What states have no operating steam at all? Vermont and Georgia come to mind. Steam used to run in those states, but not anymore. Virginia in that huge state I believe the only operating steam is Busch Gardens and 611. The Jack Showalter operation quit years ago, moved to Maryland which became the WMSR, and Kings Dominion got rid of their steam train in 1995. In my state, PA the only operating steam is Everett, Strasburg, and RBMN at this time I believe.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
I don't think ND does, at least not in standard gauge. (Might have a small one foot gauge RR in a park in Minot.)
Kent in SD
Robert K posted:What states have no operating steam at all? Vermont and Georgia come to mind. Steam used to run in those states, but not anymore. Virginia in that huge state I believe the only operating steam is Busch Gardens and 611. The Jack Showalter operation quit years ago, moved to Maryland which became the WMSR, and Kings Dominion got rid of their steam train in 1995. In my state, PA the only operating steam is Everett, Strasburg, and RBMN at this time I believe.
How about steamtown?
Whats that status of WMKS, their saddle tank engine?
In Pa, don't forget:
-Steamtown (26)
-Williams Grove (643)
-Steam Into History (17, though it is a new build)
-Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train (Aren't their two engines, both named Henry Clay?)
-Hershey Park (their train ride is steam)
-Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association (a Shay and a smaller engine)
Also don't forget that the Allentown and Auburn is planning on bringing in a steam engine for 5 days of operation in October this year.
Interesting topic that got me curious about my state (NYS). We have several tourist / scenic railways in my part of the state, but none of them are steam.
I found that the Arcade and Attica (near Buffalo) is still around and has a steam engine.
Are there any others?
What steam is now running in Ky.? Steam did (is?) running at the Ky. RR Museum . Other? I think it was running at Stearns, Ky. past a restored coal camp. Indiana, Ohio? Steam was running, the Pacific from the Little River, in SW Mich.
Robert K posted:What states have no operating steam at all? Vermont and Georgia come to mind. Steam used to run in those states, but not anymore. Virginia in that huge state I believe the only operating steam is Busch Gardens and 611. The Jack Showalter operation quit years ago, moved to Maryland which became the WMSR, and Kings Dominion got rid of their steam train in 1995. In my state, PA the only operating steam is Everett, Strasburg, and RBMN at this time I believe.
FYI, also in Pennsylvania, the New Hope and Ivyland shortline hopes to have its steam engine back in service by this summer, 2017.
There are a whole bunch of western states that are steamless, mine is one (AZ). Some will say that the Grand Canyon RR has one, but last I checked they quit running it due to cost.
sinclair posted:There are a whole bunch of western states that are steamless, mine is one (AZ). Some will say that the Grand Canyon RR has one, but last I checked they quit running it due to cost.
The Grand Canyon RR does operator steam, but generally only on "special occasions", thus not regularly anymore. They do use waste vegetable oil as fuel (used french fry oil).
They run on the 1st Saturdays March thru October.
I saw come into the terminal the veggie steamer at the Canyon, some years ago, and l was offended because it had a diesel helper. Is that SOP?
Technically Maryland is steam-less.
We get a visit from the Gramling's 0-6-0T usually every spring at Walkersville Southern.
Obviously no steam at Western Maryland.
The technicality - the B&O Museum. Their 0-4-0T is out of service, 4-4-0 William Mason is being cosmetically restored (non-operational this time). No steam has been run since October 2015...however, they have two fully operable steam locomotives just sitting there - the Tom Thumb and Lafayette Replicas. Based on the website and conversations with the Museum staff/volunteers, there doesn't appear to be much/any desire to run them.
Steam runs in Ohio daily through the summer months on the narrow gauge Cedar Point and Lake Erie RR.
Rhode Island has no steam locomotives. They do have an industrial steam engine museum http://newsm.org/ (I have not checked this out yet).
pennytrains posted:Steam runs in Ohio daily through the summer months on the narrow gauge Cedar Point and Lake Erie RR.
May 6 through October 29 for CP.
Hocking Valley also runs steam.
If you want to see steam just visit my area......between Cass, Durbin and more coming we have more than our share.
Doesn't a steam loco run at GA Stone Mountain???
We had two real steam locos at Carowinds park, back in the day, that ran in NC and SC crossing state lines every few minutes!!! We had to have special permit so we didn't have to be licensed in both states as engineers!!!
Robert K posted:What states have no operating steam at all? Vermont and Georgia come to mind. Steam used to run in those states, but not anymore.
Georgia has steam at the Agrirama in Tifton. Small steam, but it is steam nevertheless.
AMCDave posted:Doesn't a steam loco run at GA Stone Mountain???
No steam at Stone Mountain in a very long time. Mid 80s at the latest. Definitely all diesel by 1987, even though the steam engine was still leading the train, but it was being pushed dead around the loop. These days, all the engines have left the park to new owners.
