Box of Stuff 2006
Kansas City -------- Kansas City --------- Kansas City
Starting on September 14th and 15th, we can run on the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad of Mr. Gail Gish, a dual gauge 4-3/4 & 7-1/2” track. The 16th is set aside for only 4-3/4” gauge. Or, on the 14th you can start on Mr. Pat McCarthy’s Big Creek & Southern Railroad if you wish. This one will run all week until the 22nd, Saturday.
We have planned two outings during the week. One is to Mr. Jim Eudaly’s train layout that we all enjoyed last time we were in Kansas City. It’s a great railroad. This is what Jim has to say about his layout: The Hinton Division of the C&O is an O scale layout in a 35 by 50 foot Butler metal building. It has about 3200 feet of track with a double track mainline run of 775 feet (7 scale miles) and about 130 switches. It operates with CTC80 command control. It is set in southern West Virginia in October 1949 and is largely steam but has a few first generation diesels. The schedule runs on a three to one fast clock and times of all scheduled trains are accurate for Hinton. In a 24 hour schedule (three operating sessions) about one hundred trains are run: 48 are scheduled passenger trains and manifests, the balance are coal trains and empty hopper trains that run as extras. A crew of 12 includes two dispatchers, two hostlers and eight road crews. Dispatchers control the mainline with a US&S CTC machine from the SP in Oregon that was rebuilt for the Hinton Division. Passenger trains are 2 to 15 cars long and hopper trains are 40 feet long. The layout scenery is nearly complete, lacking only a few railroad structures.
Our second outing will be to Kansas City on Wednesday, September 19. We will go to Kansas City’s Union Station, http://www.unionstation.org and the Steamboat, Arabia, http://www.1856.com.
A girl-thing shopping trip to Kansas City is planned for ladies only who would like to go.
Running on Pat McCarthy’s Big Creek & Southern Railroad, http://www.bcsrr.com/bcsrr/bcsrr.html, is open running, or we can do timetables and dispatching operations. Eight camping sites are available at the BC&S track with 30-amp electricity and water. No dumping is available. Railroaders arriving on September 14 for running at Gail’s RGS track can camp at the BC&S track and drive about two miles to the RGS track.
Our thanks go to Gail and Pat, and special thanks to Pat for letting us use his railroad as our home base for campers.
Remember the dates – September 14th through the 22nd. Mark your calendar, and call me, Richard Osborn, 254-657-2874, for more information, directions or questions you may have. I am looking forward to seeing you there.
Jack Lucks Memorial Meet
The Jack Lucks Memorial Meet is scheduled for June 14-15-16-17 at the Annetta Valley & Western Railroad in Annetta, TX.
The membership would like to invite any HALS member to attend this meet since Jack was also a member of Houston Area Live Steamers.
You may visit the AV&W web site to view the railroad and obtain information regarding track facilities. It can be reached at www.avwrr.org.
There are eight spaces for trailer parking, with an AOA trailer camp ground located within ten minutes of the track. Self-contained mobile homes and trailers can park at other designated places on the railroad. The railroad is a point-to-point operation which requires FRS radio head sets to be worn by operating engineers.
A trackside dinner is planed for Saturday evening at 5:30PM at a charge of $8.00 per person and $ 4.00 per children under 12 years old.
If you are interested in attending this memorial meet, please e-mail Terry McGrath at terrymcgrath@usa.net and include arrival date, equipment being brought and if you need trailer space with electrical and water hookups. You will be e-mailed to let you know if a trailer space can be held for you or if you will need to make arrangements at the local camp ground.
Terry McGrath AV&W RR
Jack Emerick Lucks, 1918 - 2007
by Bill Laird
The live steam fraternity lost one of the hobby's most revered members when Jack Lucks passed away peacefully at his home in Ft. Worth, Texas on April 14, 2007 at the age of 89.
Jack was born in February 1918 in Spokane, Washington. He grew up in southern California where he met and married his beloved Shirley. During his long career he worked on movie sets, both behind the scenes and occasionally as an extra, he was a licensed radio officer on merchant ships before WWII, during and after the war he worked at Consolidated Aircraft, which later became General Dynamics. One of the many jobs he had at Consolidated was as a pilot delivering newly completed aircraft to the military. His fascination with trains, big and small, was most likely based on the years he lived close to the Southern Pacific mainline in California. That fascination would remain with him for the rest of his life.
Jack was a stalwart in live steam in Texas. He was a major contributor to building and maintaining many of the prominent Texas tracks including Terry McGrath's Annetta Valley and Western, David Hannah's Browning, Ed Leatherwood's Dublin and Rio Grande, Roy Pickard's Comanche and Indian Gap, and Jack Haskin's Able Springs and North Texas. He was a charter member of the Annetta Valley and Western Railroad Club and active member of Southwestern Live Steamers and the Houston Area Live Steamers. He traveled with his trains all over the country and was widely known as truly a gentleman, always ready to help.
Jack often outworked those a generation or more younger than he and his knowledge and expertise were vast. He was always ready to jump in and help with any problem, big or small, and he worked at it until it was fixed. His wide smile, quick wit, and down home attitude of get it done will be greatly missed.
Carolyn Balkum
Recipient of the 2006 Marshall Black Award
Read here about the effects and prevention of Heat Stress This is particularly important for us who do so much of our playing in the hot Houston weather.