Here's a question (surprising?)

[Trainman203]

A guy I know up in central Mississippi is into rideable live steam.  I can't remember what scale it is but it is really big.  Might be 12" gauge track, can't remember exactly, I'll have to ask, but it's pretty wide. (Like me 😂😂😂).

He has two engines, one a standard gauge mogul and the other a 3' narrow gauge prototype 4-6-0, runs on the same track but is scaled larger, one of you bored Einsteins can calculate the mathematical relationship to each other.  He keeps them in a full sized enclosed engine house that you can stand up in.  If I remember right one of the tracks was a hydraulic lift to ease low level work.

One winter day a few years ago I went up there with another model railroader and his 17 yr old son to visit and run it.  I'm telling you it was big.  We ran the mogul that day.  You'd sit on the tender but you could bend forward and put your head in the cab and literally feel like you were inside the cab.  He had maybe a half mile  loop of track on the property that went into the piney woods and back.  The train if I remember was two or three rideable gondolas and a caboose with foot rests sticking out.  We took turns running and riding and it was unbelievable Big Fun.

This guy is a retired Methodist pastor.  You might wonder how he could afford all of this.  He had help in two ways.  First, it's on family land from way back.  And second, he is an unbelievable skilled craftsman and machinist.  He scratchbuilt just about everything.  Including the engine house. The guy I rode up with knows this fella a lot better than I do, I'll get better information.

I've never seen a more motivated guy.  I can't even get my scenery past 90%.

[charon]

Thanks Trainman, very interesting.
Chuck