I was a busy boy all three days. I was truly the chief cook and bottle washer as well as photographer, greeter, track marshall and general flunky. My trusty backup was Jim Crabb from Houston. Jim manned the coolers and kept them charged with ice and drinks.

It went pretty smoothly. We had no crashes or track disasters. We had no trackfires. We did have two different cabooses get bopped on the top by folks opening the bascule bridge (the green one) too soon. After a train passes the movable section you have to wait for the last car to pass under the counterweight. If you lift it too soon the counterweight will nail the last car. That's happened 5 times now. Three of those were on Saturday. Different folks of course.

The only rule on bridges is: "If your operation of the bridge causes the other guys train to crash, you get to buy that train!" Simple. It tell that to each and every person that comes into the back yard. I demonstrate the bridge and show them how the counterweight can hit a last car if lifted too soon. My other statement still stands: "It's hard to get good help" Especially bridge tenders. Still that bridge is very popular as it allows you to enter the inside easily and you can pull the 4 wheel flat top cargo wagon through with ease. It is a four foot opening. There is a second bridge on the West end and a third bridge leading to the small circle of track. We've had no problems with those two.

We went through 8 + gallons of water 4 of them on Saturday alone. I have no sense of how many cans of gas was consumed. All of the Accucraft engines are gas fired. And we had lots of them. Tony Dixon and Jim Crabb brought coal fired engines and Tony, Frank Russo and I also ran alcohol fired engines. I think we collectively used around a gallon of alcohol. (I had 6 gallons on site and did not have to service my 1 gallon can.)

By feeding everyone on site we could run without interruption. In times past we would go to a casino buffet for Friday dinner and wouldn't get back until 8 or 9pm. This time we ate the Colonel's finest and continued steaming into darkness on Friday. Saturday we had a sit down dinner of beans and franks with S'mores for desert. That also went well and we steamed well into darkness.

I've already decided that October's Saturday night dinner will be outdoor roasted turkey with gravy and dressing, wild rice, broccoli and rolls. Maybe a salad too. We'll use real plates and real silverware. We'll serve some box wine too. It it's not too windy we'll have lit candles on the tables. Hey I have to use my fine china and silverware sometime. Even if it's outside on folding tables.

The October Version will be held October 10,11, &12 2003. Call 1-800-578-9639 for more information. Or, email Clark at clarklord@earthlink.net.

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