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Lake Shore
Live Steamers > History
History
Lake Shore Live Steamers (LSLS)
Glen, Meadow, and Orchard Rail Road (GM&O RR)
Who are we? This record of the history of the Lake Shore Live
Steamers and the Glen, Meadow, and Orchard Rail Road is
a work in process. If you would like to add or clarify any of the
statements made in this record, Please email me
1969
• Local train enthusiasts (~12 individuals) begin gathering at each
others back yard rail road tracks for social purposes.
• Bruce Blackman was one of several initiators of these gatherings.
• a 200' circle of 3/4" scale track
was located at the Blackman home in Mentor,
Ohio.
• 7 1/2 " gauge track was added latter
• Jane Blackman (wife of Bruce) is still living at the property in Mentor and is an
Honorary Life Member of the Lake Shore Live Steamers. (circa: April 2001)
• Clyde and Chan Bleil (father and son) also were among the individuals
at these social gatherings.
• A 3000' track was located at their Florist business located on Rt 20, in Mentor,
Ohio.
• Other individuals included: Dick Clark, Dick Mackey, ...
DATE (unknown at this time, these events
took place between 1969 and 1977)
• A portable track was constructed these by individuals for
transport around North-East Ohio for
public use.
• This portable track was 3/4" scale.
• The length of this portable track was originally 480' (an oval).
• Track was divided into 48 - 10' sections for ease of transport.
• Track assembled and locked into place utilizing scissor joints.
• The total weight was approx 3,000 pounds.
• Clyde Bleil transported this track with
his truck from event to event.
• Some locations where this portable track was set up were:
Burton Century Village,
Burton, Ohio,
USA
Mentor Park, Mentor, Ohio, USA
1977
• A club was organized, charter members included: (in alphabetical
order)
Chan Bleil (still active!)
Clyde Bleil (still active!)
Harry Boivin, Jr (still
active!)
Dick Clark (still active!)
Robert Cook (still active!)
John Cronwell
Robert Davidson (still active!)
Louis DeLembo (still active!)
Bob Knebusch (still active!)
Karl Konrad (still active!)
Dick Mackey (still active!)
Bud Mayhew
Howard Murphy (still active!)
Snub Pollard
George Santin (still active!)
Dick Schimdt (still active!)
Harold Sicherman (still active!)
(there was approx 27 individuals that were charter members, this is
the current known list of this author)
1983
• Bob Davidson and Clyde Bleil approached
Mr. Schwartz (Park Director, Penitentiary Glen Reservation) to discuss a
permanent location of LSLS club "portable" track on the park
property.
• Permission was granted and the club placed 460' of the
"portable" 3/4" gage track (see above) on the property of
Penitentiary Glen. Penitentiary Glen Reservation is a park owned by the Lake MetroPark
Park System. It is located in Kirtland,
Ohio, USA.
The property for this park was given to the county by the Halle family (Halle Department Store)
• The track was placed around and through the old Halle apple
orchard. This orchard is on the lower section of the property.
• The apple orchard was over-grown with wild roses.
• These wild rose plants were cleared away, creating a path for the
track right of way.
• Trains were "out of site" most of the time, because of
the growth of the wild roses.
• The first public run at Penitentiary Glen took place at Halloween,
1983
• Ivan Jillette was present with his steam
locomotive.
1984
• The name Glen, Meadow, and Orchard Rail Road (GM&O RR) was
first used
• The club members started construction of the GM&O Station at
Penitentiary Glen Reservation • The first of the 7 1/2 " scale track
was started .
• The track was laid from the station to the edge of the gorge
(approx. 675 feet)
• The trains ran from the Station to the end of the line, then
backed up to the Station to start again (i.e., there was no loop or closed
circle in 7 1/2" scale)
1985
• The club completed the first loop of 7 1/2" scale track of
the GM&O RR in October
• Member of Lake Park Board of Directors, Larry Palmer, helped to
drive the "gold spike" in the final rail during a special
"joining of the rail" party at the present track location
referred to as Patty's Rock.
• Two trains (east and west bound) touched noses met at the
"last spike" site.
note: Patty's Rock is still known
today as the place where club member Lou Allen and Patty were engaged to be
married. For reasons that remain a mystery, Lou and Patty were never
married. Lou remains a member today in 2001.
• The first public run on complete loop of 7 1/2" track was
held on Halloween, 1984.
