Greetings from Birmingham

Hi all

I am a new member (John Stewart) from Birmingham, AL - actually the City of Hoover, AL where I have lived since moving to the area from Nashville, TN in 1992.

When I moved to Birmingham, I fell in love with the city's railroad and industrial history. I wanted to build a new model RR (HO Scale) to reflect the iron industry, but I needed to learn about the history of my new home. To this end, I started researching which led to the creation of a website, http://www.bhamrails.info which focuses on the city's rail and industrial history -- particularly maps and graphics.

The current model railroad layout is the Birmingham District Model RR an operations focused layout that is set in the steam era and has a steel mill theme. I am active in the NMRA Steel City Division (Nat'l Model RR Assoc) as well as the Railroad & Locomotive Historical Society (R&LHS) Mid South Chapter.

I enjoy research and writing articles for our newsletters, and doing rail and industrial history presentations for anyone that will sit still and stay awake.

I am currently working (getting started) on an article about the Birmingham Belt RR, which you likely know was owned by the Frisco after about 1902 - although it started earlier than that.

A few years ago, I was involved in moving he Frisco 4018 from Birmingham's Fair Grounds to Sloss Furnace to save it from being scrapped. This group was helpful in providing some good info on that locomotive which I appreciate.

So that is a bit about me and my reasons/interest in this group and the Frisco.

Thanks

John Stewart
Birmingham Rails

 

John,

Having corresponded with you a number of times, I am pleased to see that you have "joined" this group. It's a great one.

I am also now modeling the BB as well as the Frisco, BS and other Birmingham railroads. You can see a number of photos of our new layout in process under the HO model railroading sections called "Camellia Park", "Quinton" and "Birmingham Belt."

I look forward to talking with you in the future.

Ken McElreath

 

I'm from Sulligent, AL, a small town about 90 mi. NW of B'ham on the old Frisco. I've been to http://www.bhamrails.info/ several times. I believe I was directed there at the suggestion of other frisco.org members. You have a lot of good information there. Thanks for your work on that project. - Brandon

 

Hi John,
I spent a lot of time visiting relatives in B'ham including train watching on both corners ofd the Sloss Furnace property when I once had a job as a teen just steps away at Birmingham Credit Union (their old building on 32nd street south). I can picture all the things you mentioned. My relatives lived in Remlap (NE of B'ham on Hwy 75) and just like in KY where I grew up, there where lots of old branchline tracks to explore. I loved it!
DW Newman