This site and the engines on it are dedicated to Nora Quick, my exuberant grandmother. My obsession with engines all began with her passing.
Born in 1912 - the year the Titanic sunk - Nora was a nutty Brit who lived life to the fullest. Her final bequest which came to me through my mother, was that my little portion of the estate was not to be used for anything practical, nor was it to go to "the business". It had to go to something "crazy".
I had at the time been thinking that having worked too hard at building my business and suffering the burnout associated with such an activity, I needed a hobby. I had been looking at steam engines, which had held a life-long interest for me, however, as the entry price of steam was not even close to something I could entertain, I began to take notice of old engines. I started with a Fairbanks Morse Z series model D. More affectionately known as a "salt block", I was soon smitten. The plan was - and is - to eventually find that engine that was built in 1912 and to christen it the "Nora". I am still looking.
