Raising Steam

As a child I used to watch the actor Alan Hale Jr. as he played the role of Casey Jones on TV. I loved seeing his engine in action and how it related to the people and situations it was involved in. I always wanted to be part of the engine crew, to experience those adventures for myself and for a while, I achieved this. Never thinking that later on in life I could possibly be in a position to create of an early American locomotive, very similar to the one he drove. Funny how life pans out.

The reasons for creating this project are many and varied.  As an engineman, I want to know how it performs; how it rides the rails, what issues in maintaining the engine and how it differs from other locomotives. I was fortunate to be part of the steam era, to see and feel the ‘liveness’ of these engines. I would like young people to feel the same. To be inspired, to get involved. To be part of a unique engineering experience. This is the first step in a journey that I hope will lead to greater things for many others in the future.