Fall Meet at The AS&NT

We had a great Fall meet at the AS&NT and it started early. On Tuesday, the Mattisons showed up in the afternoon. We did a little work and went out for Mexican food. When we got back to the track the Durands had arrived. (The Durands are from Alaska and they go around the country visiting various tracks. Tough life!) The next day, Wednesday, Pat Durand started working on the track and the rest of us did other things. That evening we went out to have Mexican food. Thursday, the Millers from Mississippi showed
Up. We worked some, Pat worked on track, ran trains some and that evening we went out for Mexican food. On Friday things really started picking up. Phillip Bell showed up and started helping Pat work on the track. The action really started; running trains, visiting and getting things ready for the dinner that evening. But the weather changed it rained and got cold. Dave and Jane Kneece showed up to cover Dave's bet with the prettiest rib eye and "T" bone steaks that you have ever seen. With the weather turning cold and windy, we had to make seating arrangements that we had not planned on. We moved a few things around in the shop, brought in the grills, tables and chairs and Walter Johnson started cooking those great looking steaks. Other folks brought other things to eat; beans, salads and lots of dessert. It is hard to believe that we got 40 folks in my shop. Let me tell you, if you were not there you missed a fantastic meal. The steaks were huge, tender and tasted great.
Saturday everyone was running trains and other fun things, like Phillip and Pat working on track. We had great weather all day. At 4 pm, we went back to the shop for a good business meeting. At 5 pm, we met at the Fisherman’s Delight for all of the fish and shrimp we could eat. After we got our tummies full, we came back and watched videos and did a lot of visiting. I won't go into detail about the business meeting, you can read about that in the minutes. (Ed. Notes: The meeting minutes will appear in an upcoming issue of The Signal.) I want to thank all of the following folks that came out on several Saturday's to get the track ready for the meet:
Chuck & Nan Ellis (all the way from Austin)
John Oglesby (also from Austin)
Curt Werner
Harry Simpson
Bill Blair
Carroll Enders
Harvey & Rita Mattison
Daris Nevil
Darren McNeely
Lynn Ray
Walter Johnson
I also want to thank Phillip Bell and Pat Durand for helping on the track during the meet. I think these guys love to work on track.
I want to thank Gerry Stuteville for getting the signals working. He spent all of his fun time doing it.
I want to give special thanks to Walter Johnson for cooking the steaks. As most of you know, Walter just had replacement surgery on one of his knees. I know that he was in a lot of pain while cooking those fine steaks.
Thanks, guys!

For all those that missed the meet, we missed you. I hope that you can make it the next time.
Happy railroading,
Jack Haskins
Engines in attendance:

Bob Sanford 2 box cabs, steeple cab electric
Wendell Miller Fairmont motor car
Paul King Mom's motor car
Wally Trauten Fairmont motor car, hand car
Jack Lucks 2-6-0 Mogul
Mike Westwood Ind. switcher
Robert Chambers SW1500
Harry Simpson 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler
Gerry Stuteville GE/Alco Ind. switcher
Curt Werner GP50
Bill Fondren 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler
Harvey Mattison 2-6-0 Mogul
Harry Bean 2-8-0 Consolidation
Howard Pryor 70 ton switcher
Pat Durand F-3
Phillip Bell SW1500
Carrol Enders Box cab, Reincarnation of the Kluge
Jack Haskins 4-4-2 Atlantic, FP-45
Marshall Phillips Beautiful little Hit and Miss engine that ran great.

Walter Johnson cooks a mean steak
Photo by Dave and Jane Kneece

Dave Kneece and Jack Haskins help themselves to baked potatoes and salad, as Delbert Scott watches, and Walter Johnson slaves over the steaks on the grill.
Photo by Dave and Jane Kneece

Seated at table, clockwise, are Curt Werner, Jay Essary, Lauren Arnold, obscured, and Wally Trauten. Standing behind them are Becky Enders and Shirley Simpson. Standing in line to the side are Betty Haskins and Pat Chambers, among others.
Photo by Dave and Jane Kneece

Wally Trauten moves his train to a siding by the Depot, prior to dinner. Notice Engineers Sylvester Cat and Yosemite Sam are proud Americans!
Photo by Karen Stuteville

I wonder who that baby is walking in front of the Alaska Railroad engine? The Durands brought the beautiful F-3 engine and the Stutevilles brought The Baby Who Refused to Stand Still.
Photo by Karen Stuteville

The Hit and Miss engine brought by Marshall Phillips. Marshall fabricated the entire thing himself, including the wooden base as well, okay he didn’t fabricate the spark plug himself!
Photo by Karen Stuteville

"The Two Non-Conformists" Bob Sanford with his first engine, alternately referred to as a Kluge or Thang. Currently it belongs to Carrol Enders who added air horns that sounded like they came from a semi. You definitely knew it when this engine was on the tracks!
Photo by Karen Stuteville

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Last Update
December 3, 2001