Makers Faire - Roaring Camp

[Helleri]

So, Roaring Camp is a local (Felton, CA) spot where people can go to ride a narrow gauge forest excursion train or take a wide gauge train down to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and back (it is most descriptively a privately owned, tourism railroad company). They also sometimes host events and recently they had a makers fair (of which they intend, starting with this one to do annually now). We were able to get a booth there. And, though not high production quality I made a short video of the on goings for friends and family who were not able to make it. It occurred to me that people on the forums might enjoy it as well so I have posted a link to it below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5omUJqarM9g

[Branson]

That was a really nice video!  Yes, that was a steam tractor.  Hadn't seen a Case steamer, but a shirt-tail cousin of mine has a Holt steam tractor.  Lumber companies used them to haul out newly cut trees back in the day, and the Holts were used in WW I for moving heavy artillery. 

I went to the Maker's Fair in the North Bay area a couple of years ago.  Way too loud and crowded in the buildings for my taste, but a lot of cutting edge stuff there, not so much Steam Punk .   One bunch had set up a whole line shaft operation and that was a wonderful sight to behold! 

Looks like a great time in Roaring Camp!  That's local to you?

[Helleri]

It is local to me, Same town even. Another, thing neglected to get video of was some of the tool set ups -_- One guy did a line up of gas powered chain saws from modern to 1960's. Another has some generators. There was one generator with a tall exhaust pipe, that they keep putting paper cups on top of. every few puts would be a pop, and that pop would launch the cup a good 15 feet strait up. Next year I plan to actually go prepared (I thought we would just be selling at flea like thing not stepping half way back into the past, lol). That way I can plan out the vid better hit all the good booths, incorporate pics in transition frames etc.

Every year though steam punk seems to get more and more popular. So, I am beginning to make steam punk stuff...sell what sells *shrugs*. And, actually today I am working on a voltiac pile and a samovar. This place was primarily steam punk. I though it was a bit deceptive in the name.

[johnsironsanctuary]

Here in the midwest, there are quite a few restored JI Case steamers. That one looks to be a 65 or 75 hp. tractor. It can pull a plow with 8 or 10 plow shares and move right along doing it. They are VERY expensive to restore and maintain.  The boilers have to meet modern boiler standards and be inspected quite often.

[Helleri]

I'd imagine the cost of restoration and maintenance would be great. Somehow I think roaring camp has no worries there though, lol.

But, for funzies lets take a little guess at what their making...


A ticket on either of their trains cost something around $20.00-$50.00 USD. (dependent on age of passenger and train taken). So, they probably average about $30.00 USD. a head. They run year round. Every day (exempting major holidays) and from the looks of it each train has about a 200 person capacity. One workman told me that while the events saw an increase in foot traffic, the trains were doing only average (one I saw go by was to capacity and the rest were about 3/4 full). They run each train about 3-4 times a day dependent on booking. They are making at least $12,000.00 USD. daily Grossed.


And they seem to have about 15 employees working at any one time. They are open for about 8 hours a day and looks like they put in at least 12. If the average salary is $20.00 USD. an hour. That is a little under $4,000.00 a day wages. If half the remaining money per day goes to daily utilities usage (electric/water/gas etc.) Then they are still making $4,000.00 a day net. 120k a month sounds like alot but they run at least one commercial a day on local television (that's about 15 seconds, which I think at the going rate for local airtime is 2.5k a pop). And, if they pay around $5,000.00 USD a month insurance (around here comercial for 1mil slip and fall is about 60 bucks a month and they would need damage and theft coverage for all their cool stuff, outbuildings, and such...5k a month payment doesn't sound unreasonable, with all the value they have there).

...So, I mean... looks like they might be pulling down as much as 70k a month net during the tourist season around here (about 3/4 of the year enforce).

Heck, all that is without considering that most of their workers are essentially docents...or the expensive multiple concession stands. Or booth rentals for their events. 70k a month net might be giving them too little credit. Just, thinking about it... this place is the Disney land of northern California, lol. They probably make more then the board walk itself (which had half it big attractions closed down most of the time). The boardwalk probably owes them half the business they have (they take 400-600 people there and back daily after all).

[johnsironsanctuary]

I think that the difference is that most of the steam tractors are privately owned and maintained. Some of the Thresherees pay a stipend to the steamers, because they really boost attendance.

[johnsironsanctuary]

I thought that it was interesting that one of the little locomotives was an HK Porter. I assume that it is the same company that still makes high quality bolt cutters.

[Helleri]

Was it? I didn't notice. They had a lot of engines...between tracked and untracked, narrow and wide gauge. I think they had at least 4-6 things going on at once. Being busy at the booth I mostly just got chances to take a few clips of film. Give me a time stamp for the part your talking about?

[OilyRascal]

one minute thirty-five seconds

[rusty]

It s not the same H.K.Porter that made Bolt Cutters.

The locomotive company was a fellow in Pittsburg  (Henry Kirke Porter),
The bolt Fellow (Also a Henry) was in Suffolk/Chelsea/Brookline/Boston,Ma....

(H.K of Boston never gives his middle name on the patents...:(

[johnsironsanctuary]

Thanks, Rusty,  I have been making that mistake for a very long time.