Main Page

Join the International Brotherhood of Live Steamers About the IBLS Visit IBLS at Facebook <img src="" width="36">Beginners start here This wiki contains 966 articles.

Beginners are the key to our future. Louie Lettiere I don't care anything about steam engines, but I think that steam engine people are the nicest in the world. Un-named wife of a live steamer attending Alva Trook's meet, May 1956 What will you do this year to introduce someone to the live-steam hobby? Steve Baker

Custom PDF

NEW FEATURE

Download IBLS Wiki pages as PDF, or even create and print a custom book composed of IBLS Wiki pages you select. See the Create a book and Download as PDF links in the sidebar.

Meets

• Mill Creek Central Railroad Memorial Day Meet, May 26 thru 30, 2016
• Mill Creek Central Railroad Summer Meet, June 16-19, 2016
• Montreal Live Steamers Annual Meet, July 1 thru 3, 2016
• St. Croix Railroad International Small Scales & Model Engineering Meet, July 7 thru 10, 2016
• Waushakum Live Steamers 46th Annual Meet,August 26 thru 28, 2016
• Golden Gate Live Steamers 80th Anniversary Meet, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: August 5,6,7- 2016 at the club track in Tilden Regional Park--Berkeley, CA...
• Small Scales Meet Mid-June 2017 - A 1" California Ramble that will include the American River Navigation and Railway Nevada County track, Southern California Live Steamers, Golden Gate Live Steamers, ending at Los Angeles Live Steamers and a few surprises in other scales along the way.
  • To add your meet email Daris Nevil

New and Old

Did you know...Frank Godwin was a renowned comic strip and advertising artist as well as a Live Steamer.

Don solves issues with the blowdown valve and anti-lift/expansion brackets on LBSC's Virginia

Bill Oberpriller's innovative "Minnie", a freelance 2-4-2 steam locomotive

Building a Hi-Railer

Bill Yoder updated his 3/4 inch scale registry of locomotives in North America, now totaling 257 locomotives!

Turning an Eccentric Hole in a 3-Jaw Chuck

Outdoor Model Railroad Runs on Real Steam

Did you know...Martin Lewis, founder of Little Engines, co-designed the first and only V8 engine for the Ford model T?

Bobber cabooses (or is that cabeeses?)

Nylatron, the wonder material

Live diesel

Fred Bohn's 3/4 inch scale Challenger

Eugene Paul and his "Puffin Billy"

Bill Van Brocklin's "Simplun"

Peregrinations of "Livvie"

A 3-1/2 inch gauge riding flatcar, 2 versions to choose from:

• by George Taylor
• by R.W. Maynard

Building a Kitsap Caboose

Some Thoughts on Cold Weather Operation

Ken Scheer's fascinating history of the Rocky Mountain Live Steamers

IBLS Patches

The NEW IBLS Patches have arrived!

Only $5 each, includes postage. Click here to purchase!

• 

Regional IBLS Secretaries

• North America
• Australia
• Europe

Standards and Recommended Practice

• IBLS Wheel Standard
• IBLS Coupler and Safety Chain Standards
• IBLS Track Standard
• Standards and Recommended Practice
• Boiler Inspections
• Bolt and Pipe Threads

Wandering Locomotive Books

• Winton Brown Engineering Data
• Koster's Miniature Railroad Supplies
• Lee Wright and Lee's Trains
• Jan-Eric Nystrom's Baldwin 3003

Articles by Category

• Category:IBLS Secretaries
• Category:People
• Category:History

• Category:Beginners

• Category:Standards
• Category:Definitions

• Category:Clubs
• Category:Tracks
• Category:Suppliers

• Category:Construction
• Category:Maintenance
• Category:Operations
• Category:Right of Way
• Category:Safety

• Category:Books
• Category:Catalogs
• Category:Periodicals

• Category:Steam Locomotive Parts
• Category:Diesel Locomotive Parts
• Category:Railroad Car Parts