Henry Blossom

Henry "Hank" Blossom was a pioneer live steamer in Texas. He participated in the first Live Steam Meet in Texas. He and his wife Myra built a railroad on their property in Wimberley, Texas.

First SWLS Spring Meet

From Live Steam Magazine, September 1973:

SWLS Hold First Annual Spring Meet

Hank and Myra Blossom's Rill Rock Railroad at Wimberley, Texas was the site of the Southwestern Live Steamers First Annual Spring Meet on May 26th through 29th, 1973. The Rill Rock Railroad extends more than 1,000 feet between the Blossom's ranch home and the banks of the beautiful Blanco River in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.

Swallowing up the distance were ten locomotives and a lot of sharp-looking riding equipment. Also on hand was a new Case Tractor by Paul Torn, Sr., which was a sight to behold. It ran with no difficulties on its maiden run.

The weatherman cooperated splendidly and the meet was a huge success, culminating for the 125 people who attended by a delightful banquet on Saturday night at the Woodcreek Country Club.

Horace Shaw's 0-6-0

From Modeltec, July 1984:

Regarding the 0-6-0 that Horace Shaw built in the early 1930s:

I graduated from Cranbrook School in 1942. I had been to the Whysall Light Railway several times and found out about the 0-6-0 mechanism, which is all there was in 1942. Somebody had put half a stick of boiler compound in the tender (capacity about ten gallons — one stick was designed for 12,000 to 15,000 gallon size.) The water glass showed nothing but foam and the operator didn't do anything about it. One scrapped boiler.

My father gave me the works (cost - $50) as a graduation present. After three years in the Air Force, I came back not knowing what to do or where to do it.

About then, the boiler-maker wrote saying that he had a customer who was eager to buy - for $100. The boilermaker lived in Pueblo, Colorado (Ed: probably Bill Daney). I did not own any land, I was broke (relatively), and there were no clubs nor anyone around to help with advice. Sold!

End of story.

Henry S. Blossom

Route 1, Box 244

Wimberley, TX 78676

Les Burford Award

Southwestern Live Steamers will honor HANK and MYRA BLOSSOM for their many contributions to the club and Live Steam Hobby by presenting them with the Les Burford Award at the club's Blow Down Meet scheduled for November 1st, 2nd and 3rd at dank and Myra's Rill Rock Rail Road. This marks the first time in SLS history that a couple will be the recipient the award. (SLS "The Signal", reprinted in Modeltec, November 1985)

Gallery

• 

  Clarence King pauses at the station on his Pacific. Henry Blossom is seated in the lawn chair, far left. This is Henry's track at Wimberley, Texas. Photo by Pete & Donna Green.

• 

  Clarence King

• 

  Clarence King

• 

  Clarence King

• 

  Alex Hitzfelder headed over the curved trestle on Henry Blossom's railroad in Wimberly. Photo by Pete & Donna Green.

• 

  Live steamer at Henry Blossom's track in Wimberley, Texas. Photo by Pete & Donna Green.

• 
• 

  Ces Beck running at Henry Blossom's track in Wimberley, Texas. Photo by Pete & Donna Green.

• 

  Cliff Pettis routing the trestle at Henry Blossom's track at Wimberley, Texas. Photo by Pete & Donna Green.

• 
• 

  A very young Kenny Rhodes on the trestle.

Obituary

From Cleveland.com

HENRY S. (HANK) BLOSSOM, passed away ten minutes after midnight, April 6, 2004 in Austin, TX., after a long illness. He was 82 years old, having been born Sept. 19, 1922 in Cleveland, OH., to Pelham Hooker Blossom and Gertrude (Ayers) Blossom who both predeceased him. He is survived by his brother, Steven Blossom of Cleveland, OH., and Steven's children. He will be greatly missed by his sister-in-law, Willie Beth McWhorter and her husband, Eddie and brother-in-law, Henry Dunlap and their families.

After graduating high school in Michigan, Hank attended Kent State University before joining the Air Force as an airplane mechanic from which he was honorably discharged. Hank later married Elmyra (Millsap) Ellis, a widow, on Oct. 2, 1965. She predeceased him in 1997. Myra and her former husband, Max had been close friends of Hank's during their long mutual association with the Cleveland Playhouse. The Playhouse experiences were a high point in their lives, and they maintained contact with many friends made during their tenure there.

After their marriage, Hank and Myra lived an idyllic few years in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, before political instability motivated a move to Wimberley, TX., close to Myra's family.

Hank was an avid reader and pursued enthusiastically whatever subject engaged his interests. Having been a pilot of his own small plane, a sailor, amateur astronomer, and philosopher, his most passionate pursuits were scale model railroading and anything having to do with the Wizard of Oz.

A machinist much of his life, Hank personally built a quarter-mile railroad track adjacent to their home in Wimberley, Texas where he operated many of his home-made-to-scale railcars and steam locomotives. Friends and relatives fondly remember Hank riding them around the track with an engineer's cap on his head. Long-time members of Southwestern Live Steamers, Hank and Myra held many train meets at their home and attended many more throughout the Southwest.

Hank had literary fascination with adventure fantasies, which seemed to be particularly fulfilled in the writings of L. Frank Baum's "Wizard of Oz series. Hank and Myra attended many "Oziana conventions and collected much Oz-related memorabilia over the years. Hank was a quiet and gentle man who modeled an unpresumptuous attitude toward life, a passionate pursuit of his interests, and an uncomplaining acceptance of his circumstances. His generosity and humility will be remembered fondly by us all.

A memorial service will be held at THOMASON FUNERAL HOME, ON RANCH RD. 12 NORTH IN WIMBERLEY, TX., on Friday, April 9 at 1:30 p.m.