Mid-West Live Steamers

1944
Mid-West Live-Steam News

From "The Model Craftsman", July 1944:

New England Live Steamers' president, Lester Friend, just made one of his usual flying visits to Mid-West Live Steamers. He found that the Minneapolis gang are doing very well, even though war has cut heavily into their ranks. Roger Lees 4-8-4 in 3/4" scale has a grand start. Bill Goesch's 1/2" chassis is nearly complete. Al O'Neil is still debating which scale he is starting on. Something tells me it's going to be 3/4", says Lester. The rest of the boys have packed up their kit and are doing a good job for us in Europe.

Chicago, of course, is wide awake with the faithful oldtimers pushing all the time. Bruce Achor called out the gang on hearing that Lester was to arrive which resulted in one of those swell steaming-up parties at Paul Reithmaier's very unique garden railway. "You certainly get a thrill riding over that high bridge of Paul's and making some of the short turns around the trees. If you want to build a steam whistle that really sounds like one, ask Paul--he knows the answer!" Lester relates.

"All engines operated very nicely," said Lester. "Paul Reithmaier's Pacific and Bruce Achor's Atlantic were particularly smooth and fine operating engines. Following this meet all members retired to Achor's basement, where the gang inspected his 1-1/2" scale-- 7-1/2" gauge Hudson, which had just received its boiler all complete, the chassis is practically finished.  We all prophesied that it was going to take the big hook from the Illinois Central to get it out of his basement, but he says he's got other ideas.  All in all, we found everyone in the Mid-West building steadily and awaiting the termination of the War, to get out and really do some live steam operating," remarked Lester.