One of the questions I often hear is, “I’m interested in getting into live steam; where do I find resources for live steamers?” Unfortunately, there is no “one stop shopping” for all the questions beginners may have about small-scale live steam. However, there are a number of resources out there that can provide answers, and maybe even offer some new information for the seasoned live-steam veteran, as well.
It would be an understatement to say that the Internet is a helpful tool for the live-steam enthusiast. A Google search will pull up hundreds of thousands of potential sites.
Vance Bass has developed probably the best overall website dedicated to the hobby. His “Small Scale Live Steam Resources” site has sections on frequently asked questions, lists of manufacturers and suppliers, and lots of inspiration, too. It can be found at http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/steam/.
There are also a number of online forums and discussion groups where you can post your live-steam questions or problems and usually get an answer from experienced steamers. Forums and discussion boards can be found at www.trains.com (under the Garden Railways magazine forum section) and at www.mylargescale.com
The Gauge One Model Railway Association is an international group dedicated to gauge 1 modeling, but there is an emphasis on live steam.
To answer some of the more technical questions about live-steam locomotives and how they work, there is great deal of information available from books on the subject of larger-scale (ride-on size) locomotives. Although generally written about the bigger engines, there is much information of use to us, such as books on locomotive valve gears and design. Also, books on live-steam-locomotive construction provide a wealth of information for those modelers who might be interested in getting into scratchbuilding live steamers.
The photo shows Dolgoch sitting atop of selection of these books. Some of them are a half-century old; the more popular ones have remained in print, with up-to-date versions. Out-of-print books are usually available from used-book dealers, either in North American or the UK (where most were published). Often, if you get in touch with your local model-engineering society or large-scale live steam club, someone will likely have these classic works which they might lend you. Members of these societies often have years of locomotive operation and construction experience, and are a remarkable source of information on general steam matters.
And speaking of clubs, more often that not, you’ll probably find a live-steam enthusiast in the membership of your local garden-railway society. In fact, some of the larger clubs even have live steam special-interest groups.
I encourage you to seek out both groups, as nothing beats having a “live resource” when you first enter the world of small-scale live steam. Live steamers tend to be a friendly bunch and will welcome those seeking to get into the hobby. Quite likely, you’ll find a mentor who will listen patiently to your questions, provide those much-needed answers, and maybe even teach you a clever trick or two that will make the hobby even more enjoyable.
