North Georgia Live Steamers 11/10/20 North Georgia Live Steamers 11/10/20

A strange year has brought a lot of activity around the railroad

This year has been an interesting year in so many ways. For our club and railroad, it has been an extra busy year which has produced more than 30 workdays so far. This past July marked 10 years since the first sections of track where laid along with some of that very track being modified almost 10 years to the day later. By the end of October nearly 1,500 volunteer hours had also been logged.

This year has been an interesting year in so many ways. For our club and railroad, it has been an extra busy year which has produced more than 30 workdays so far. This past July marked 10 years since the first sections of track where laid along with some of that very track being modified almost 10 years to the day later. Here is a short list of some of the items that took place this year:

Track panel construction for container extension project
Installation of 20’ container to the end of the existing 40’ gray container
Ash pit line completed
Removal of part of the mainline coming up from the Nicol bridge in preparation of the “Grandma” line
Sheppard Trucking delivered loads of dirt that was used to fill in near the green containers
Work began on the “Passenger” line
…and a lot more

We hope to be able to share our railroad again with you in 2021. In the meantime here are some pictures taken over the past year so you can see just what the club has been busy working on. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the club please have them contact us.

As a non-profit organization this year has been especially hard in raising the necessary funds to operate and expand the railroad. If you are able or know someone who is able to donate to North Georgia Live Steamers we would appreciate the consideration. For more information visit our website for details.

January

The crew spent time building track panels for the 20’ container extension project and also displayed at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.

February

Work on the ash pit line and prep work for the 20’ container project took place in February along with some much needed track maintenance.

March

Just as the world was about to take an interesting twist the crew spent time working on the water hydrant, clearing trees for more fill dirt and next storage container.

May

With the ash pit line complete work began on the 20’ container extension project. The track work included installing a switch off the ash pit line and one additional switch to provide two tracks into the container for storage.

June

The 20’ container was placed and now work began to cut the ends out of the container and finish the track work up the hill to the container.

July

Track work going into the new 20’ container extension was completed and things began to shift to other projects including landscaping and making adjustments to the mainline for the “Grandma” line project.

August

Another busy month with building a new railroad tie wall coming out of the woods on the west end of the railroad heading towards the east loop. More work continued on the container and with the added momentum things started happening on the passenger line project which will add an additional 900’ of track to the railroad.

September

This month saw a great deal of work on the new passenger line expansion project which calls for more than 600 feet of track plus sidings to be installed. This project also introduced our first diamond on the railroad. The month however started off with the delivery of the completely rebuilt “Doe” bridge. This bridge has a long history which includes being used at our original location nearly 30 years ago. The container extension project also received some additional electrical work and the club steamer had a few adjustments made.

October

By the time the end of October happened the club had worked more than 30 days around the railroad. Things continue to move forward on the passenger line project with nearly 300 feet of track laid and nearing the halfway point. More than 500 railroad ties cut, nearly two dozen track panels built, and countless loads of gravel. Work was done on two switches that will be built in November for the next container project. As October ended the members of North Georgia Live Steamers had put in nearly 1,500 volunteer hours.

What’s next?

It is anyone’s guess but most likely finish up some loose ends on the container extension project, work on the passenger line, start another container project, and whatever else we can think of. If you or someone you know are interested in getting involved or would like to make a donation to our club please contact us.

North Georgia Live Steamers 10/5/20 North Georgia Live Steamers 10/5/20

Public Train Ride Schedule Update

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the cancellation of the remaining portion of the 2020 season. The members of North Georgia Live Steamers are continuing to make progress on various projects around the railroad in preparation of a grand re-opening in 2021. As a not-for-profit organization we rely on our train ride schedule to fund the railroad if you are interested in supporting the railroad during these times please visit our Donation page on our website for additional details on how you can support North Georgia Live Steamers. In the meantime, we will be announcing our 2021 season dates in the coming weeks. We thank you for your continued support.

North Georgia Live Steamers 10/1/20 North Georgia Live Steamers 10/1/20

Press Release: Media Day Scheduled for Wednesday, October 3, 2020 at 9 a.m.

