Yuma Live Steamers allows community to be young at heart

The Yuma Territory Live Steamers is a non-profit group run solely by volunteers that allow adults and kids to live out the dream of driving a train.

Of the many non-profit groups in Yuma, Chuck Finnila, the club’s vice president said, “we do have about 49 members, and just like with any club, there are 15 or maybe 20 that do all the heavy lifting.”

For the past four years, the group has been able to build a replica train display circling Riverside Park with more than a mile of track.

The group recently even opened a new double track bridge for riders to enjoy.

Train tracks run under and over the bridge allowing visitors to fully enjoy what the group calls the “Baby Grand Canyon of Yuma.”

Fifteen active members make up the ‘Steamers’ group in addition to a total of 50 with paid memberships.

January is the month they begin to prep for their new season which usually begins on January 12.

Rides are offered every second and fourth of the month, e very Saturday of the month through May, and they only ask for a $2 donation.

“We have the most fun on public ride days, we can see all those faces,” Finnila said.

Members are still hard at work to prepare the train tracks for the upcoming season.

All tracks in the park use the same type of base full-size train tracks uses.

The intention to remain faithful to the original model and scale comes from their mission statement.

“Our mission statement is to educate the public about the history of railroading here in Yuma and the surrounding area, railroad operations and railroad safety all through the construction of a 7 ½ gauge miniature riding railroad,” Finnila said.

Since they first started the Steamers group, club members and volunteers have built new bridges, a turntable, a lift table, and a steel switch tower.

Club members and volunteers have helped the $180,000 railroad to continue to grow.

Most members do it because of their passions for trains.

Club president John Schwartz said, “at the time I’m old enough to remember steam and steam engines, I took in a whiff of steam and cinders and the smell, I’ve loved trains ever since.”

The third loop on the display was recently completed with the addition of the bridge.

Every project done by the Steamers depends on donations from grants or community support, used to fund things like materials and labor.

The Steamers themselves do their part in buying or rehabbing the train cars used and storing them near the park for future use.

A train station is their next project in the works with a “buy-a-brick” campaign with the help from an Arizona community foundation of Yuma grant.

Finnila remembers how the railroad holds a special place in each person’s heart, no matter how old.

“We were able to be honored to be involved in an 80th birthday and that party evolved into the family reunion, we put that birthday girl on the train and when she was in the engineer seat, she turned around to look at all those family members behind her, it really proved you are never truly too old to be young at heart,” he said.