Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

This forum is dedicated to the Live Steam Hobbyist Community.

Moderators: cbrew, Harold_V

David Powell
Posts: 523
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2003 10:38 pm
Location: Pickering Ontario Canada.

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by David Powell »

A brief addendum, I have run at Ottawa ( 5 inch gauge 0-4-0 ) and at Lindsay Cannot be sure of which engine(s) went there possibly Britannia. Caribou ran at a couple of indoor shows in Toronto on compressed air, and outdoors coal fired on TSME portable track when the Roundhouse project was being considered. Britannia went, with her builder, Harry Boneham, to a council meeting in Tottenham Ontario, to help the case for the planning permission for the South Simcoe Railway. A brief warning, do not carry locos unrestrained in vehicles, I once overturned a Hyundai Pony and missed being beheaded by a three and a half inch Hudson by an inch or so.! Nowadays I am more likely to take traction engines or steam wagons to events as I find them easier to handle.
Regards David Powell ( James Dad )
steamingdon
Posts: 604
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:21 pm
Location: massachusetts,usa

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by steamingdon »

I think we are way off the subject matter requested.
steamer
User avatar
kcameron
Posts: 266
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:23 pm
Location: Syracuse New York

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by kcameron »

I'm watching this thread to try to see how much small scale is still 'sitting somewhere' and not finding tracks. FLLS had a highline until the mid-90's when it finally came down. I hear tell that Harold C was the only one brave enough to use it.

We have some discussions about trying to find a place for a highline on the property but really have no idea of what use it would be. A few years ago we added an elevated G gauge, about 150' dual main I think, and I've seen up to 4 or 5 over there at a time. I get the remark that many have 3/4" sitting somewhere with no place to go, But if asked for details or interest in using it, I haven't got much response.

We have an area we could fit about 550' of track with 40' radius curves but that's a lot of work when none of the current members have equipment or are pushing (meaning willing to work on it) the idea.
-ken cameron
Syracuse Model Railroad Club http://www.SyracuseModelRr.org/
CNY Modelers http://www.cnymod.com/
Finger Lakes Live Steamers http://www.fingerlakeslivesteamers.org/
Member JMRI Developer Team http://www.jmri.org/
mailto: kcameron@twcny.rr.com
In the Upstate New York US area of the world
Steve Bratina
Posts: 1061
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:39 pm
Location: Cambridge Ontario

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by Steve Bratina »

I think you nailed it Don.
jcbrock
Posts: 511
Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 7:50 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by jcbrock »

shild wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 4:09 am
jcbrock wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:19 pm
ChuckHackett-844 wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:59 am St. Croix Railroad (Hudson, WI) has a high line for gauges 1" and under I think. Not exactly sure of the assortment.
The assortment as Chuck accurately describes it is 2.5", 3.5", 4.75" and 5". There are also rails for 7.5" used as a guardrail and to allow large-scale flats to be used as work cars carrying welders etc., and I know O scale can be run between a rail pair if you really want to. I don't know if anybody has tried 45mm ga equipment. The ease of transport of most high-line equipment is the great advantage of touring with it. Pics are always fun:

Can you tell which of the gauges is most popular? My guess would be 3.5"? I believe at Waushakum during the Norfolk street era when they had only 3.5" and 4.75" it was common for people to run narrow gauge 4.75" because that's the only way you could have something bigger than 1" scale. That probably isn't so common at this place is it?
3.5" is the most common on the high line because the 4.75" equipment can run on an entertaining ground-level 4.75" track. 5" visitors come down from Manitoba. I haven't seen a 2.5" gauge engine running in 25 years. There has been narrow gauge equipment on the 4.75" gauge high line:
P7084863.jpg
Other narrow gauge equipment comes to visit. Jeff Smith is pretty much a regular (I am really looking forward to his K-36!) but the larger equipment has stayed to the ground track. The elevated could hold the weight, but if your back can stand it the ground track is more fun. In addition to the DRGW C-25 and Shays shown, there have been several 4-6-0, a Mason Bogie, a 2-4-4-2, DRGW K-36 and likely others I've missed. I wouldn't say it is an uncommon size. There is also a member who's come over from the RSA that I believe has 3'6" gauge prototypes built to 1" scale to run on the 3.5" gauge.
P7074707.jpg
P7094987.jpg
John Brock
User avatar
Joe Tanski
Posts: 317
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:44 am
Location: Eden ,New York

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by Joe Tanski »

Just completing the rebuild on The Chipmunk Valley RR here in Eden New York,all new pt ties around my 680’highline have 31/2”&4 3/4”
Can not wait to start running again on it,cold here today 34F light snow
Joe
James Powell
Posts: 506
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:42 pm

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by James Powell »

2.5"- dad had a 2.5" 2-8-4 that ran regularly at Toronto Live Steamers in Milton (which I missed on my list...and I have photos of us with my brit there too...).

