A website idea...

Harlock · Post by **Harlock** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:30 pm

So I had an idea over this weekend while visiting Maricopa.

Would anyone be interested in a site like steamlocomotive.info, only for live scale steam? (from 2.5" to 19" gauge)

It would be written from the ground up with a very friendly interface for both entering and retrieving information, with geo-location ability much like the recent and excellent live steam track map that uses the google maps API.

It seems to me that people are always trying to recall information about some such steamer owned by so-and-so, sold to so and so and what ever happened to this one, and who was it that had this engine or other and what fuel did it burn, etc.

Among the most important features would be the ability to upload photos, so people searching for inspiration for their next project could search for, say, Pacific locomotives and look at all the images. Locomotives in progress would be included.

This would be a repository that anyone could contribute to, and hopefully somewhere down the road we would start to paint a pretty good picture of the hobby, as steamlocomotive.info has done for surviving full size steam engines. It would help folks with similar projects connect with each other and share ideas.

It would also accomodate Crown, Harpur and other park train manufacturers in gauges within that range.

Anyhow, if I receive an overall positive response, I will think about proceeding with this project in the next month or so.

It took a month of evenings to produce a similar database driven website a few years ago (a restaurant review site) although this one will be a little more involved. There would likely be some features missing in the beginning and added as we go along.

--Mike

Benjamin Maggi · Post by **Benjamin Maggi** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:10 pm

It sounds very interesting... but also a lot of work. Hum... , maybe a locomotive "registry" would be a good idea for seeing who else is building, has built, or is even contemplating the engine that you are considering building.

Rockhouse · Post by **Rockhouse** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:42 pm

Sounds like an outstanding concept.

RayJay · Post by **RayJay** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:52 pm

Sounds like a good idea!!!

Dave_Johnson · Post by **Dave_Johnson** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:43 pm

Model Steam locos sometimes have a habit of 'vanishing'. Either they are sold, never to be seen again, or the owner passes on, and nothing is known about the disposition of the equipment.

I just learned that the 1 in. scale 0-6-0 my Grandfather built was purchased by my good friend Joe Tanski almost 40 years ago. We had no idea who it was sold to.

I have some photos of a 1.5 in scale Southern PS 4 from 1941, but I have no idea who built the loco, just the location of the photo.

So, there is a history to the hobby, and having a website may help to put it all together.

Dave J.

Steampipe · Post by **Steampipe** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:03 pm

Would be great to have a 7.5 and 7.25 registry as well. There are many 7.25 locos in this older area of the US that have vanished only yo turn up when you least expect.

FredR · Post by **FredR** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:07 pm

um.. he did cover it. He stated from 2 1/2" (2.5) through 15" gauge. I'm assuming you maybe thought he meant 2.5" SCALE.

Fred

Fred_V · Post by **Fred_V** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:35 pm

how about something like:
http://www.miniaturerailwayworld.co.uk/ ... aysab.html
this could list club track across the US as well as locos.
fred v

Harlock · Post by **Harlock** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:22 pm

Fred,

Well, I can't find it now, but someone just recently posted a very good google maps implemention of a live steam club track list, at least for the USA. I would rather link to that from the new site than re-invent the wheel.

Rockhouse · Post by **Rockhouse** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:16 am

Harlock wrote:Fred,

Well, I can't find it now, but someone just recently posted a very good google maps implemention of a live steam club track list, at least for the USA. I would rather link to that from the new site than re-invent the wheel.

Here's THAT map: http://www.livesteamtracks.info

Harlock · Post by **Harlock** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:45 pm

Yes that's the one! It's great!

LVRR2095 · Post by **LVRR2095** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:03 am

Gee a central registry of live steamers, where have I heard that before?
What do you know...it sounds just like the IBLS! You may remembver that as an orgnaization that nobody supported, even though it was a free service. In the last five years of the group....the only new registrations came from the North East Ohio Live Steamers, who automatically registered each new member of their club.
I wish you luck.....but I found most live steamers to be very secretive about what they had and where they lived. And in the eight or so years I was the East Coast IBLS Secretary, the number of requests I received for contact info for nearby steamers, or steamers building the same model was virtually zero.
Best of lusk to anyone willimg to try....again.
Keith Taylor Former East Coast IBLS Secretary