Rocky Mountain Live Steamers

Ken Scheer provided the following in an email dated 4 November 2015:

In 1958, at age 12-- I had my very first incredible "Hands-On" Introduction to 3/4-Inch Scale x 3-1/2-Inch Gauge "Live-Steam Locomotives", by a wonderful 72 year-young Gentleman, a retired Union Pacific RR Locomotive Engineer in Denver, Mr. Arthur Wegner-- and he became a very dear friend. Over the next several years, Arthur also became my most gracious and generous "Great Mentor" in the realm of "Live-Steamers" and in the "Grittier" aspects of true Railroading. By 1960, I was actively building an LBSC "Tich" (in Art's Shop--), and also became the youngest Member of the Rocky Mountain Live Steamers Club, a casual regional group of only eight (or so--) RMLS Members. I also joined the BLS, with Harry L. Dixon, Secretary, which became the BLS Pacific Coast Division. By 1963, I also had joined the BLS East Coast Division, with Edgar J. Kruckeberg, Secretary (many years later, in 1987-- I also became a Member of the IBLS Mid-West Division, with Ralph Tucker, Secretary). Today, it is a little disconcerting to find myself as the sole-surviving, yet quite proud, living Member of the old Rocky Mountain Live Steamers--!

History

by Ken Scheer

November 2015

The Rocky Mountain Live Steamers was a casual "Club" organized in 1950, in Denver, Colorado, by a small group of like-minded individuals who shared a common interest in building and operating scale models of locomotives powered by "Live Steam". Arthur Wegner, an active "live steamer" since the early 1930's, was the Founder and Honorary "President" of the RMLS; Bob Elsea, an active live steamer since the early 1940's, and Karl Friedrich, an active live steamer since the late 1940's, were both also Founding Members of the RMLS. The RMLS was one of the very rare Live Steam Clubs known to exist in the central regions of the U.S. in the 1950's and 1960's.

This Club eventually attracted, and consisted of, most of the known "Lone Wolf" live steam hobbyists in the greater Denver Region, and enjoyed having a slowly growing Membership into the 1960's. The only RMLS "Conditions" for joining the Club were: to own a scale model live steam locomotive, either fully-built and operating, or a locomotive under construction; and preferentially to join the national live steamer group organization, the Brotherhood of Live Steamers, which they all did. And, at least Arthur Wegner, for one, had early-on established correspondence with Mr. Carl Purinton (Founder of the BLS), and made contact with other live steamers, and had also attended a few of the early "BLS Annual Steam-Ups". This led Arthur to form strong bonds and friendships with innumerable "Brother" live steamers on both the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast.

Basically, nearly all of the interest and participation in the RMLS operations was heavily centered upon live steam locomotive models in 3/4 inch scale x 3-1/2 inch track gauge. During these years, unfortunately, much interest and activity in 3-1/2 inch gauge live steamers was beginning to wane, displaced by the growing interest and popularity of larger live steam locomotives in 4-3/4 inch gauge and 7-1/2 inch gauge. Art Wegner had the only known outdoor 3-1/2 inch gauge track in Denver, this was an 80-foot long, elevated "back & forth" tangent, along one edge of Wegner's backyard. Arthur always enjoyed sharing his track, and small shop, for "Trials & Testing" purposes, and to host impromptu "Steam Meets" and Bull Sessions with other local live steamers. Those others, over a vast region, seemed to have simply "made-do" with either outdoor or indoor portable "Test-Track Panels" for their live steam operations.

RMLS Member, J.B. "Byron" Squires, was a very prolific builder of 3-1/2 inch gauge live steam locomotives in Colorado, who by 1956 had constructed a 60-foot by 118-foot elevated-oval track, about 304 feet in length, which he named the "Colorado Short Line RR", in the backyard of his new suburban residence in Colorado Springs. This little Railway then, was the only 3-1/2 inch gauge "closed-circuit loop track" known to exist in the entire Colorado Front Range Region. It was a simple oval, without having any separate "steaming bay facilities", except for occasionally using 2 inch by 8 inch planks laid on the ground or a bench -- but no one ever complained about it. Byron, and his wife Elizabeth, were very sociable and friendly-natured folks, who thankfully, always took a kind interest and derived a great pleasure in sharing their Colorado Short Line RR with all fellow "live steam" enthusiasts. Participation in most live steam operational events at the CSLR was typically made by "RMLS Member Only-RSVP", in order to keep the fun "Steam-Up & Pot-Luck Luncheon" events small, to be more manageable & enjoyable for all "Guests". And, the Squires' also hosted the "RMLS Annual Steam-Up & Picnic", usually every June, which was the high-steaming event of the year. The General Public was typically uninvited to CSLR activities, but nonetheless welcomed to politely & discreetly observe from the nearby street, if an event was discovered while "passing-by".

Byron Squires was considered to be the Honorary "Vice-President" of the RMLS, and his wife Elizabeth was considered to be the "Secretary", of sorts. She acted as the "Editor & Publisher" of the "RMLS Journal", a small club newsletter which was distributed only three or four times per year amongst the Membership. The newsletter contained details of the latest "Steam-Up"; anticipated, planned, and gave notice of future "Event" dates; and often included information any Member may wish to relate about machining or construction techniques, the current progress on any locomotive under construction, and other fun bits of news. All of the RMLS Members and their families enjoyed a pleasurable camaraderie in the occasional Steam-Up Events, Bull-Sessions, as well as other get-togethers and throughout the years.

At it's peak in Membership during the Club's "Golden Years" of the late 1950's to the late 1960's, the local participating Members included:

Arthur Wegner, of Denver, CO; a retired U.P.R.R. Locomotive Engineer; who amongst other early stationary and locomotive live steam projects, owned a nicely-proportioned 3-1/2 inch gauge 4-4-2 Atlantic locomotive having "Southern" valve gear and piston valves (Arthur had acquired this locomotive in about 1949 from Norman Steele of the NELS--).

Robert "Bob" Elsea, of Wheat Ridge, CO; a Small Appliance Repairman; who had constructed a very nicely detailed 3-1/2 inch gauge 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive, a fine 3-1/2 inch gauge 4-4-0 American "Virginia" locomotive, and a very nice Cole's 2 inch scale "Case" Steam Tractor.

Karl Friedrich, of Denver, CO; a Postal Carrier: who had constructed a well-done, freelance 3-1/2 inch gauge "Denver & Salt Lake Ry" 4-4-0 American locomotive, and somehow had acquired a massively impressive 3-1/2 inch gauge "South African Ry's" 4-8-2+2-8-4 Beyer-Garratt locomotive (which Karl rarely attempted to steam-up & run).