This one showed up at Aldergrove in about 1998:
Image

Also, dad's got it a little wrong- it wasn't the Hudson in the back of the pony, it was my "thing" that was in the Pony when he tipped the Pony over...

This Hudson is the one he means, not the more recent Tank Hudson, or Kingston one:
Image

It's a Hoffman Hudson, mostly machined by a guy in Peterbrough, finished to that stage by dad in 1985, sold on via MPP into upstate NY in 1989/90.
User avatar
kcameron
Posts: 266
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:23 pm
Location: Syracuse New York

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by kcameron »

Joe T,

Nice to know there is some track in the state somewhere. I hadn't heard much from over there in a while.

I have a box of parts and a pile of drawings of (I think) a 3/4" scale 10 wheeler my wife's grandfather started on in the 50's. Not much more than a frame (I think there's a bend in it) and some other parts with only one cylinder partly machined. Someday I'll get around to seeing if I can do anything with it. But I've got lots of 1" scale things to do first.
-ken cameron
Syracuse Model Railroad Club http://www.SyracuseModelRr.org/
CNY Modelers http://www.cnymod.com/
Finger Lakes Live Steamers http://www.fingerlakeslivesteamers.org/
Member JMRI Developer Team http://www.jmri.org/
mailto: kcameron@twcny.rr.com
In the Upstate New York US area of the world
David Powell
Posts: 523
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2003 10:38 pm
Location: Pickering Ontario Canada.

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by David Powell »

We intend to assemble part of TSME.s portable track 3.5 and 4.75 inch gauges in our garden in Toronto next spring. The track is on site, ground clearing has begun, and a contractor engaged to seriously trim some trees,It will be, like many tracks of earlier years, an end to end, theres not enough width for a full circle of the existing curves. We will keep you informed of progress. David and Judy Powell.
10 Wheeler Rob
Posts: 1546
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:44 pm
Location: East Hartford, CT

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by 10 Wheeler Rob »

I ran at Pioneer Valley Live Steamers (my home club), Washakum live steamers, New Jersey Live Steamers. Long Island Live Steamers and Montreal Live Steamers. I have also visited Northern Ohio Live Steamers. Which all have highlines.

The two most interesting tracks to run on a MLS and WLS.

The best meets are at MLS by far for both the turn out of locomotives and great group of live steamers that attend.

10 Wheeler Rob
User avatar
Bill Shields
Posts: 10464
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
Location: 39.367, -75.765
Contact:

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by Bill Shields »

Does a 2.5. 3.5. 4.75 7.25 all on the ground qualify for your survey?
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
User avatar
tsph6500
Posts: 1417
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 3:38 pm
Location: West of Dunvegan, Ontario CANADA
Contact:

Re: Anyone here go to high lines all over the country?

Post by tsph6500 »

James Powell wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:33 am
PQ- Montreal Live Steamers, about 600' x 2 loops (though I am sure Jim will be along to correct me...)
OK, only if you want me to.

Montreal has a 1370-foot mainline plus siding, facilities, etc for 3-1/2" & 4-3/4". we had the forethought to design the track and switches to allow running in either direction, not recommended at the same time, giving engineers two track layouts for the effort and cost of one.

There is also a 3600-foot 7-1/4" ground line and facilities.
Best regards,
Jim Leggett

Montreal Live Steamers
www.montreallivesteamers.org

A Founding Member of the Tinkerbell Scale Society - Northern Division
I'm an A.R.S.E. (Association of Railroad Steam Engineers)
Toad Swamp & Punk Hollow Railroad - Head Tycoon
The Juvenile Traction Company - CEO & Apprentice Machinist 3rd Class
White Mountain Central RR - Engineer & Fireman
Post Reply