An Invitation to the Raquette Lake Steamboat Camp

[PeteThePen1]

Hi Kelly

Thanks for posting the pictures. A nice reminder of what the Steamboating Dream is all about especially on a day of yet more rain...

Regards

Pete

[Kelly Anderson]

With this post, I am bumping this thread back to the top of the active threads on the Steamboating Forum, as I don’t want people to forget about this opportunity. At this time, I have paid the required down payment, and have a signed contract from the camp for Steamboat Camp, August 22nd through 28th.

Currently, fourteen steamboaters, bringing eight launches are committed to coming to camp. Six of the possible eleven private bedrooms have been reserved. However, we still need a few more people to sign up to get us to meet the camp’s minimum attendance requirement to make it worth their while.

So if you are seriously considering coming, please contact me to declare your intentions, and I will send you the waiver to sign. You have one month to commit to me if you would like to attend this meet. The camp's deadline for a final count is August 1st.

Feel free to raise any questions as you think of them. Feel free to forward this information to others who may be interested in attending.

Sincerely,
Kelly Anderson
anythingsteam@aol.com
717-572-7076

[PeteThePen1]

Hi Kelly

Idle thought from across the Pond. I liked the old post card of the lake side railway station. I wondered if the railway to the lake is still in and functional?

Regards

Pete

[Kelly Anderson]

Pete,

No, I believe that the Marion River Carry Railroad was abandoned in 1929. However, one locomotive and one car from the line survive at the nearby Adirondack Experience museum.

raquette-rvr-locomotive-2.jpg (142.43 KiB) Viewed 14214 times

[RNoe]

THAT's a treasure! Possibly a Porter-built loco?
It looks remarkably complete.
RussN

[Kelly Anderson]

Yes, she is a Porter. I believe that this railroad equipment went right into preservation when the RR was abandoned.

The railroad itself was quite unique, IIRC the mainline was just 1,600 feet long, so it became known as the world's shortest standard gauge railroad. I understand that they also occasionally carried interchange freight cars that were transferred onto barges at the end of track in Raquette Lake and towed by steam launch across the lake and up the Marion river to the MRCRR, and then transferred onto another barge to travel up Utowana Lake. There is an urban legend that there is a coal car at the bottom of Raquette Lake that rolled off of its barge.

The Adirondack Experience museum also has the steam launch Osprey in its collection.

The steam launch Buttercup is another interesting story of the area.

[Kelly Anderson]

This is the final notice for anyone considering attending Raquette Lake Steamboat Camp this year. Registration will be closed on the evening of July 31st. It is official, we have enough attendance, and Steamboat Camp will be happening!

[fredrosse]

Is there going to be a meet here in 2022?

[Kelly Anderson]

Not at the Girl's Camp, no. I was never able to drum up enough interest to make it worthwhile. Sorry friends!