Sept. 9, 2022 — Last year, I completed and published a book on the New England origins of Steamtown and the railroading efforts of its founder F. Nelson Blount, titled Steam Trains of Yesteryear: The Monadnock, Steamtown & Northern Story. This book chronicled the colorful years of the early 1960s, when Blount and his associates began a legend of steam preservation in New England that led down a long road resulting in a National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. It is a dynamic story full of fascinating people and places that, until now, had gone largely untold in one place.
In conversation with many others connected with the Steamtown story following the release of the book, it became apparent that there is much interest in this period of Steamtown’s history and simply not enough public representation. I was greatly surprised by the number of people connected to Steamtown National Historic Site or the story in some fashion that did not know much more than various anecdotes of Blount’s story, his original operations in New England, and the enormous collection he saved with his own funding which now makes up the bulk of the NHS collection. Misunderstandings and misrepresentations abound, even to this day.
At the forefront of this public interest is the somewhat coincidental reality of a number of important anniversaries. Over the last three years we have been regularly hitting the 60th anniversaries of a number of important events related to Blount and his New England operations. 2021 saw the 60th of the incorporation of the Monadnock, Steamtown & Northern and its first operating season on the Claremont & Concord Railway. This year, 2022, sees the 60th of the second operating season on the Cheshire Branch of the Boston & Maine and the controversy surrounding the ill-fated plan to open Steamtown, U.S.A. in Keene. Perhaps most importantly, next year will see the 60th anniversary of the first ever opening of Steamtown at North Walpole, NH, the origins of the Green Mountain Railroad, and the creation of the Steamtown Foundation. These crucial dates — starting points for so much history and legacies that influence the railroad world to this very day — have gone largely unnoticed save for minor postings on social media.
This site is intended as a permanent exhibit to those stories and all the important characters who made this fascinating chapter of history possible. None of what Steamtown was, or eventually became, would ever have been possible without their efforts; efforts which influenced so many in the preservation world. Here you will find biographies of the major characters, photographs, audio recordings, first-hand accounts, primary source documents, and materials shared to educate the public on this amazing story. We aim to be your go-to source for historical material and information regarding the history of Steamtown, U.S.A., the Monadnock, Steamtown & Northern Railroad, and F. Nelson Blount’s efforts in New England.
I hope you enjoy browsing this website, and be sure to check back as more material and updates will be posted periodically!
– Rick Kfoury
Steamtown Historical Collective 