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Join the International Brotherhood of Live Steamers About the IBLS Visit IBLS at Facebook <img src="" width="36">Beginners start here This wiki contains 966 articles.

I have noticed that the quality of the locomotives – Steam or Diesel – has improved greatly through the years. One can only wonder what this hobby will be like 40 years from now! Bill Koster Beginners are the key to our future. Louie Lettiere I don't care anything about steam engines, but I think that steam engine people are the nicest in the world. Un-named wife of a live steamer attending Alva Trook's meet, May 1956

Meets

• October Tri-State Locomotive Club, Pepper track, Andrews, Indiana, October 17, 2015
• St. Croix Railroad International Small Scales & Model Engineering Meet, July 7 thru 10, 2016
• Small Scales Meet Mid-June 2017 - A 1" California Ramble that will include the American River Navigation and Railway Nevada County track, Southern California Live Steamers, Golden Gate Live Steamers, ending at Los Angeles Live Steamers and a few surprises in other scales along the way.
  • To add your meet email Daris Nevil

New and Old

Drawings and assembly instructions for Jim Jackson's wooden flatcar.

Don Althouse updates his analysis of the LBSC Virginia with an animated simulation.

Bill Yoder (of Germany) has posted his extensive 3/4 inch scale registry of locomotives in North America

Gary Brothers shares his secrets for Building Tank Cars

Little Engines is the oldest continuously operating Live Steam Supplier. Read how Martin and Irene Lewis started the company.

Dinky Creek Bridge

Some collective knowledge on air brakes

486 Gets A New Oil Tank

Norman Mottshaw's 3/4 inch scale NYC Josslin Hudson

Bill Van Brocklin's Mechanical Cylinder Cocks

Charles Arnold's miniature boiler wisdom

Did you know?...Alva Trook had the second largest live steam layout in the U.S. in 1956

A Tale of Two Water Towers

An early F7 Diesel in 1-1/2 inch scale

Building and Powering AAR A Trucks

Ernest Daniell's Cole four-cylinder compound in 3/4 inch scale

First 1.5 inch scale locomotive built in the United States

Arnold Pacific

The Engine That Was Born Again

IBLS Patches

The NEW IBLS Patches have arrived!

Only $5 each, includes postage. Click here to purchase!

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Regional IBLS Secretaries

• North America
• Australia
• Europe
• South Africa

Standards and Recommended Practice

• IBLS Wheel Standard
• IBLS Coupler and Safety Chain Standards
• IBLS Track Standard
• Standards and Recommended Practice
• Boiler Inspections
• Bolt and Pipe Threads

Wandering Locomotive Books

• Winton Brown Engineering Data
• Koster's Miniature Railroad Supplies
• Lee Wright and Lee's Trains
• Jan-Eric Nystrom's Baldwin 3003

Articles by Category

• Category:IBLS Secretaries
• Category:People
• Category:History

• Category:Beginners

• Category:Standards
• Category:Definitions

• Category:Clubs
• Category:Tracks
• Category:Suppliers

• Category:Construction
• Category:Maintenance
• Category:Operations
• Category:Right of Way
• Category:Safety

• Category:Books
• Category:Catalogs
• Category:Periodicals

• Category:Steam Locomotive Parts
• Category:Diesel Locomotive Parts
• Category:Railroad Car Parts