Lilliputian Railroads of Northeast Florida

[Metro Jacksonville]

Lilliputian Railroads of Northeast Florida



The largely unknown railroads of the Northeast Florida Live Steamers & Railroaders, Inc.
 
All Aboard the West Tocoi & Bostwick Railroad.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jul-lilliputian-railroads-of-northeast-florida

[jbroadglide]

I was out there about 5 years ago and took a few rides. Those guys have really made a lot of progress since then. Thanks for the story.

[Jason]

Great information.  Will definitely have to check it out.

[Timkin]

This is such a neat Article.. It is too bad you guys cannot turn this place into an amusement Park, though you probably may not want to .  I know Ock invited me to an event there a little while back.. I will have to take you up on it sometime and see this place...  It is such a cool scale-down of the real thing.

[hillary supporter]

Aw man our treasure has been found... i wanna ride!   God bless you ALL!

[Ocklawaha]

This articulated steam engine for all of it's diminutive size, weighs more then the family car and can pull it's socks off too.


American Steam Car, these were built between 1924-42 in Massachusetts


Down on Grandpa's farm? YUP!


By all means, if you want to ride, or just want to "see," the boys AND GIRLS at the W.T.& B. twin railroads would be happy to have you.

Amusement Parks require a location that is easy to access and when you head out to this place your only about 3 miles from the set of "Deliverance!" In fact if you come in through Tocoi, you'll experience a dirt highway and one of the last rural farm bridges left in Florida.  The easy way is just to stay on US 17 to Bostwick and then out to the club.


How it all works, the principal is the same no matter WHAT the machine


Steam is one of the most incredible sources of energy unleashed and multiplied and every type of machine including aircraft have been designed or built with steam engines.  Several of the early land speed records were set by steam cars, Locomobile's, Stanley's, White's, Doble's, etc. were all amazing machines. Doble's had the ability to fire up within 45 seconds, and could run 1,200 miles on a single fill of water. Sadly they just couldn't out finance the big FIVE, GM, FORD, CHRYSLER, STUDEBAKER, and HUDSON. Otherwise the secret of steam power is in the pressure vessel. Inside such a thing as a boiler or a kitchen pressure cooker, water heated to 212 degrees turns to steam. But this steam is contained within the vessel and NOT out in the atmosphere, this is why the tiny safety valve will release or vent a jet of steam.  If you were to close that little safety valve and continue to heat until most of the water was converted to steam the pressure would become so great that it would explode. To be exact, when that steam hits atmospheric pressure it will expand 10,000 times! So it's no wonder why we are so careful with our equipment and our State's, Club's and Cities require all sorts of inspections and permits. Imagine a simple toy steam engine, the type sold in better toy and hobby shops around the world, and that the toy boiler is only the size of a tea cup. Burst a toy boiler and you suddenly have 10,000 tea cups on your hands, easily enough to blow the kitchen table, you and the appliances right out the door! yet capture that awesome power and it's sheer mechanical magic.


They come in all sizes and for just about every budget.


Couldn't you just see this on a restored Hogan's Creek?

Amusement Parks also involve a lot of thrill seekers and otherwise aimless wandering souls, hardly the thing you'd want around steam powered machinery. For example walking on the track will get you a ticket to the front gate, but every rule is either written on a sign or verbally explained in advance.  We want you to learn and have fun and in the end, go home safe and sound. So I doubt you'll ever see this as a public venture.

That being said, if COJ is reading this, my offer to put together a railroad on the grounds of the park of your choice is still open, and I'll be glad to offer details, options, prices, and volunteer my services.  Hell, we could even run it from Shand's to FCJ and the little trains could do what the Skyway failed to do.


Bet you didn't think I could get my trolley's into THIS story! Hee Hee!


OCKLAWAHA
REMEMBER FRIENDS: "Live Steamers do it in heat!"

[Timkin]

OCK!!!  seriously... I never knew about a  "steam" automobile.  educate me please. 

[Ocklawaha]

How about the BESLER STEAM AIRPLANE, a successful flying machine that was so quiet that spectators on the ground couldn't locate it until it was right over them.

At 800 degrees F, the steam pressure built up within the coils reaches 1500 lbs. With a 1200 lb pressure, the engine will deliver 150 horsepower, whirling the propeller at 1625 rpm. Tests have shown that 10 gallons of water is sufficient for a flight of 400 miles. By increasing the size and efficiency of the condenser, the experimenters told me, they believe they can make this amount of water last indefinitely.

http://www.rexresearch.com/besler/beslerst.htm

To see the coolest machines ever made, just join the club!

OCKLAWAHA

[Timkin]

Holy Shizznit... YOU MEAN TO TELL ME , we could have had steam AIRPLANES all this time ,instead of jetfuel-guzzlers?

I think I BETTER join this club.