On Saturday, the 21st of May 2005, Fred Mills and Doug Matheson journeyed down to Oswego NY to participate in a steam-up held by the Upstate Live Steamers. Chuck Walters with his fiancée Sharon and son Andrew hosted the get together which featured 10 steamers and 12 locos.
Back Row – Tom Bowdler, Don Sauer, Doug Matheson, Fred Mills, Chuck Walters, Scot Lawrence
Front Row – Walt Albers, Roger Caiazza, Andrew Walters and Sharon.
The highlights of the event included a memorial train – Chuck’s Aster Mike pulling some heavyweights bearing black ribbons – in honour of Dick Wycliff, a steamer who passed away earlier in the year.
Another high point of the event was four shays running with roosters between them. Doug’s 3 truck Accucraft shay was joined by three 2 truck Accucrafts for a small version of what has popularly become known as a shay up. The shays are so numerous now that the larger steamups like Diamondhead have long strings of shays running together. It is not quite as easy as it looks to have them move in unison.
