A man and his machine. As his beautiful "baby" is slowly rotated on the North Creek Turntable, Leviathan 63 owner David Kloke pauses to take in the sight of the crowd that has assembled around the pit to watch this rare and historic event. Few of the onlookers had ever seen a working steam engine, let alone a classic 4-4-0 American Standard. Although I'm sure most of the folks could appreciate the beauty of this machine, I wonder how many of them could totally grasp its historical significance. These engines were the first practical machines built by the hands of man that could move under their own power. They enabled the industrial revolution and allowed humans to roam the earth at will. They quite literally built our world as we know it today. The few survivors of the type are mostly museum-bound now. But thanks to the vision and determination of Dave Kloke, there is a new generation of these machines being built to keep the history alive for future generations.
