The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam Forum

STEAMPROPULSION · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:36 am Post subject: i INTRODUCE MYSELF

Hello to all members.
I will introduce myself, if a bit late, after having barged in your site a couple of times.
But I have been watching you guys a lot before, remaining in the shade.
I have got to know some of you, little by little, after reading your replies, comments, watching your pics and movies.
I decided to come out of the shade now, because I thought that your club, though much attended by "Mamodians", would suit me well anyhow.
My start with steam is dated long time ago, after I had become an architect, and started earning money.
I decided that the first thing I should do was buying what my father could not allow himself buying for me, but that I knew that children of rich fathers had: "Il motore a vapore". Actually we were not that poor. But my father had decided that he wanted all his five children attend an university. So he did, and I had to wait a long time for my first steam engine, a Mamod Marine Plant, which I still have, of course.
What a coincidence!
I started my model steam addiction, meticulously digging in and raking in all toys stores in Torino, Italy, my home town where I still live.
Actually I did not find much in these toys stores, besides a Meccano steam engine.
Model Boats Magazine and Model Engineering Magazine were a great source for updating my knowledge on Steam engines, English being my second spoken language; Ancient Greek and Latin were not much of help, but French and German played also their roles in my continuous searching and updating on this subject, at the fairs, in my steam travels.
The real revenge came when I set a commercial activity related with steam.
It had been a hopeless effort as the channels of communications were rare, expensive and with lack of success. No dedicated magazines, no dedicated fairs etc.
But I had my share of fame and success even if not commercially. After ten years I quit this adventure, but what has been done in Italy - a steam waste land- about steam, I hate to admit it, is all due to me, and the results can be seen now, after many years.
I spent a lot of time licking the wounds of my unsuccessful steam adventure, without being relieved by seeing other more important firms than mine, gradually disappearing from the market or by having personally met all the Who's Who of model steam.
My collection of model steam engines (and books) is what is left of my commercial steam adventure and it is also the result of my personal interests in this field.
I have never counted them. I will do this before I die. What I showed is really a minor part.
I have a workshop with all sorts of machinery which I use to restore engines, or to make them work (untested Ebay jobs) or to machine them from castings: a Bridgeport Milling Machine, a Cortini milling machine, a big Emco lathe, etc.
Unfinished projects? many, of course.
New projects? Finishing the old projects.
There is always something weird and/or unreal in virtual communications.
If you happen to plan a holiday trip to Italy you are a welcomed guest.
If you happen to plan a steam pilgrimage trip to Italy you are a more than welcomed guest.

tmuir · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:50 am Post subject:

Hi, and Welcome from Australia.

Although this forum's roots are in Mamod steam engines its expanded well beyond that and we are interested in all brands, especially ones we don't know about.

My interest has 2 areas.
Anything toy steam made in Australia and G and O scale live steam locos, although I've decided to stick to just G scale now I'm sure I will probably end up getting another O guage live steam loco at some point.
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http://www.freewebs.com/ozsteam/index.htm
http://members.iinet.net.au/~tmuir1/

A nice example of an Australian made Scorpion Donkey Engine

Steamfan · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:15 pm Post subject:

Hello and

from Illinois.
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Give us this day our daily Steam,
And deliver us from Diesels

MooseMan · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:23 pm Post subject:

Fascinating....even though I'm 50% Italian (my family is from S.Terenzo, small town near La Spezia) I know nothing about Italian steam.....I'd love to hear more about that. Welcome!
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Nid wy’n gofyn bywyd moethus,
Aur y byd na’i berlau mân:
Gofyn wyf am galon hapus,
Calon onest, calon lân.

Les · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:33 pm Post subject:

Hi and welcome to the forum.

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Les - Nolo Servile Capistrum

www.freewebs.com/lesmarsh

johnreid · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:57 pm Post subject:

Welcome from Indiana USA
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Non Impedite Raditioni Cogitationis

Sandman · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:23 pm Post subject:

Hi, and a big Scottish welcome to the forum.

You'll find that we're a friendly bunch here, with an insatiable curiosity about all things toy steam.

I look forward to some very interesting steam chats with you in the future.
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http://www.freewebs.com/sandmansteamshack/index.htm

http://www.youtube.com/user/Steamsandy

Atticman · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:38 pm Post subject:

Hi and welcome,

No worries about barging in, we are a friendly bunch, and its great to see your postings.
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You cant get an engine for that anymore unless you are lucky

Steve_S · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:48 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the forum!

Alf · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:53 pm Post subject:

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dervard94 · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:59 pm Post subject:

Welcome from Bournemouth

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David

http://davidfroud.weebly.com

Jay_Minor · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject:

Hi there and welcome from Southampton UK

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Jay
"I realise that steam engines aren't everyone's cup of tea. But they're what made England great." Fred Dibnah

www.mini-steam.co.uk

Bugsy · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:44 pm Post subject:

A big welcome from Sweden!

Dragon · Junior Member Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 133

And A slightly belated welcome from the volcanic mountains of S W London (England).

kusuchi · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:55 am Post subject:

A warm welcome from Richard and Andrew in the US Virgin Islands.

Although our collection is fairly diverse, we have become increasingly attracted to marine steam. Can't think why?

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Richard