1993
• The Lake Shore Live Steamers celebrated the Tenth Anniversary of
the Glen, Meadow and Orchard Railroad. A three day event (August 13, 14,
& 15) held in conjunction with the club's Fifth Annual Open Meet, a
banquet was held on Saturday night for the club's members guests nad the park staff. Secretary Jeff Klein and Harold Sicherman worked on planning the festivities. A cake,
with L.S.L.S engine frosting is cut by park manager Jean Yun and club president. President Michael Uhrich and past presidents Bill Horn and Bob Davidson
pose for pictures.
• Don Speidel and grandson, Kevin Harris,
show off his new speeder at the Open Meet.
• Length of GM&O "Main Line" has expanded to 4,000
feet
• Over 10,000 rides given to the general public this year. Over
65,000 in the first 10 years!
1994
Big
Bend Bridge
completed and is dedicated during the Open Meet
• Newsy article published in Modeltec
Magazine (March 1994). Written by Kitty Shriver
and J.M Uhrich. Article focuses on the activities
of the Tenth Anniversary celebration with the park (Penitentiary Glen
Reservation) held last year (Aug 13,14, & 15, 1993)
• The 25th Anniversary of the founding of the Lake Shore Live
Steamers.
• Big Bend
Bridge is dedicated
during the Open Meet
1995
• This was a year of relaxation. The completion of Big Bend Bridge
was too exhausting.
1996
• The first switch of the new yard was laid this summer.
• The diamond was started near the Penitentiary Glen gorge. Track
cross each other at about 30 degrees. This will is known as "Gulch
Diamond".
• Original operation through the Gulch Diamond is controlled by
members and radios. This was updated to light signals that were manually
operated by an attendant at the Diamond. This simple signal system was
powered by a car battery.
1997
• Mulberry Yard is dedicated and used for first time during Open
Meet. Daryl and Jean Metcalf, Don Speidel, and
Kevin, Brett, Roy and Linda Harris laid 300 feet of track the Saturday
before the Open Meeting to complete the yard in time for the open meet.
1998
• New car barn completed for additional storage
• Additional Yards added to enter the new car barn.
1999
• "Yards" completed
• Signal System completed for operation with a cross-over diamond (@
Gulch)
• Bridge 5 (Howe Truss type) added
• Bill B falls off train during Halloween night run
. Except for pride and shoulder, he's fine
2000
• "Short Line" Extension started, this will eventually
link into Mackey's Run. Currently is serves as a service siding to the dirt
pile.
• A full grown tree grows mysteriously between the rail on the dirt
pile siding
• A coal Tipple is added on the service siding near the old car barn
and steaming bays
2001
• First run of the 21st Century - Jan 1, 2001. The annual
New Years Day club run was preceded by a cool brunch in the park given by
Mike U.
• The public run of July 29 was the first public operation of the 4
new switches at the Gulch Diamond. With the switches set in the by-pass
mode, the trains by-pass the diamond and run in the opposite direction from
what has been run in the past. From the Gulch Diamond, the trains ran to
Bridge 6, to Bridge 5, to Mackey's Run, to Big Bend Bridge,
to Zip Junction, to Horrendous, to Twin Oaks and back to Gulch Diamond. The
remainder of the GM&O RR was run in the normal direction.
• The Orchard Station gets hot water.
• 2001 Club Membership = 143 (79 - regular, 31 - associate, 16 -
junior, 10 - life, 2 - honorary, 3 - limited, and 2 - exempted. 15 charter
members remain from the clubs organization in 1977)
• Hildy Hill is reduced in grade.
• Bret K's Calliope makes music in the
park
• Second water/air station added at the passenger loading area
• 805 passengers (largest # of 2001) for September 9 public run
"Bug Day"
• Water Tower / Tank added to Service area near Coal Tipple
2002
• Switch building area moved to area beside new car barn
• Completion of Wye Switch near
"Shoe"
• Raising of track to reduce grade at Hildy
Hill
• rework of "horrendous" including rr-tie
wall, and double main to "high creek"
• Started construction of additional turn table to be located near
new car barn
• Road bed preparation for rail between "zip" and "mackey's run"
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
• Completion of new Car Barn (behind the existing switch building
shop
• Completed the connection from Bruce to end of Yard crossing over
the main twice – once at High Creek and once at Hemlock. Via Westwind
•
More History to come, this
is a work in process......stay tuned
Send me a note, if you know anything interesting about the Lake
Shore Live Steamers or the Glen, Meadow, and Orchard Railroad.
The Lake
Shore Live Steamers is a club devoted to the interest of the operation of
small gauge steam engines and locomotives. Some non-steam locomotive are present on the GM&O RR.
The Glen, Meadow, and Orchard
Rail Road is the Lake
Shore Live Steamer official club track. It is located on the beautiful
grounds of the Penitentiary Glen Reservation in Kirtland, Lake County, Ohio,
USA
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