There is NO steam operating here in Northwest Florida. It is my understanding that CSX is not real friendly to steam so highly unlikely I will ever get to see UP 844 come through Pensacola. I do remember back in the mid 1970's my dad took me to the train station in Pensacola to see a big steam locomotive come through. It must have been something operated by the L&N. I wish we would have had digital cameras back then, oh well. If any of you have a guess about the steam locomotive that came through back then, let me know.
Mr Union Pacific posted:There is NO steam operating here in Northwest Florida. It is my understanding that CSX is not real friendly to steam so highly unlikely I will ever get to see UP 844 come through Pensacola. I do remember back in the mid 1970's my dad took me to the train station in Pensacola to see a big steam locomotive come through. It must have been something operated by the L&N. I wish we would have had digital cameras back then, oh well. If any of you have a guess about the steam locomotive that came through back then, let me know.
Southern 4501 came through Pensacola in May 1975 on a weekend of Mobile, AL to Pensacola excursions, followed by a 2-day ferry move from Mobile to Chattahoochee to Jacksonville immediately thereafter. There was also a Mobile to New Orleans ferry move in November '77 listed as operating over the L&N.
The other possibility is when Clinchfield 4-6-0 #1 made a trip to Tampa in July '78. Routing unknown, although via Pensacola is an option since the engine ended up in Alabama at one time.
Those are the only steam movements I'm aware of, as the Freedom Train did not go through Pensacola.
Kevin
The state of Kentucky for now and the foreseeable future has no regular operating steam.
A small 2 foot gauge operation called the Richwood and Tahoe with a custom built 2-6-0 from the Mammoth Locomotive Works was running irregular trips a couple years ago. However, their website and Facebook have not updated in quite sometime and there is no indication that they are still in operation.
R.J. Corman ran their Chinese bought Mikado very intermediately up until 3-4 years ago. After its last trip R.J. Corman himself died of complications related to cancer and as he was the ONLY advocate in the entire company for seeing the thing run the company immediately sidelined it and it is planned to stuff and mount it in Midway, KY.
L&N #152 at KRM has not run in years and considering KRM's management will unlikely run again. She's been dismantled for a so called overhaul but they have next to zero funding to accomplish what needs to be done. Don't look for her to return anytime in this or the next decade.
The K&T #14 restoration project in Stearns, KY was supposed to be completed and the locomotive operating 2-3 years ago but the project has degenerated into what can only be described as an utter and complete cluster$#@! and there is no end in sight.
There's a splinter group off KRM with some pipe dream about restoring C&O #2716 by 2020 and running fan trips out of Lexington. Doing so in territory dominated by CSX, plus NS has already made it clear they won't run trips with groups outside the ones they work with now, no equipment, no place to store it, and in an area dead set against giving money to this sort of thing. In other words I'll sell snowcones in Hell before that happens.
The ONLY steam in KY is a once a year visit of either the Leviathan or recently Gramlins #126 to the tourist railroad in Versailles. Knowing them, they'll **** off those guys soon enough into not coming back.
kgdjpubs posted:Mr Union Pacific posted:There is NO steam operating here in Northwest Florida. It is my understanding that CSX is not real friendly to steam so highly unlikely I will ever get to see UP 844 come through Pensacola. I do remember back in the mid 1970's my dad took me to the train station in Pensacola to see a big steam locomotive come through. It must have been something operated by the L&N. I wish we would have had digital cameras back then, oh well. If any of you have a guess about the steam locomotive that came through back then, let me know.
Southern 4501 came through Pensacola in May 1975 on a weekend of Mobile, AL to Pensacola excursions, followed by a 2-day ferry move from Mobile to Chattahoochee to Jacksonville immediately thereafter. There was also a Mobile to New Orleans ferry move in November '77 listed as operating over the L&N.
The other possibility is when Clinchfield 4-6-0 #1 made a trip to Tampa in July '78. Routing unknown, although via Pensacola is an option since the engine ended up in Alabama at one time.
Those are the only steam movements I'm aware of, as the Freedom Train did not go through Pensacola.
Kevin
I think that 4501 move was in 1974. I saw it when I was a little kid, at the water/servicing stop within sight of the capitol building in Tallahassee. My Mom took my brother down there and we saw it pass under Highway 20 just west of town at the old GF&A interchange.
750 came through on a ferry move sometime in the 80s, but I don't remember the year. It made the newspaper, and of course nobody knew about it until after the fact.
But don't forget the Freedom Train display at Jacksonville, then Tallahassee at the end of November, 1976. The Tallahassee move wasn't on the original schedule and I can't find anyone who worked the freedom train to tell me how/when that was changed.
