August 20, 2005
HALS Run Day
,
| 
|
 Kevin Outlaw at 9:55 AM - ready for the first train of the day. |
 Crew ready for work at 9:55 AM. |
 Claude Wiseman - conductor on the first train of the day. |
 Kevin has a green light - dispatcher Bill Howe is already at work at 9:55 AM - yes, before 10 AM. |
 An empty train, the only time I could run forward and get a photo of Mary. |
 Ed Rains, Trainmaster, working without relief for the entire day, from setting up to breaking down the trains. |
 The first use of signals on Phase III to keep the passenger trains spaced apart. There were three signals. One of the signals had failed, but fail safe, in the red position. The work crew came out to check the electronics (Dennis Cody) and track continuity (Ken Smith and Mike Hale). |
 Work as they might, the signal would no longer respond as designed. the crew talking it over after stopping work. More thinking did not result in a fix, so the signal was left at green. |
 The conductor's view of a train on a curve - with Mary Rains as engineer. |
 Doug Payne is Dispatcher. He kept the station light green for our trains. |
 A long lens photographer took the train to Lakeside where he got off and took our pictures. |
 Virginia Freitag as Station Master and the large number of visitors in the waiting area at 11:37 AM. |
 The parking lot at 11:48 AM - parking cars way east of the station, out to the trees of the tree farm. |
 Solid cars in towards the station. |
 An overview of the station showing people in the entrance area in addition to the waiting area at that time. |
 Mary Rains is the engineer who stopped to take a photo of her passengers with their camera. |
 Virginia worked on and on as Station Master from the 10 AM start until she got a lunch break after 1 PM. |
 Gary McCoy was directing people to the seats in the waiting area, and this kept the waiting area orderly. |
 Mike Hales watching our train cross a repaired section of track. |
 The track inspector Ken Smith, down low, watching the wheels of each car pass the trouble spot. The work passed inspection. |
 One family by Lakeside had a picnic and waived at every train. |
 The long lens photographer looking with eyes and not lens at our train. |
 Then at 12:50 PM, Kevin is still running - and the conductor has changed. Kevin showing he is human - a bit tired and sun burned - no hat on the hottest day of the year. |
 David Ray, a well known Houston model railroader (O Scale), who was talking about what it takes to get an engine in 7.5 inch scale. He took Vance Nickerson's phone number. More converts are welcome. |
 Dan Douglas as Engineer. |
 Dan's conductor, Gil Freitag, looking a bit tired or hot, at 2:06 PM. |
 Ron Pasley as Engineer at 2:08. |
 Ron's conductor, Mike Hales. Mike looks like the heat is keeping his head down. |
 At 2:51 PM, Carolyn Balkum is in the station area, out in the heat, taking photos for the StackTalk newsletter. |
 Gary McCoy as Station Master - the great numbers of visitors have been reduced. However, we still needed four trains to run to handle the repeat business. |
 Dispatcher Ken Smith is talking on the radio and Photographer Carolyn Balkum is taking photos. I was on a train (conductor with Kevin Outlaw), but the obvious action was behind our train. |
Thanks, Rick! |