The Long Island Live Steamers is an organization of people who share one thing in common: a love for railroading. To be a member of our club, you don't need to be a skilled mechanic or machinist, however it does help in this hobby! In order to construct and maintain these trains you really need to be familiar with machinery due to their complexity and size, especially if you venture into the world of Live Steam. A beneficial aspect of the club is the existence of a large knowledge base. If ever you have a question or require assistance with a project there are always friendly people to speak with and lend a hand where ever they can.
Information on the Long Island Live Steamers
If you are looking for the perfect thing to do on a beautiful summer day, I can't think of anything better then a short trip out to the Long Island Live Steamers. We are one of the few places left where you and your children can watch the operation of real, live, working, steam locomotives. But that's not all, you get to ride on one as well!! The park we are located in is heavily wooded, so it is always a little cooler there then anywhere else. Bring your entire family out, and have a ball! Ride all day if you'd like! Although the most visible part to our organization is the operating railroad, we also feature stationary steam models. Aside from the trains, just a few hundred feet down the road from us is a horse stable. Here, your children can take pony rides as well as pet the horses. This experience isn't just for children; adults and train buffs are also welcome and encouraged to ride the rails as well. The Long Island Live Steamers offer train buffs something more, it offers them the opportunity to witness those little plastic models of their favorite steam locomotives operating under their own power: live steam! There is truly nothing else like it. To find out when we are running, click here. For directions, click here. I hope you all come out and experience the fun for yourselves!
History of the Long Island Live Steamers
The Long Island Live Steamers have existed since 1966 in South Haven County Park on Long Island, New York. We are located in a heavily wooded, 8.5 acres of the park which normally would go totally unused. Our club is comprised of about 150 members, all sharing one common interest: we are all obsessed with trains. The layout first started out as a single loop of track, we didn't get many visitors then. Now, we have grown into a large layout of 3500' of track! On many of our run weekends it isn't uncommon to find in upwards of 1000 to 1500 people riding the rails! Now, that might seem like a lot of people, but remember, we have many trains running, so don't let the numbers deter you from coming out. We also have a small Kiosk where you can buy snacks and ice cold drinks. At the present time, we are growing in popularity so quickly, we are beginning to realize expansion is a necessity. For the past few years, we have thought of nothing else. There have been many projects in the interim though: we have redone our entire electrical system, rebuilt the kiosk and have plans of reequipping the machine shop. Expansion is a necessity though. We have so many people come out on a given run day, that we need more track to space the trains out! Traffic jams are becoming more and more frequent. Expansion will not only allow us to increase the volume of people we give rides to, it will also greatly increase the volume of people going to South Haven County Park. Everyone would benefit here, especially the children (they'd get to see more trains, always a plus!). I will keep you apprised as to the expansion plans as they come up.
