_Supplies&diff=18997Morris Railroad Supplies2026-03-25T21:31:33Z<p>Dnevil: Dnevil moved page Morris R.R. Supplies to Morris Railroad Supplies: Proper name of business</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Suppliers]]<br />
<br />
[[Morris R.R. Supplies]] produces 1/8 scale EMD Switchers.<br />
<br />
From the Morris R.R. Supplies website previously hosted on <i>DiscoverLiveSteam.com</i><br />
<br />
Features of our EMD Switcher...<br />
* 5.5hp. Honda - 2 to 1 reduction with oil alert (Not available with electric Start.)<br />
* Eaton Hyd. Trans. Model 7 with by-pass valve<br />
* Atlas universal joints<br />
* Tol-o-matic - 2 to 1 gear reduction - Right angle drive<br />
* Front headlight lighted - works great<br />
* Louvered + engraved doors<br />
* Bell and horn mounted (dummy)<br />
* All wheel powered<br />
* Body is # 16 gauge crs and chassis deck is # 12 gauge crs with 2x1x1/8 C channel frame<br />
* Primed - and ready to paint<br />
* Coupler front and rear (Tom Bee couplers - cast steel)<br />
* One lever on Toe board to control forward and Backwards and speed<br />
* Throttle is located in rear window<br />
* Locomotive Specs: 60"long X 22" high X 16"wide.66" overall with couplers. weight is 300 lbs with battery (customer installed).<br />
<br />
== External Links ==<br />
<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140331094505/http://discoverlivesteam.com/forsale/MorrisRR/index.htm Official website (<i>Archive.org</i>)]</div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:MorrisRRSupply_EMDSwitcher_2.jpg&diff=18996File:MorrisRRSupply EMDSwitcher 2.jpg2026-03-25T21:31:15Z<p>Dnevil: Morris Railroad Supply EMD Switch, for sale on <i>DiscoverLiveSteam.com</i></p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
Morris Railroad Supply EMD Switch, for sale on <i>DiscoverLiveSteam.com</i></div>Dnevilhttp://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=File:MorrisRRSupply_EMDSwitcher_1.jpg&diff=18995File:MorrisRRSupply EMDSwitcher 1.jpg2026-03-25T21:31:05Z<p>Dnevil: Morris Railroad Supply EMD Switch, for sale on <i>DiscoverLiveSteam.com</i></p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
Morris Railroad Supply EMD Switch, for sale on <i>DiscoverLiveSteam.com</i></div>Dnevil