Live steam

A live steam machine or device is one powered by steam, but the term is usually reserved for those that are replicas, scale models, toys, or otherwise used for heritage, museum, entertainment, or recreational purposes, to distinguish them from similar devices powered by electricity, internal combustion, or some other more convenient method but designed to look as if they are steam-powered.

Garden railways, in smaller scales (that cannot pull a "live" person nor be ridden on), offer the benefits of real steam engines (and at lower cost and in less space), but do not provide the same experience as operating one's own locomotive in the larger scales and riding on (or behind) it, while doing so.

The world's largest live steam layout, with over 25 miles (40 km) of 7+1⁄2 in (190.5 mm) trackage is Train Mountain Railroad [1] in Chiloquin, Oregon.

Gauges from 10 in (254 mm) and up are called "Miniature Railways" (in the US these are known as "Grand Scale Railroads"), and are used mostly in amusement park rides and commercial settings.

Hornby Railways has produced commercial live steam-powered locomotives in OO scale by utilising an electrically heated boiler mounted in the tender, with cylinders in the locomotive, and control provided by electrical signals fed through the track from a remote control unit.

More complex locomotive models can use valve gear similar to real steam machine with the reversing done mechanically, most frequently the Walschaerts type.

There are several common fuels used to boil water in live steam models: Live steam road vehicles are popular with model engineers because they are not restricted to running on tracks or water and can be easily transported to rallies and exhibitions.

These include, amongst others, speed boats, launches, tugboats, ocean liners, warships, paddle steamers and freight carriers.

Toys tend to be less accurate representations of real life equipment than are models and many are somewhat generic in nature.

There are several magazines devoted to the live steam hobby: "Model Engineer" is an English publication that is published twice a month and was founded in 1898.

Most locomotive articles have an "English" flavour popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The magazine is aimed at constructors but also covers non-steam and non-rail model engineering interests.

A hand-crafted, coal-fired, 1:8 scale 2-10-0 'live steam' locomotive in 7 + 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 184 mm ) gauge
A "high line" representation of a Whitelegg-designed Baltic Tank in LT&S Livery. This engine runs on a track gauge of 3.5 inches and is powerful enough to pull several people. High lines are a configuration of a continuously elevated track and riders sit side-saddle or with legs straddling the track depending on lineside clearances.
A live steam festival with equipment on display ranging from small stationary engines to full-size locomotives. Porvoo , Finland , 2003
A propane-fired 1:8 scale live-steam train running on the Finnish Railway Museum 's miniature 7 + 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 184 mm ) track
A live-steam 1:8 train at Malmö , 1987
Model of a 1:2 scale Burrell steam road vehicle
Mamod fire engine