MISTY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD - SEASON 8

We all had early morning flights to get from our respective homes to Atlanta.  Flying certainly isn’t any fun, what with tons of roller bags, and packed flights.  But we all arrived safely, and are now in the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Georgia.

JIM & GAYLE STEED LAYOUT - SEASON 8

Today took us up a mountain about five miles from Blairsville, to the home of Jim and Gayle Steed.  They have constructed their dream retirement home, with a 2700 square foot basement with only three support columns. 

To fill that space, visitors will find a large O gauge layout, with lots of accessories, running trains, and railroad artifacts.  There are plenty of Plasticville and Department 56 buildings to delight the viewer.  As Jim has been collecting for many years, he has a wide variety of vintage Lionel.  But you would never know the age, as all the vintage trains run as if they were brand new.  So there are plenty of diesels and steam locos, as well as a large number of accessories to fill out the action on this operation.  There are a few incorporated American Flyer items, but the majority of the items are pure Lionel. 

Jim’s wife Gayle helps out in figure painting, and in converting found objects like infant formula bottles to scale items for the railroad.  Upon close examination, the layout visitor wull always find unique repurposed items.  We completed shooting in the late afternoon, and headed out.

It was delightful day atop the mountain, and we were sad to leave.

AAPRCO CONVENTION - SEASON 8

Today we started with the annual convention of the American Association of Private Railcar Owners in Savannah, Georgia.  Parked at the Amtrak station, we found 20 beautifully restored and Amtrak certified private cars.  These ranged from former dome cars, to sleepers, parlor cars, and observation cars.  Visitors would see cars ranging from the Georgia 300, a former business car that was most recently used by President Obama, to cars owned by museums, historical societies, and of course, by private individuals. 

We were fortunate enough to visit several of the cars.  One set was the Northern Sky (dome) and Northern Dream (sleeper).  These two smooth sided cars are used by the owners for private travel, plus are available for charters.  They are supplied with attendants and an executive chef.  We had a great time talking with the owners and the staff, and found we had many common friends in the railroad community.  The cars were refurbished in the 1990s in Milwaukee, and now stored in Wisconsin. The interiors feature wood trim, and amenities such as flat panels TVs, internet access, and all the comforts of home.

Next up was the oldest Amtrak certified car in the country, a former Pullman fleet car.  Now stored in Arizona, the car is owned by a retired chemist from Xerox and his wife.  The car contained nice examples of period stained glass and authentic fixtures. The dark wood interior hides steel frames and a concrete floor.

Finally we looked in on two cars owned by the Arizona Railway Museum.  These fluted sided cars were former Santa Fe cars, and have been refurbished to modern standards. And in keeping with the restoration, the Native American decor was preserved and restored.

 All participants talked about the ease of travel and how pleasant it was to travel in comfort at ground level.  It’s the best was to travel was the consensus.  We also did the interior of the Dover Harbor, a Pullman fleet car owned by the NRHS Washington, DC Chapter,  It is a heavy weight lounge sleeper, and featured a number of the original fixtures.  It's the only Amtrak certified of the remaining Dover cars. 

We finished early with more car exteriors, and will head home tomorrow.  The rest of the day was spent seeing the sights of historic Savannah.