About Us
The St. Louis Live Steamers is a group dedicated in the construction of large scale model railroads, in steam railroad history and operations, and in steam technology generally. The SLLS seeks to share these interests with the general public and provide opportunities in the community for the citizens to learn about steam railroad history and technology. The name of the SLLS is taken from the traditional industrial term "live steam", which is steam under pressure capable of doing real work, in contrast to exhaust steam. The St. Louis Live Steams manually builds the layout and roadbed for a dual gauge track layout and facilities. The construction consists of a main line, a reverse loop, passing sidings, a service area for locomotives, and storage/workshop structures. Using shovels, wheelbarrows, small tractors, and a lot of muscle, hundreds of tons of gravel is spread. Crews continue to work every Saturday, and on some weekdays, in every season no matter how hot or cold the weather. The very highest standards of design and construction are employed to assure that the resulting track is durable and safe for many years of operation. Thousands of feet of aluminum rail and tens of thousands of screws, bolts, and nuts have been used in track construction. Many dual gauge track switches have been fabricated and more are to come. Additionally, thousands of feet of recycled plastic lumber were purchased to provide environmentally friendly, rot resistant stock, for ties onto which the rails can be "spiked". The track is built in ten-foot dual gauge sections on a workbench and assembled on the ground. The SLLS uses rails spaced 7.5 inches apart for 1.5 inch scale model steam and diesel railroad locomotives and trains. A narrower rail spacing of 4.75 inches is used to accommodate one-inch scale equipment. A large lift/transfer table able to accommodate locomotive up to 14 feet is used to assist in unloading locomotives and rolling stock brought out to the layout.
The St. Louis Live Steamers, Inc. (SLLS) is a tax-exempt organization under IRS Code, Section 501 (c) (3). Contributions to the SLLS are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Contributions, sorely needed and much appreciated, can be sent to the SLLS Treasurer, Robert Richardson, 1210 Deer Ridge Drive, St. Louis, MO 63135-1258.