Okay, here we are in Dundee, Florida at Ridge Live Steamers for Winter Meet 2026—Day 1. Debbie and I came in on Thursday, got ourselves registered so we could ride a little later, and then I headed right down into the bays where they stage everything. You’ll see the transfer table in action, a bunch of locomotives getting prepped, and all the little details that make live steam so cool—coal smoke, propane setups, and guys wrenching and tuning before they head out. I walk you through what I’m seeing in the staging area: B&O 2-6-0 #2291, a Rio Grande #8, a C&O 4-6-2, a Soo Line 4-6-2, and even an 0-4-0 wood cab Standard Lumber Company engine. We talk a bit about coal vs propane, and one of the guys explains how long it takes to steam up (you don’t rush it—thermal shock is real). I also tried to get a livestream going on Rumble and YouTube, had a solid 5G signal, and still couldn’t get it to work—so this day is straight video coverage. Then we take a walk around the back areas, check out more track, switches, and catch trains rolling over the bridge.