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Piedmont steamup a success

By Rob Seel June 15, 2012

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Paul Lator of Atlanta, Ga., brought his Aster NKP 779 Berkshire and 15-car train to Bruce Gathman’s spring steamup.

Attendance was from far and wide — and the rain held off — for Bruce Gathman’s annual “Plumes Over Piedmont” backyard convocation in Easley, S.C., held April 20-22. Friends from as far away as Florida and Illinois came to the South Carolina upstate for three days of smokin’ up the neighborhood on the elevated, 160 foot-long, double-tracked main line.

The weather was very good for gently drifting displays of smoke from these fascinating, alcohol-burning marvels. Most of the locomotives were run flat-out, with little regulation on speed. Some of the larger models, however, were radio-equipped for speed and direction control. This was handy, as Bruce’s yard has a slight grade.

Steam Scene

The relative scales of the locomotives and rolling stock are different, but the track gauge is the same at 45mm. Some trains are whimsical, while others are meticulously detailed. Even so, the entire operation is fascinating to watch from the pre-run checklist to the last drop of pressure. If you have not made it out to a steamup you owe it to yourself to do so.

Ernie Noa of Monticello, Ill., tends to his British 0-6-0 on the outside track, while Scott McDonald’s 1860s-era 4-4-0 chugs through on the inside.

A version of this article and its photos were first published in the May 2012 edition of Central Crossings, the monthly newsletter of the Central Railway Model & Historical Association Inc. of Central, S.C. Reprinted by permission.











Gerald Pierce of Asheville, N.C., prepares his British 4-6-0 for its first run of the day.













Malcolm Schaeffer of Charlotte, N.C., prepares his Piedmont Central 0-6-0 No. 5 for its first run of the day. According to Malcolm, the No. 5 is 20 years old, and still in fine-running condition.

















Schaeffer’s No. 5 climbed to the top of Gathman Grade effortlessly with cars in tow.










Ernie Noa’s smart, little 0-6-0 is building pressure for an early run. Running a small fan above the stack creates draft for the fire and helps the water to heat up quicker. Ernie scratch-builds a lot of his own equipment.


















Scott McDonald of Woodbridge, Va. (and Steam in the Garden), lights the fire in his 4-4-0 before his first Saturday run.















Bill Boyle’s Accucraft Shay from Tallahassee, Fla.
















Paul Lator’s 2-8-4 is a real crowd pleaser.












Lator’s visiting NKP Berkshire not only has operating lights and radio speed control, but also a built-in feedwater heater.