Huron Valley Live Steamers

Dave Bell wrote July 2017:

I am helping Jim Gould build a track in Ann Arbor. Remnants from the Huron Valley Live Steam club.

I have only recently been involved in the reconstituting of the club. We dug the old track out of the ground, literally, after twenty years of no use. Still in fine shape. We are combining the former club track with track owned by Jim Gould and putting it in place on his land. It had been at Dominos Farms, headquarters of Dominos Pizza. After the company became a publicly traded company, the risk managers said no more trains without a huge liability policy. That was well beyond the means of a small club. So for all intents and purposes, the club ceased to function. Jim Gould was involved from day one.

James "JJ" Gould wrote 31 July 2017:

I am the one building a new 7-1/2 inch gauge track on my farm just north of Ann Arbor. Dave Bell has been my #1 main helper and we are making progress, but not as much as we'd like with all the hot weather and rain. This is really not as easy as HO gauge! lol !

We are hoping to be able to run light trains around the whole track sometime in late Aug or early Sept.

I have 3 live steam locomotives and 3 battery-electric locomotives that will run on this track. Dave has a heavy battery-electric and is looking to buy and rebuild a Shay steamer that one of our other members owns. Our HVLS club members have several steamers and gas or battery locomotives.

I have been a member of IBLS since about early 1970's. Ralph Tucker and Austin Barr were friends that I saw quite often at meets in IL and FL back years ago. I used to recruit new members for Ralph and still have a few patches and sign up cards. Last word I had was that IBLS was disbanded years ago. Happy to know that is wrong.

Thanks for your interest,

Jim Gould (aka JJ)