The Home Machinist!

Hi guys,

I see in the new issue of Live Steam and Outdorr RR magazine, there is an obituary on the last page of the late Paul Brien, of Mid South Live Steamers fame. I'm sorry to hear of another loss of one of our fellow live steamers. I had not known of Paul before this, but sounds like he was quite the locomotive builder and live steam advocate.
I see that one of the many locos he built was a 7 1/2" guage Kanawha. Being an avid C&O fan, I am wondering if anyone might have any more info on this loco and possibly some pictures of it ? Any ideas on where it is, who owns it, and if it still runs ? I would really like to see a C&O Kanawha in our scale.
Thanks in advance for any info and help.

CSXCARL

Carl,
Paul and I met in 1965 shortly after both of us got into live steam. He was my first machining mentor and I was his first mentee (Is that a word?) His first loco project was an LBSC "Mabel" 2-4-0 in 3.5"ga which he abandoned in the chassis-on-air stage when everyone locally went 7.5"gauge. A lot of projects moved in and out of Paul's shop, he could have several in the works at any given time, and as I got older and got busy with Life I didn't keep up with exactly what he was doing. My recollection is that his "Kanawha" loco was a 2-8-0 project based upon an 1890's era Kanawha & Michigan Rwy Consolidation. In any case it was Not a C&O 2-8-4 Kanawha. He didn't build anything that big and the Consolidation may have been the largest project he took on.

Paul was a great guy. When I was in 7th or 8th grade I got to meet Paul at Clyde Bleil's track in Mentor, OH and got to run his 4-4-0 once. That was a neat engine and.Paul was quite a gentleman. One of those early live steam experiences that left an indelible mark on my life.

Rob Gardner

Hello Gwrdriver,

Thank you for the response and info. I had never heard of the Kanawha and Michigan RWY, so I guessed at the C&O 2-8-4 Kanawha. I was hoping it was anyways. Sounds like he was quite the machinist, and I wish I could have met him. Thanks again for you help.

Carl

gwrdriver wrote:Carl,
Paul and I met in 1965 shortly after both of us got into live steam. He was my first machining mentor and I was his first mentee (Is that a word?) His first loco project was an LBSC "Mabel" 2-4-0 in 3.5"ga which he abandoned in the chassis-on-air stage when everyone locally went 7.5"gauge. A lot of projects moved in and out of Paul's shop, he could have several in the works at any given time, and as I got older and got busy with Life I didn't keep up with exactly what he was doing. My recollection is that his "Kanawha" loco was a 2-8-0 project based upon an 1890's era Kanawha & Michigan Rwy Consolidation. In any case it was Not a C&O 2-8-4 Kanawha. He didn't build anything that big and the Consolidation may have been the largest project he took on.

Carl,

The "Kanawha" that Paul built was a 0-4-0. Very nice and smooth running eng. I believe the Eddie Yoder bought the eng. who at one time lived in Ohio? Not sure if Eddie is still around or not.
Paul was a great guy, he was the fisrt person to let me run a steam engine (his 4-4-0) at one of the train meets at my parents house (The High Ridge RR)
I was only 6 years old!!

Tim Mikko

I guess I met Paul back in the 1970s at the Mid-South track in Columbia, TN. He had me over to his home a few times, and I had the opportunity to see his "boiler shop" in his garage. He also had an 0-6-0 that he had built. As it turns out, I bought a mikado locomotive project from the widow of a deceased live steamer, which included a boiler built by Paul. He was generous enough to send me the drawings for that boiler.

Paul's engine was merely named "Kanawha" as far as I can remember. It was an 0-4-0, had a stainless jacket, southern valve gear, and was closer to maybe 2" scale than anything else.

I remember that one of the neater things about the engine was that the actual boiler courses were tapered and welded, as opposed to the jacket simulating a tapered boiler.

The throttle design of this engine was to blame for a few "incidents." Don't ask me how I know.....

I'll miss Paul. He represented all of what is good about the hobby.

Alan Woodyard

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the info on Paul and his engines. Sounds like our hobby has lost another fine gentleman. it is unfortunate that I didn't have the chance to meet him and see some of his work first hand. Thanks again.

Carl

I met Mr. Brien once in about 1981 when I was a Dock Foreman for Bowman Transportation. Paul and another gentleman brought a palletized model locomotive boiler by the terminal to ship it to a consignee in Birmingham, Alabama. I got to look at it closely and asked a bunch of questions. He was very nice and polite and answered every one of my questions in a manner I could undeerstand. At that time, he held a very important position with the Fred D. Wright Co, a tool and die maker.

Hi -- I'm Paul's grandson Brien Malone... I just stumbled across this thread while googling him recently. It's heart-warming to see such kind sentiment about granddad. He truly was a remarkable man.

It sounds like the question of 'who owns it and where did it go' was answered, but I thought I'd chip in... The oldest of his four grandsons ended up with Paul's blueprints. I can't make any promises, but if you'd like me to see if he has the Kanawha, I can ask.