Phase III
2000-2004

THE GOLDEN SPIKE CEREMONY With the Harris County Precinct 3 Parks Superintendent Steve Dorman present, and all the Saturday morning visitors looking on, the Houston Area Live Steamers completed Phase III with the traditional Golden Spike Ceremony. Heading up the festivities was President Brent Courtney who spoke about the history of the club and how far we have come. After the Golden Spike was driven into the mahogany tie at the Station (due to heavy rains that morning), all who could jumped on the next available train and gathered for a ribbon cutting at the Cedar Bend Trestle which leads into Phase III. Again, getting back on the trains, they proceeded to parade into the new loop, passing through two new sidings, Mosquito Bend and The Bone Yard.

Steve Dorman and Brent Courtney hold up a "Golden Screw" showing us all that it indeed was a "Gold" spike.	A professional photographer chronicles the Events as Brent Courtney, Steve Dorman and Jim Cash get ready to depart for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
L-R Doug Blodgett, Steve Dorman, Jim Cash. Steve Dorman has the honor of cutting the ribbon. At the beginning of the trestle into Phase III. Doug and Jim are two past presidents under whose terms most of the construction was done on Phase III. There are those who are movers and shakers and there are those who are both and these two guys fit that bill.	Brent enlists the help of Al Beggs in driving one of the spikes. Al holds a special place of honor in HALS as he single-handedly has built almost all track panels on the railroad. Sometimes it's easy to overlook the tireless dedication of so many of our members. It's events like this that give us an opportunity to say, "Thank You" to all who contribute to this great hobby with a job well done.