However, Jacksonville had plenty of steam trips during the SRR/NS steam program era. I chased, paced and rode a few of those trips behind all kinds of steam, notably 611 and 1218 in my teen years.
Wow!!!!!! Yes that's it. I am certain it was the Southern 4501. I have never forgotten seeing it. I can also remember hearing the whistle.
Would you count the steam locomotives at Hersheypark in PA? Not Standard Gauge, but they are working steam locomotives!
These two on Maui will be running soon. Come over and ride them when they steam up. Don
scale rail posted:These two on Maui will be running soon. Come over and ride them when they steam up. Don
I rode behind one of those and watched the other the last time I was in the area. It'd be great to see them in steam again!
Eddie Marra posted:Would you count the steam locomotives at Hersheypark in PA? Not Standard Gauge, but they are working steam locomotives!
Of course! 
C W Burfle posted:Interesting topic that got me curious about my state (NYS). We have several tourist / scenic railways in my part of the state, but none of them are steam.
I found that the Arcade and Attica (near Buffalo) is still around and has a steam engine.
Are there any others?
Arcade and Attica is the only Steam Train in NYS. Great little operation if you get the chance!
Florida will have a steam train once it is restored. Not sure if anyone has seen this story(probably have).
Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Florida will have a steam train once it is restored. Not sure if anyone has seen this story(probably have).
Florida already has several at Disney World. There is/was another operation somewhere outside of Orlando that is ending soon or ended operations. They used a small wood burning 2-6-0 locomotive from the Reader Railroad.
Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Florida will have a steam train once it is restored. Not sure if anyone has seen this story(probably have).
The U.S. Sugar folks will surely have their work cut out for them, not to mention HUGE amounts of money involved, since poor #148 will require a complete new boiler.
SantaFe158 posted:Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Florida will have a steam train once it is restored. Not sure if anyone has seen this story(probably have).
Florida already has several at Disney World. There is/was another operation somewhere outside of Orlando that is ending soon or ended operations. They used a small wood burning 2-6-0 locomotive from the Reader Railroad.
Dang, I didn't know they had stuff at Disney, should have figured. Any regular old steam programs in there or private collections then?
if you are willing to scale down your expectations, you'll probably find more steam around the country than you'd think...
http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/A-clubs.htm
unfortunately many Live Steam clubs have turned to mostly turn-key diesels (...or worse), but many more model steam locomotives will survive well past their current builders and owners
cheers...gary
Florida is now steamless with the closing of the only tourist railroad with steam. Well, Walt Disney World still has steam as well as Busch Gardens Tampa. Also, since CSX dominates south and west of Jacksonville, the chances of a mainline steam excursion in Florida again are zero. And there isn't a nearby state with steam, either, closest steam tourist train would be TVRM. Georgia has no operating steam I believe, either, except for the longer TVRM runs, as well as Mississippi and Louisiana. Does Arkansas have any? Alabama? South Carolina? Eastern TN and western NC seem to be the only areas in the south with regular steam operations.
Vermont no steam, New Hampshire for at least another year before Conway Scenic get 7470 up and running.
superwarp1 posted:Vermont no steam, New Hampshire for at least another year before Conway Scenic get 7470 up and running.
As far as I know, Mount Washington (New Hampshire) still runs steam, although not like it used to. I have only ridden "the cog" when it was 100% steam - incredible trip with or without steam! I'd have to look through my photos but the day I was there I think they had 4 or 6 locos in steam on the mountain.
Hmm.. NJ. We just barely make the mark. Black River & Western has GW 60. MCC 4039 and Southern 385 have been out of service for a while. South Jersey.. Not much. SMS Rail Lines in Bridgeport NJ has an ex US ARMY 0-6-0. 4023. Same class as 4039 I believe. They are in the process of restoring it. Hmm. I don't think URHS or Tri-State has any steam locomotives.. Allaire State Park's narrow gauge locomotives haven't been operatial in years..
SJC posted:superwarp1 posted:Vermont no steam, New Hampshire for at least another year before Conway Scenic get 7470 up and running.
As far as I know, Mount Washington (New Hampshire) still runs steam, although not like it used to. I have only ridden "the cog" when it was 100% steam - incredible trip with or without steam! I'd have to look through my photos but the day I was there I think they had 4 or 6 locos in steam on the mountain.
I keep forgetting about them. First run of the day is steam.
Robert K posted:Florida is now steamless with the closing of the only tourist railroad with steam. Well, Walt Disney World still has steam as well as Busch Gardens Tampa.
So how does that equate to Florida being steamless when you just named two operations? Disney costs an awful lot to get into, but their locomotives still burn fuel to make the steam that operates them.... There are probably better rides in the country, but when you think about how many people get exposed to steam railroading there that wouldn't otherwise, they're probably a pretty important operation.
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
