My visit to the Brick Mountain Railroad

That's an amazing railroad. $15-20,000 per diesel and $30-40 per foot for track and that's just the 7.5".

I visited the one in Phoenix a couple years back. They had some great live steam engines.

To me, museums need to look at live steam.  If they are interested in showing the public how steamm works, these steam models would be a heck of a lot cheaper to operate than restoring an engine. Or worrying about finding a railroad to run on.  Or PTC. Or insurance.....

Beyond words.....very, very, very cool!

-Greg

I don't live far away but have not heard about this place. Interesting.

MELGAR

That is extremely impressive, Gary!  Thank you for posting all the photographs and videos!!

Thank you! Awesome RR!

I'm guessing they are not generally open to the public.  So, how did you wrangle an invitation?  I, and a lot of others here, don't live anywhere close, but I would sure like to put this on my bucket list if a visit is possible.  And, where is that place in Phoenix that GVDobler mentioned?  I have a couple of grandkids down there who might enjoy a visit with Pappy.

Chuck

@superwarp1 posted:

If you saw my post about the largest privately owned live steamers club in the east a few months back.  I finally visited today.  I want to thank Barry our host and the Pioneer live steamers club of Southwick  Mass for the invite.  

That **** Gate Bridge replica is certainly impressive.

Quick research indicates the E8 carcass was from a failed roadside soda fountain attraction, which accounts for the extra portholes.   It's an ex-Pennsy unit, original number 4262.

Rusty

With the size of this and especially the number of bridges, I’m guessing there are far more sunny weekends spent working than running trains.

I’d be curious to know what the initiation fee and annual dues are to belong.

Curt

@juniata guy posted:

With the size of this and especially the number of bridges, I’m guessing there are far more sunny weekends spent working than running trains.

I’d be curious to know what the initiation fee and annual dues are to belong.

Curt

No fees, totally private, it’s not a club which I should of made clear. friends only get invited.  Barry the owner of this property invited the Pioneer live Steamers club which I’ve been a member in the past and still know many members

Gary:

Does he have people who come in to help with maintenance in return for running rights or does he hire out a lot of the work? Seems an almost insurmountable task for one person to keep all of this running properly.

Curt

I saw this layout when I went to York in 2019,Barry was a great host and took us for rides on several of the trains.He told us about the construction of the Hellgate Bridge,quite a feat.

Mikey

@PRR1950

Just on the north side of Phoenix off I-17. I think it's called Maricopa Live Steamers RR.

They have public days with rides on the train, great fun.

@juniata guy posted:

Gary:

Does he have people who come in to help with maintenance in return for running rights or does he hire out a lot of the work? Seems an almost insurmountable task for one person to keep all of this running properly.

Curt

No clue, Barry was so busy I hardly talked to him.  I have a invite to stop by and run trains on his indoor layout in the winter.

@PRR1950

There is Maricopa Live Steamers then the live steamers at McCormick Stillman RR Park in Scottsdale. The live steamers run weekends during good weather (We are in monsoon season and the park sustained a lot of damage this past week from high winds) but should be back in operation within a week of the bad storms ending.

I am not sure of the Maricopa Live Steamers schedule but they should have a website. Several of the steamers from Scottsdale also belong to Maricopa. The best time to visit is November to May, with temperate weather and little rain.

Maricopa Live Steamers - Railroad Heritage Preservation Society

Scottsdale Live Steamers - Home

Thanks all for the Phoenix area data; too bad that the other one is private, but maybe that will change some day.

Chuck

The piles of real signals and parts had me drolling.

Truly remarkable!