My love for trains started at a VERY young age. I literally grew up around them..... My father was not much of a train guy but had a very simple lionel Pre-War set that as a rare treat we would setup and play with, but my REAL love for trains really came from the real thing.... From the time i was 1 year old to present my mother has worked at a open air museum which has a running 2.5 mile perimeter railroad. They had 2 working locomotives used for the revenue trains and in the past few years restored another. After 28+ years of riding behind them and looking at them, i got the courage to talk to the manager of the railroad program and am now Volunteering (for now) on the railroad. Learning all that goes into maintenance and running of steam locomotives. Hoping to get a paid position in operations should one become available. Working at the same place forum member santafe158 works.
I will include a couple pictures of what we run, there is more but this is all i currently have saved. pictures borrowed from Co-Worker's facebook pages.
Below is #7 an 1897 Baldwin 4-4-0. Lettered for the Detroit and Lima Northern Railroad as delivered. Into her 2nd full running season after a multiple year restoration. Photo taken Weds. April 15, 2015 during the opening day of the season.
Second Picture is #3 "Torch Lake" an 1873 Mason Machine Works "Bogie" 0-6-4T Lettered for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Third Picture is #1 "Edison" a 4-4-0 American style Locomotive (Our smallest running locomotive) Acquired and Rebuilt in Ford's shops to it's current configuration and named after his friend Thomas Edison