Lake Shore Live Steamers.com

Located at

Penitentiary Glen
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Rd
Kirtland, Ohio 44094

Roger Harnish pointing out the blowdown valve on his steam engine to his young attentive audience that are taking part in Tremendous Trains Program. Roger described the workings of the steam engine and the care and maintenance that were required to take care of them.

We had a couple of trains at the station to give the attendees a ride after the presentation and here Paul Emch's train is all loaded. Paul departing the station with the youngsters and their parents or grandparents for a ride through the woods with the first train out.

Roger giving the passengers our riding instructions before they depart the station and Bonnie Zaken is the conductor for this trip. Paul arriving back at the station on his second trip with the Park employees enjoying the ride also.

Since today was also a work session Lew Fowler, Wayne Boron and Joe Banzer decided to change the hydraulic oil and lube the work engine #101. In between the presentations Dick Clark and Roger talked in front of the station relaxing on the trains.

The guys just finished adjusting the chain tension and now will lubricate the chain. Dick using his engine to take a load of rail down to the Branch Line for the passing siding that we will be constructing but we only had two guys show up for the track crew.

We had reported that a couple people had problems derailing on the Branch Line so we decide to look into it and saw that the middle track had a dip at the rail joint. Dick took his level, kneeling pad and old yeller as we call the big screwdriver and raised the track up at that point.

The second group of youngsters arrived at one o'clock and Roger went into his presentation a little more in detail because the age of the group. This group was a little older and it was easier to hold their attention with a discussion about the workings of a steam engine.

The engine maintenance crew took engine #101 down from the steaming bays, tried it out on the level track and everything seemed to be working good. Roger continued with his discussion on the different types of railroad cars and what they can haul.

Don Speidel with his train is taking out a load of attendees for this group from the one o'clock session. The three o'clock group is just moving down from the talk about the engine and started to look over the cars as the Park personnel help answer any questions.

This last class has some of the older children in it and they are moving around the cars to hear Roger's description of them. The youngsters liked sitting on the flatcar as Roger described the duties of the caboose related to the train.

Roger continues on with the different services the gondola car can provide and the types of load it may carry. Next was a venerable boxcar and it's different type of loads that it can handle.

With the talk finished, the attendees moved over to the loading area for the trains to wait their turn to board for a ride. Roger loads Don's train with the anxious riders.

Don departing the station with his passengers as he gaines speed with his Morris switcher. Paul Emch looks over how Roger has loaded his train and answers a question from one of the youngsters.

Satisfied with the loading, Paul advances the throttle of the engine and slowly gains speed as he departs the station with one of the last runs for the Tremendous Trains Program. Dick and Bill Deptowicz drop off some steel rail and a load of ties for the next work session.

Well the supplies are in place for making some track which due to low attendance by the crew traveling to other tracks means we will have to wait till next week. Back at the station Roger was loading his train in preparation for going home after a successful program. Thanks Roger!