Lake Shore Live Steamers.com

Located at

Penitentiary Glen
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Rd
Kirtland, Ohio 44094

Members pulled out this assortment of railroad cars for the Tremendous Trains Program today with classes at 10:00am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Skip Frank volunteers to bring his engines to describe the workings of a steam engine and diesels.

This little steam engine is called the "Crab" which has a vertical boiler instead of the usual horizontal boiler we all associate with steam engines. This is Skip's Columbia engine because of it's wheel arrangement of 2-4-2 that he finished building, which is a very good runner for Skip.

The first class arrived and Skip has started his presentation talking about the engines and what makes them run. Skip has their attention as he tells them about the different parts on the engine and how they work together to produce motion translated to the wheels.

Skip had the pilot (or cow catcher) blocked up and had the engine running on air so the class could see the side rods and wheels rotating. With the engine discussion over, Judson Elliott took the group over to the railroad cars to describe the functions that each car could be used for.

Judson asked some of the kids if they knew what could be hauled in some of the cars to get an interaction with them. Here Judson shows them how conductors or brakemen signaled the engineer with a lantern for movement of the engine and/or train.

When Judson finished his talk, the class attendees were loaded on the trains for a train ride through the woods and Ken Brooks is engineer for the GP38. Skip watches as Scott Hewis and Greg Guy have there trains loaded with passengers for their ride.

Scott departing with his passengers as he passes the steaming bays at the start of his run. Ken in front of Shriver Station as he waits for the remaining riders that haven't ridden yet to board his train.

Was pleasantly surprised to see Don Speidel for the Tremendous Trains Program in attendance and I understand that Paul Emch went over to his place and picked him up. The 1:00 o'clock group had arrivied and Skip started his presentation talk.

The Park tries to set up the attendence by age for the three groups and Skip adjusts the presentation of data for the age group he is talking to to hold their attention. Skip responds to a question from one of the members of the class.

Judson starts his talk about the different railroad cars and some of the things that they would haul. You can see the age of the kids is a little older than the first class at 10:00 am this morning.

Judson is showing the youngsters some railroad cars that we didn't have on display in 1/8 scale and quizzed the kids as to what they thought that the cars would carry. Here Judson is showing them one that has a snow plow attached.

Scott watches as Paul loads his train with the class attendees for their ride after the presentation. Ken with the GP38 heads out from the station with a full load of passengers as he starts this run.

As Kens' train passes by I snapped another photo of the back half of the train that has the riders and Steve Zaken as conductor on the rear. Scott having just passed through Horrendous heads towards Zip Junction on his way back into the station.

At the same location but from the other side of the track Ken was next tocome by as he passed through Zip Junction. As the trains came back to Shriver Station, Paul aided the riders by using their cameras to take their picture while on the trains at the end of the ride.

The last group for the 3:00 o'clock class had their talk on the engines with Skip and now Judson does the run through of the different types of railroad cars on the track. Judson was helped by his grandson, Danny Greene standing behind him.

Judson describing the log car and how it would transport the logs to the saw mills to be cut up into boards and then sent to lumber yards. Here he is asking the kids what would be hauled ih the Hershey tank car.

At this point he told the group that the passenger car would be used for riding, sleeping, eating and even a post office on wheels. Scott was the first out of the station with riders from the class pulling the train with his AS-616 electric powered diesel.

Greg was next to depart with the yellow Park engine with his passengers. Ken had the last attendees of the Tremendous Trains Program on his train as he left the station.

As Kens' train passed slowly gaining speed these were the riders at the rear of the train and that's Dave Cryor as conductor. Later, Ken passed through Pandora on his way to Shoe and the Covered Bridge with his passengers.

Scott passing over Cider Bridge with his passengers and his cobductor Paul as they head back to Shriver Station. A few minutes later Greg passed by the same location and will soon be back at the station.