Enos Yoder

Enos Yoder was active in Live Steam since the 1950's. He is the father of Bill Yoder. Enos was a founding member and the first president of the Florida Live Steamers club.

Reading 4-4-0
Bill Yoder wrote on Chaski.org:


 * This Reading 3/4" scale 410-419 class 4-4-0 was bought by someone through the Discover Live Steam webpage some weeks ago. I owned this loco for more than 40 years, in fact, its new copper boiler was built by my dad, Enos Yoder, in the late 1960s.

Mogul
Enos is quite a craftsman and has built 16 or so engines all of the style in this photo. Nice looking engines.

Atlantic
Jeff Dute wrote on Chaski.org 13 October 2010:


 * That engine was the design of Mr. Yoder of Sarasota, Florida. I know 3 of these engine built. Mr Yoder built 1 and I know the Mr. Charlie Fair of Ohio built 2 over the years. The first one, which I think is the one running at Apex in the video (not positive though) was sold a number of years ago. Then Mr. Fair built a second which I think was finished last year or year before.


 * Based on my conversation a number of years ago, Mr. Yoder based the model on Redwood Valley Railroad #4. He used Allen Models wheels, cylinder and construction methods to build the engine. If I remember correctly he used Southern Valve Gear.


 * Mr. Yoder had sketches for this engine but no formal drawing. I have copies of the sketches somewhere I will try to locate them. Hope the information helps.

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Romulus
From Bill Yoder posted the following on Chaski.org 18 February 2016:


 * Here’s a great chance to obtain a 7 ½”-gauge locomotive built by well-known craftsman Enos Yoder of Sarasota, FL. He built most or all of 17 locomotives and traction engines – this is #14. There won’t be any more - Enos is 88 years old. Assuming a 24”-gauge for the prototype, this works out to a scale of 1 to 3.69 or 3.25” to the foot. Loco can be completed in a North American or European style, has solid steel frames.

This 2-4-0 is a modified Romulus designed by Roger Marsh – originally a two-foot gauge quarry locomotive 0-4-0. The design is very prominent in the UK. It’s been improved here with an equalized leading truck and Southern valve gear, Enos Yoder’s favorite. Notice the slight, prototype incline to the cylinders, solid drivers. What you see here was completed around 2002. At that time, the chassis ran fine on air and the boiler was steamed to 60 psi (anticipated pressure 100-120 psi.) So this is a brand-new locomotive.

What you get: It’s an 8” diameter steel boiler with 13 ¾” ID copper tubes. The boiler was welded by a certified welder. No tender. No water pump yet, but the eccentric for it is mounted on a driver axle. Included will be castings for the firebox door, brake shoes, wood for the cab and blueprints.

Dimensions: Height to the top of the stack is 32”, length is 48”. Width: 20”. We have the exact box sizes if needed. Total weight is 400 lbs., but can be divided equally into two boxes.

Injector
Fred_V wrote on Chaski.org, 9 February 2017:


 * Check out the injector. That is an Enos Yoder original design; a very talented builder. Enos had built many of them. It is very nicely made and by the size of the cones should put out a lot of water. I don't know how it would respond to hot water as in a saddle tank engine.



Obituary
From Dignity Memorial:


 * Enos W Yoder
 * November 15, 1927 – April 12, 2022
 * Enos W. Yoder, 94, of Sarasota, Florida passed away very peacefully on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Enos was born in Haven Kansas on November 15, 1927.


 * Enos was known as “Traindawdy” to his beloved family. Enos and his family moved to Sarasota in 1960. He and his wife Fannie lived in El Dorado, Arkansas from approximately 1974 through 1982, working at a nursing home which was a Voluntary Service unit of the Rosedale Mennonite Conference. During those years they got to meet many VS workers serving there from all over the US. They returned to Sarasota in 1982. Enos was a member of the Bethel Mennonite Church, Sarasota FL.


 * The oldest of 11 children, Enos grew up in a large Amish family. Due to severe respiratory allergies, he was the one who helped his mother around the house with the younger children, including cooking, cleaning and even helping sew clothes for the family. Though he only attended grade school, he went on as an adult to get his GED and even took some college level courses and taught at the local vocational school.


 * He could fix anything, and had small engine repair shops in Garnett, Kansas, Goshen, Indiana and in Pinecraft. When he moved to Sarasota he worked for Sears Roebuck repairing small appliances, sewing machines and vacuums. In later years he was a machinist for a commercial pump company. Of course, he was always the one who was called to fix household emergencies – too many times at night and on holidays! He was a skilled craftsman and built his own home in Kansas, Arkansas and Sarasota. He was somewhat of an artist and always enjoyed drawing Dagwood and Disney characters for the kids!


 * He enjoyed gardening, riding his motorcycle at one time, sailing, and of course, his all-time favorite hobby of steam trains and locomotives. Enos was a founding member and the first president of the Florida Live Steamers club. He designed the logo for the club. He built at least 15 steam locomotives and encouraged and assisted family members and friends to build their own locomotives. He willingly shared his narrow gauge plans and quite a few have been built with those plans. He loved to give rides and had his own personal tracks at his homes in Arkansas and Sarasota.


 * He and his wife loved to travel and after retirement spent many summers traveling with a small camper to Colorado, Indiana and North Carolina. Despite never having a large salary, they lived frugally and were able to travel to Europe twice and to the Holy Lands once.


 * He lived long enough to enjoy the fifth generation of three little great-great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his family, especially the little ones who knew him as “Traindawdy”! “God is Great and God is Good” was almost a daily exclamation!


 * He is survived by his children Lovina and husband Ben Keim, William Yoder and wife Galina, Sarah Slabach, and Clara and husband Orlin Gingerich; 10 grandchildren Kirby and Michael Keim, Brenda Noffsinger, Jeremy Yoder, Alison Kelley, Sherri Tennerino, Angela Slabach and Mario, Curtis and Craig Gingerich; and 2 Step-granddaughters Elena Tovstaya and Masha Vasilchenko.


 * 17 great-grandchildren Jessica Bayne, Joshua Noffsinger, Nicole McGough, Erin, Daniel and Megan Keim, Isabella and Greta Yoder, Juliana and Colin Kelley, Cooper and Ava Tennerino, Delyla Rodgers, Davian Slabach, Marco and Sawyer Gingerich, and Camden Dillon; and 4 step great-grandchildren Masha and Emili Tovstaya and Vasilina and Denis Vasilchenko; 5 great-great grandchildren Dustin, Mason and twins Knox and Isla McGough (born 4/14/22) and Ellie Bayne.


 * A brother Ezra Yoder, Shipshewana Indiana; two sisters, Martha Thomas, Bradenton Florida, and Sarah Marie Miller, Bremen Indiana; and a sister-in-law Ada Mae Yoder, Shipshewana Indiana.


 * He is preceded in death by his wife Fannie and daughter Mary Ellen; parents William C. and Sarah Yoder; brothers Chris, Levi, William Jr., Rudy and Clarence Yoder; and sisters Elizabeth Brown and Katie Miller.