Group,
I just got word from the North East Live Steamers that Henry Groth of Waldoboro ME, died yesterday after a long illness.
He and his wife Elle had an outstanding 7-1/4" track in the woods and field on their property. Henry's famous "slip switch" was featured in Railroad Supply catalogs in the 1970s and 80s.
Their meets lasted from Friday nights until Sunday, with a Friday night run, all day Saturday running, a huge layout of food for lunch on Saturday, a dinner at a local seafood place on Saturday afternoon, more night running on Saturday, and running Sunday too. Weather could be anything from sunny and warm to downpouring and cold.....and with the Maine "pine tree smell" in the [often] cool fall air, combined with coal smoke smell, Henry's and Elle's meets had a character all their own.
Citing age and health, track maintenance, the amount of work it took to host meets, etc., the Groths held their last steam meet in 2010.
-John K.
Henry Groth, Waldoboro ME, passed away yesterday
Re: Henry Groth, Waldoboro ME, passed away yesterday
Thank you for sharing this sad passing. Henry's meets were wonderful experiences, full of trains and varieties of motive power. The sit-down banquets were tremendous. Perhaps Henry is today, with all the steam power that passed before him. I think he'd like that.
"Always stopping my train, and risking my ankles, with American made, New Balance sneakers."
-
JohnK
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Re: Henry Groth, Waldoboro ME, passed away yesterday
Indeed they were wonderful.
Going up there from MA, via Rte. 1, was 1/2 the fun. Route 1 with its landmarks and idiosyncracies was an experience in itself....and each oddity along the road marked your progresss toward Waldoboro. Passing these places made the whole drive experience magical.
Another thing is that it could be bright and sunny the whole way up, and as soon as you approached Waldoboro, there would be dark skies and a wall of rain, just like entering a car wash. You'd go from sunny to "downpour" pretty much the moment you got to Waldoboro. One time it was literally at the "Welcome to Waldoboro" sign that the rain started!
Twenty years ago I wanted to commission a cartoon be drawn, that showed all of New England in "Bird's Eye View", with bright sun over the whole northeast, with a lone storm cloud over Waldoboro.......and showing rain downpouring on Henry in one of his diesels and everyone else standing around under umbrellas! I wish I had had this drawn....
I once found out from Elle Groth why they had their meets in the fall......BUGS! She told me that they used to have spring or summer meets and the bugs were so nasty as to make it downright unpleasant. I imagine it was black flies, deer flies, mosquitoes, etc. Nasty critters.
With the September meets it was always bug-less.
Great memories.
Going up there from MA, via Rte. 1, was 1/2 the fun. Route 1 with its landmarks and idiosyncracies was an experience in itself....and each oddity along the road marked your progresss toward Waldoboro. Passing these places made the whole drive experience magical.
Another thing is that it could be bright and sunny the whole way up, and as soon as you approached Waldoboro, there would be dark skies and a wall of rain, just like entering a car wash. You'd go from sunny to "downpour" pretty much the moment you got to Waldoboro. One time it was literally at the "Welcome to Waldoboro" sign that the rain started!
Twenty years ago I wanted to commission a cartoon be drawn, that showed all of New England in "Bird's Eye View", with bright sun over the whole northeast, with a lone storm cloud over Waldoboro.......and showing rain downpouring on Henry in one of his diesels and everyone else standing around under umbrellas! I wish I had had this drawn....
I once found out from Elle Groth why they had their meets in the fall......BUGS! She told me that they used to have spring or summer meets and the bugs were so nasty as to make it downright unpleasant. I imagine it was black flies, deer flies, mosquitoes, etc. Nasty critters.
With the September meets it was always bug-less.
Great memories.