Conyers, GA: Today, North Georgia Live Steamers, a 1/8 scale model train railroad designed for train enthusiast, the community, and to help promote the history of railroading to our community, announced today a fundraising campaign to help support the financial needs of this 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization during these challenging times. This year the organization has had to cancel four out of the five scheduled public run days to date creating this need to seek additional ways to fund the organization.

Conyers, GA: Today, North Georgia Live Steamers, a 1/8 scale model train railroad designed for train enthusiast, the community, and to help promote the history of railroading, announced today a fundraising campaign to help support the financial needs of this 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization during these challenging times. This year the organization has had to cancel four out of the five scheduled public run days to date creating this need to seek additional ways to fund the organization. A donation page has been created at http://charity.gofundme.com/nglsrr where we hope to raise $3,500.

We have a number of ongoing projects including maintenance on the railroad, equipment, and the additional track that is being installed which will increase our total railroad capacity to about 2 1/2 miles with about 1 mile of it being mainline track.

On Saturday, October 3, 2020 starting at 9 a.m. the North Georgia Live Steamers invites members of the press out to learn more about the organization. The morning will include our annual steam locomotive boiler inspection and operation of the railroad after the inspections are complete around 10:15 a.m. During this time representatives from North Georgia Live Steamers will be on hand to answer questions and provide tours of the railroad.

For more information, please contact Robby Mossman, at 470-207-5025, email newsletter@northgeorgialivesteamers.org, or visit our website at www.northgeorgialivesteamers.org.

North Georgia Live Steamers 9/2/20 North Georgia Live Steamers 9/2/20

Cancellation Notice: Train Rides for Saturday, October 10th is Cancelled

The North Georgia Live Steamers Board of Directors has decided to cancel our October 10th public run day. While we have been busy working around the railroad to get it ready to reopen our attention to safety of our club members and visitors is our priority. As a nonprofit organization we rely on our visitors support to help keep the railroad operational and continue to work towards reopen once the current health concerns have diminished. We look forward to sharing our hobby with you soon. In the meantime visit our Facebook page and website for information about future Public Ride dates. In the meantime, we continue to make improvements to the railroad including nearly 1,000 feet of new track being laid. We and look forward to seeing you around the railroad soon.

Saturday, October 10, 2020 Public Ride Day Cancelled

The North Georgia Live Steamers Board of Directors has decided to cancel our October 10th public run day. While we have been busy working around the railroad to get it ready this fall our attention to the health and safety of our club members and visitors is our priority. As a nonprofit organization we rely on our visitors support to help keep the railroad operational and continue to work towards re-opening once the current health and safety concerns have diminished.

We look forward to sharing our hobby with you soon. In the meantime visit our Facebook page and website for information about what is going on around the railroad and future Public Ride dates.

North Georgia Live Steamers 5/5/20 North Georgia Live Steamers 5/5/20

#GivingTuesdayNow - Help support North Georgia Live Steamers today

If you have enjoyed bringing your kids out for a train ride (and inside aren’t we all kids?) won’t you consider donating whatever you can afford to assist us in bringing our model railroading to you. Today we are participating in #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving as a response to the crisis. This has stressed our financial situation while we work on ongoing maintenance, keeping the equipment ready to run and the track safe to ride on. Please help us keep the railroad running by donating today. We are a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization.

Help support North Georgia Live Steamers

We’re just a model railroad club. Why do we need your help? Well, by now you may have noticed that we have had to cancel 3 of our 5 Public Run Days this year. And we don’t know yet what will happen later in the year. But we will be back someday even if we don’t know exactly when.

In the meantime, we are going to keep on improving our railroad with a primary goal of giving you the public a terrific experience riding the rails. We have plans to make the ride longer and even more interesting. We want to improve our passenger station to make it safer, more efficient and more comfortable. But all this takes money. Our member dues already go to defray part of our operating cost, but it isn’t enough. We have to buy insurance, fuel and other supplies to keep the trains running. We are constantly maintaining our track and switches and as we mentioned above, we can’t stop trying to make the railroad better for you. Without the money we make from Public Run Days all this improvement activity and even some maintenance will be put on hold.

