Fairfield Railroad

For years Wayne Lass had been writing about the run days at his east Atlanta, Georgia track. When the announcement came that he and wife Barbara would be hosting a Fairfield Railroad Memorial Day run in 2002, it was time for us Ft. Taylor & Southwestern RR folks to pay a visit. Wayne's fellow North Georgia Live Steamer, Dave Levy, decided the gathering would be a perfect time to steam up his nearly completed three-truck Shay for the first time. Better than two dozen live steamers and family members attended the day's festivities which included an impressive picnic lunch-birthday party for one of the attending ladies.

A first morning look out the window revealed Dave and Wayne already unloading the Shay and readying it for steam-up.

 
Since this would be the first time firing his engine, Dave--who had hydrotested and received Club certification for the boiler two weeks before--decided it was appropriate to fire it up on a test stand where any necessary adjustments could more easily be made.

Once the boiler pressure was up and a few fittings tightened, Dave dropped the fire and prepared to move his engine onto the Fairfield Railroad tracks.