The Tenth International Small Scale Steamup and Arts Festival
2002
WRAP-UP
Dear Live Steamer,

What a week!! I don't think that our hobby has ever seen seven (or so ) days of such varied and thoroughly enjoyable activity. You folks did it up right and I even enjoyed myself. Thanks for coming to Mississippi and making some boiling water become the catalyst for such a wonderful reunion for the old timers, and an eye opener for the first timers. Please plan on coming back next year - the registration form is in your program booklet, or you can use the form on the diamondhead.org web site. As always, an early registration is a big help to the staff at Steamup Headquarters.

Our volunteers were terrific!! The front desk ladies, the track crew and the track marshals were what made everything flow seamlessly and added to the overall ambience of the Ramada. The Crafts Lady and the Clack Valves and Cornets Steam Band ,the Pipes of David Hamilton ,the keyboard prowess of Bill Ford , and the juggling of Dan Rowe rounded out the Arts Festivalšs home grown talent ,and the prints displayed by the Aloha Gallery added some visual excitement to the week. Great job by all!

Its time for some numbers:

212 registrants showed up ready for play time, and they did indeed play. We started on Monday and ran through Sunday, consuming 18 gallons of distilled water, burning 4 gallons of alcohol, 7 cases of butane, a modicum ( this is scientific measurement only known to the Brits) of coal, and using 175 pink cotton rags. We had about 275 different locomotives on the tracks over the week - truly an amazing stat. Carol Homuth and his flea market was a very successful enterprise and its new location gave it greater accessibility than the previous one - wešll keep it there next year.

Here's where you all came from:

Countries : 7Attendees : 212
United States180
Canada10
United Kingdom9
Japan3
Australia1
Jamaica1
Mexico1
 
States Represented : 31Attendees : 180
Texas16
California14
Florida13
Michigan13
Louisiana12
Colorado10
Virginia10
Illinois9
Washington9
Ohio8
New York7
North Carolina7
Missouri5
Alabama4
Georga4
New Jersey4
Pennsylvania4
Tennessee4
Utah4
Main3
Wisconsin3
Indiana2
Kansas2
Kentucky2
Mississippi2
Oregon2
Arizona1
Massachusetts1
South Carolina1
Nevada1

What about 2003?
We have the Ramada sold out for 2003, and I already have in hand registrations for 50 steamers. Remarkable! No matter how I screw up I can't kill this thing. I have a feeling that Dr. Frankenstein knew what it is like.

We have the Ramada contract in hand and we'll have about the same things scheduled as we had a few weeks ago. The Friday night dinner was a smashing affair and wešll do it again. If you would like to attend ( limited seating , so I'll need to know) please send me an email telling me how many and I'll put you on the list. Our Saturday buffet was a winner! All of the comments that were passed on to the chef were positive, and we'll repeat next year.

Dan Rowe has a treat for us. He promises to give juggling lessons to about 24 of the lucky people who first sign up. I am already on the list, so if you'd like to learn this art, please let me know and I'll keep you posted through the year as to how this all will take place. Jerry Hyde, Tom Flair, and the movie crew will be at it again next year, and we'll try and have the popcorn cooker as well. Again, we'll be getting the tracks set up on Monday, so please come early and make a week of it.

Before I close, I want to take this opportunity to thank Jerra and Marie for doing such a marvelous job of assembling the memory book that you presented to me. I finally had some free time to read all of your comments, and I admit to getting teary. It was a lovely thought' and our family will treasure it.

I'll see you next January .

Have a wonderful year,

Jerry