Northeastern Ohio Live Steamers

The Northeastern Ohio Live Steamers is actively recruiting new members.

Our club is 31 years old and consists of members from 10 years old to well, lets just say old enough. We vacated our mature site in Copley, Ohio in 1998. Now, working with the Medina County Park Board we are in the early stages of development of a nine-acre site in the Lester Rail Trail Park, northwest of Medina. Site grading and clearing is underway for a 2,200 ft 7-1/2 in. gauge mainline loop and a 1,200 sq. ft station style clubhouse / meeting building.

This page was last updated on: October 19, 2009

You may or may not be aware that the Northeastern Ohio Live Steamers are currently constructing a miniature railroad in the Lester Rail Trail of the Medina County Park District. We started some 16 months ago on the west side of Lester Road in the area south of the Rail Trail and east of the CSX tracks. Last October we started construction of our Irving J. Olson Station. The trackage on the ground and our equipment service facilities are sufficiently complete at this time that we can offer a very meaningful train ride similar to that which we will be offering for the Park District programs starting next season. We have roughly 4,000 ft of rail down.

                         August 28, 2002

                       Founded in 1969

Below please find a short out line on how NEOLS got started

In 1969

          September 13th

          Organizational meet at Clint Ensworh's with 24 men, 4 ladies,  5  3/4" scale     

          engines, 2  1 1/2' scale engines present. Dick Dute was appointed Acting                        Chairman

          October 2nd

          The name Northeastern Ohio Live Steamers was adopted. Officers voted in:

          President:        Dick Dute

          Assistants:      Fritz Birkhimer

                                   Bob Brigham

          Sec/Tres          Bill O Neil

          November 28th

         1970 dues were set at $ 20.00; initiation fee at $ 20.00

In 1970

          Constitution based on that of Pioneer Valley Live steamers was adopted

          Discussions on a club goal: to purchase land for a club track

          Code of Regulations passed

          Land Committed formed: Paul Haar, Bob Brigham

          September 21 - Incorporation papers signed. Members listed in the document to             be considered Charter Members

In 1971

          Norm Young obtained a lease for a plot of land from B&W for our club track in              April

          Track layouts were worked on

          Norm Young, Bill O Neil, tom Sheets and Paul Haar surveyed for the elevated               track

          Committee formed to write boiler test procedures: Norm Young & Fritz                           Birkhimer

In 1975

          Passing track design by Fritz Birkhimer for ground track adopted

          Regular run days established: 2nd and 4th Sundays

          NEOLS patch available

          Boiler test procedure adopted, based on Cincinnati Cinder Sniffers in March

          Boiler Inspection Committee established

          Passing siding on both elevated ad ground tracks completed

          Trees donated by Clyde Bleil of Mentor planted around inside of elevated track

          First Annual Steam Meet September 21

          BLS Wheel Standards, with amendments, adopted

In 1976

          The newsletter was named   The Dispatcher

          Put up large building

          Elevated track-added 3rd switch,turntable, and unloading track

          Ground track- located and staked out steaming bays and turntable

          Summer Meet, July 13 / Fall Meet, October 3rd

In 1977

          Turntable for ground track installed plus one steaming bay

          Installed underground lines for water,air, and electricity

          Fall Meet with Great Lakes Live Steamers October 2

In 1979

          Club history book started

          Track ready for running every weekend

          Decision made to have an Annual Dinner

          Summer Meet, June 10 / Fall Meet, September 22-23

In 1982

          Safety Rules adopted

          Shelter finished

          Storage building finished

          Ladies Auxilary formed by Vera Birkhimer and Lorna Kraft

          Summer Meet, June 5-6 / Fall Meet, September 18-19

          Hosted the BLS 50th Anniversary Meet at the Fall Meet;

          First offered a concession stand staffed by Scouts

In 1984

          Started meeting at Copley Township Hall

          Name tags made available

          Summer Meet, June 8-10 / Fall Meet, September 14-16

          15th Anniversary celebration at Clint Ensworth's where it all began, October                  12-14

          Finance Committee established

In 1986

         Joined Mini-Rail in January

         Ladies Auxiliary disbanded.February

         Silver Spike Ceremony to commememorate tying the new extension into the                     mainline on the ground track, June 29

         Participation inthe first multiple track meet - Western Reserve Train Week with            NEOLS ( July3-4), Lake Shore Live Steamers ( July 5), and Clyde Bleil (July                6-7)

         Display and promotion of NEOLS at the McKinley Museum of History, Science            and Industry, December

In 1988

        Project to build 12 gondola style cans began in January

         Mini-Rail Boiler testing Procedures adopted

         Summer Meet, July 8-10 / Fall Meet, September 9-11

         First Video Run Day, October 8th

         First Halloween Run, October 29

         First White Elephant Party after Annual Business Meeting in December

In 1990

          Generatorshed and gasoline storage structure built and completed.

         Sievert Gas Burner donated to club

         Summer meet, July 6-8 / fall Meet, September

In 1993

        The Station Area trackage was reconstructed; drainage pipes, water and air                   utilities were added

         New steaming bays were added for Ground Track equipment

         Henry's Loop was completed for the Summer meet

         The back 40 loop was completed for the Summer Meet

         Much redesign gave us the option of having a point-to-point operation an addition            to the two running loops

         First time table operation including two directional running on October 24

         Start of the rebuild of the elevated track

         Summer Meet, July 9-11 / Fall Meet, September 10-12