HALS Live Steam Meets
2024
Chugga Chugga Chili Fest
February 22 (Thursday) to February 25 (Sunday), 2024.Early arrivals welcome on Thursday afternoon. Late departures on Sunday morning are encouraged. SWLS members and other live steamers are welcome. An on-site RV host will open the park about noon on Thursday and close up about noon on Sunday. Saturday centers on a chili cooking contest at noon with members are encouraged to make their best chili and non-cooks are encouraged to bring side offerings like Fritos, cheese, onions, desserts, and drinks. Most often we have nice weather in the 60s. Bring your Gauge 1, 4.75 inch gauge, and 7.5 inch gauge locos and trains.
Facilities Information below.
2024 Chugga Chugga Chili Fest Flyer
HALS Memorial Day weekend Meet
May 23 (Thursday) to May 27, 2024 (Monday)Early arrivals welcome on Thursday afternoon. Late departures on Monday morning are encouraged. SWLS members and other live steamers are welcome. An on-site RV host will open the park about noon on Thursday and close it about 2:00 pm on Monday. At This meet we have meals planned for each morning and evening. Lunch will be Bring Your Own for every day except Saturday where we will have BBQ at lunch for our big meal of the day. Bring your Gauge 1, 4.75 inch gauge, and 7.5 inch gauge locos and trains.
Facilities
Please register for the meet. Click here
2024 Memorial Weekend Meet Flyer
HALS 33rd Anniversary
and SWLS Blow Down Meet
November 7 (Thursday) - 10 (Sunday) 2024Early arrivals welcome on Thursday afternoon. Late departures on Sunday morning are encouraged. An on-site RV host will open the park about noon on Thursday and close it about noon on Sunday. A typical Anniversary meet has meals at the track on Friday evening and the Saturday lunch will be the big meal, more details closer to the meet. Bring your Gauge 1, 4.75 inch gauge, and 7.5 inch gauge locos and trains. The 4.75" loop is now open for use.
November 2023 Anniversary Meet Flyer
Click here for eary Registration
Click here to Volunteer
Operations Days
HALS holds 2 or 3 Operations Days per year. All Houston Area model railroaders are invited to participate in a day of railroad operations.
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Fun Run Days
Fun Run Days are dedicated to having fun with the trains and family. The track is closed to any maintenance other than emergency repairs. The focus is to Have Fun with Family and Trains.Check HALS Calendar for Dates.
Facilities
Transfer Table- Hydraulic lift on a transfer table with a 6,000 lb. capacity
- 17 inches high when all the way down (top of ground to top of rail)
- 54 inches high when all the way up (top of ground to top of rail)
- Drive through for unloading and loading live steam equipment. However, a turn prevents large 5th wheel Toy Haulers from using the hydraulic lift / transfer table
- Handles both 7.5 inch gauge and 4.75 inch gauge.
Steaming Bays
- 24' turntable for both 7.5 inch gauge and 4.75 inch gauge.
- 16 covered steaming bays and 12 0f them are 20 ft. long.
- 4 uncovered steaming bays
- Eight 12 foot steaming bays
- Electricity, Water, and Air for each steaming bay
- Several of the covered bays are for 4.75 inch gauge locos.
- Classification Yard for parking trains. 10 tracks to 200 feet long.
- The 7.5 inch gauge track is set up for a ride of 1.5 miles before repeating. We call this our SWLS route.
- The 4.75 inch gauge track loop is about 1500 feet. Only in one place it is dual gauge with the 7.5 inch gauge track.
- HALS has a raised Gauge 1 track for steam locomotives (no power to the track). Steaming bays under the shade of a tree. The locos are as small as a tee cup to as big as a big-boy. A number are radio controlled, but some have only manual controls. Some of the most detailed live steam locos you will ever see run on this track with trains to match.
RV Parking
- 11 paved spots with 30 amp service and more with 20 amp service.
- 8 of these have water
- None have sewer, Wi-Fi, or telephone. No dumping is permitted. No shower available.
- These are available on a first come first serve. These RV and travel trailers are the first to arrive at each meet and the last to leave. A real dedicated bunch.
HALS meets are open to all HALS and SWLS members.
These meets are on the Discover Live Steam calendar for live steamers who are outside the SWLS area. Gauge 1 live steamers are welcome to come. The 4.75 inch gauge track is the only club facility within 1000 miles and welcomes the 1 inch scale community.
Need More Info?
Contact Us or halsmeets@hals.org.
Southwestern Live Steamers aka SWLS is a non-profit model railroad and live steam club founded in 1972 and centered in Texas. Primarily, the members build and operate steam and diesel locomotives that run on 7 1/2" gauge track. We meet multiple times a year at the private tracks of our members throughout Texas and Oklahoma. Below is a list of the meets open to SWLS members only.