Rex Smith

Dave Pottinger wrote:

I took two photos of a live steam engine sometime in the summer of 1965. I had just got my first 35mm camera, a Minolta. As I recall, the man lived on the road that goes off to the northeast of the main street in Port Rowan, somewhere along the bay, but not actually out of town. It could have been Front Road, I don’t remember too much about the layout or the models, but I had just wandered in off the street and Mr. Smith showed me around.

Monte Reeves replied:

The gentleman that you are looking for did live on the Front Road. His name is Rex Smith. He had an outdoor live steam circular layout and 5 live steam locomotives. He called his railroad the Route of the Whistling Swan. Rex has been gone for some years now.

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  Rex Smith's 3/4 inch scale 4-4-4 Jubilee. Photo taken by Dave Pottinger in 1965 with a 35mm Minolta camera. Used with permission.

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  Photo by Dave Pottinger, used with permission.

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  Rex Smith standing next to his 1/2 inch scale President Washington. Mrs. A. W. Leggett is seated. Photo by A. W. Leggett, posted by Steve Bratina on Chaski.org

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  This photo was taken at Rex Smith's home track at Windsor in 1958. This is the 4-4-4 built by Rex, and owned at the time by Jack Lilbourne Jr. Photo by A.W. Leggett, posted by Steve Bratina on Chaski.org

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  A 2-6-6 tank engine in 1/2 inch scale built by Rex Smith. Photo by A.W. Leggett, posted by Steve Bratina on Chaski.org

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  A photocopy of the invitation to the 5th Annual BLS Meet held in 1937 at the Purinton residence a Marblehead, MASS. This copy was in a collection of photos of Rex Smith of Port Rowan, Ontario, posted on Chaski.org by Steve Bratina

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  Rex Smith's Atlantic, photo provided by James Powell

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  Rex Smith's Atlantic, photo provided by James Powell

Engine Stand

The following appeared in The North American Live Steamer, Vol 1, No 2, 1956

I have been tinkering around with small steam locos for many years, but have not accomplished anything outstanding.

I have been a copyist, making use of ideas of others; to name a few, H.J. Coventry, Carl Purinton, Les Friend, Cliff Blackstaffe, and many more, so I can't offer much in the way of originality. Usually, anything I think up, I find later, has been tried before.

It is an arrangement to facilitate working on a job.

A 3/4 inch scale loco gets a bit heavy as one proceeds, and when it is necessary to turn it upside down, or on its side, and working alone, as most of us do, it becomes a bit of a problem, and a little risky.

As will be seen in the photo, the method of clamping the trunnions to the engine frames would vary according to the particular job.

The supporting frames are angles 1 inch, one end is permanently fastened to the base angle irons, the other is adjustable to suit any engine that may be longer, with an eye to the future, as I intend to keep on making engines as long as I am able.

I have been retired a little over a year and have all the time in the world.

I am greatly pleased with the first issue of The North American Live Steamer. Here's to its continued success!

Rex Smith

St. Williams

Ontario

External Links

• Harry Gerrie runs at Rex Smith's track, Chaski.org
• Rex Smith box of photos, Chaski.org
• Rex Smith's 4-4-0 running on corn, Chaski.org
• Color Photos of Rex's 4-4-4