So, if you have enjoyed bringing your kids out for a train ride (and inside aren’t we all kids?) won’t you consider donating whatever you can afford to assist us in bringing our model railroading to you. Today we are participating in #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving as a response to the crisis. This has stressed our financial situation while we work on ongoing maintenance, keeping the equipment ready to run and the track safe to ride on. Please help us keep the railroad running by donating today. Remember we are a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization. Checks can be mailed to:

North Georgia Live Steamers

P.O. Box 1809

Conyers, GA 30012

As a nonprofit organization we look forward to sharing our hobby with the public and hope the need for cancellations will be short in duration. Watch our Facebook page and our website for information about future Public Ride dates.

North Georgia Live Steamers 4/1/20 North Georgia Live Steamers 4/1/20

Cancellation Notice: Train Rides for Saturday, April 25th is Cancelled

Our scheduled run day for Saturday, April 25th has been Cancelled.

North Georgia Live Steamers 3/27/20 North Georgia Live Steamers 3/27/20

Reminder: Train Rides for Saturday, March 28th is Cancelled

As a reminder our scheduled run day for Saturday, March 28th has been cancelled.

North Georgia Live Steamers 3/16/20 North Georgia Live Steamers 3/16/20

Update: Train Ride Schedule for 2020

The board of directors at North Georgia Live Steamers has been carefully monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 and after thoughtful consideration we have reached a decision to cancel our run day scheduled for March 28, 2020.

North Georgia Live Steamers 1/26/20 North Georgia Live Steamers 1/26/20

Club Meeting will be on Saturday, February 1st at 1 p.m.

Our 2nd club meeting of the 2020 season is planned for Saturday, February 1st at 1 p.m. The meeting will be held across the street from the railroad at Hawthorn Suites. Anyone interested in learning more about North Georgia Live Steamers is encouraged to come to our meeting.

For existing members if you haven’t already done so 2020 dues are past due and can be paid to the club treasurer at the meeting.

Depending on the weather we may also have a small workday prior to the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m. Stay tune for more information.

North Georgia Live Steamers 12/30/19 North Georgia Live Steamers 12/30/19

Club Meeting and Election Day is on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 1 p.m.

It’s hard to believe the New Year is here. Our first club meeting is on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 1 p.m. at Hawthorn Suites, which is across the street from the railroad

It’s hard to believe the new year is here. Our first club meeting is on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 1 p.m. at Hawthorn Suites, which is across the street from the railroad. This is also the meeting we elect new board members based on nominations from our December meeting. The 2020 nominees are:

President- Bill Leahy

Vice President- Peter Craymer

Treasurer (2020-2023)- Norm Wizner

Secretary- Robby Mossman

Board Nomination (3 Positions Available)

Bob Cumming

Joe Fabregas

Rick Kight

Scott Moore

According to the bylaws if only one candidate is offered for an Office, the Office may be declared filled once the nomination process has been approved. This means the 2020 Officers have been filled leaving us with voting on Board nominees.

As a reminder in order to vote or be on the board you must be in good standing. All dues are due by January 4, 2020 prior to being able to vote. Existing Full membership dues are $75, and Associate is $50.

For more information visit our website or you can mail 2020 dues to: P.O. Box 1809, Conyers, GA 30012

North Georgia Live Steamers 11/12/19 North Georgia Live Steamers 11/12/19

Train Ride Schedule for 2020

The North Georgia Live Steamers has updated its 2020 ride day schedule as of Saturday, October 2, 2020 and have decided to cancel the rest of the regularly scheduled dates until 2021. Be on the look out for the 2021 schedule to be posted soon.

Schedule Update

The North Georgia Live Steamers are excited to announce the 2020 public ride day schedule. The Conyers & Hightower Trail Railroad will be open in March 28th (cancelled), April 25th (cancelled), May 16th (cancelled), October 10th (cancelled) and November 7th (cancelled) from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Mark the calendar now and bring the whole family out and enjoy the Conyers & Hightower Trail Railroad. Riders must be at least 18 months old or older.

Cost is $2 per person per ride on the railroad. CASH ONLY. Tickets are available for sale at the railroad only during ride days.