Youth - middle age

Mike, Shane,
I'm glad ya'll younger folk are willing to contribute here.
As I read most of these posts, Most are older than I. I'm 45 - too young to remember seeing mainline revenue freight being moved by steam. I only once saw a steam loco haul revenue freight. It was in northern Mississippi, I was 5 and to make a long story short, I got to ride in the cab of a steamer there working freight on a freight only RR in 1961 - my very first train ride of any size!!!
I enjoyed riding behind S&A 750 at 65-70 down SRR main. By the time 611 and 1218 showed up, SRR had a 35MPH speed limit on steamers.
I've seen and ridden the 2-footers. They are interesting but nothing compares to a K class mike hauling tonnage (freight or passenger the drawbar load is the same).
I saw the Cass shays when I lived in Charleston, WV. I really like shays and when I saw the ex-Westside shays at Georgetown, man was I excited. I've seen either 40 or 44 roll on the Georgetown, but the shays make it for me.
The Roaring Camp and Big Trees line has (as I recall) 8% grades and the shays there are impressive as they work. In fact that was where I first saw ex-SV 101, ex-D&RGW 50 (now at the CRRM).
Doug