THE OKTOBERFEST STEAMUP
THE MAD RIVER SHORT LINE

OCTOBER 1, 2000

All Photos by Richard Heisler

On October 1, 2000 the Mad River Short Line hosted its Oktoberfest Steamup to celebrate the installation of new Llagas Creek track (sunlight had destroyed the eight year old redwood ties and I wasn't satisfied with the look of code 332 rail anyway). Seen devouring beer and sausages at this gala were: Kevin Schindler, CEO and gandy dancer from Ferrocarril Minas de Cielo Azul, Geoffrey Spenceley, president and chief mechanic of the Nonsensical Secret Garden Railway and Larry Buerer, honcho of the Bayside & Western. This gala was hosted by your obedient servant and his long-suffering wife and cook, Barbara.

Kevin Schindler checks out the radio control.

Geoffrey rescues his Aster Grasshopper after a completed run.

Oops! MRSL #2, a Wrightscale 0-4-0, finds a flaw in the new trackwork and ends up on the station platform. No injuries (except to pride) were reported.

Seven-eigths scale on the MRSL. Kevin's kitbashed LGB DRGW #50 with a brake van.

#50 with train.

Larry Buerer videotapes the action on the MRSL.

Kevin with his Cricket as seen down Main St. in Iaqua.

Kevin's Cricket hauls a string of 7/8ths cars.

Aster Grasshopper at Cutten Switch.

Geoffrey's Grasshopper at Tuxedo Junction.

Mad River Short Line number 3, an Argyle Baldwin 0-4-2 passes the station at Iaqua with a short freight.

MRSL 3 steaming through the woods.

Geoffrey Spenceley depletes the beer supply as Kevin Schindler of narrowescape.com fires his Roundhouse 0-4-0.

Kevin's "Jack" crossing the Mad River bridge.

MRSL #2 "Arcata" with scratchbuilt tender recovers from her accident in the yard at Mad River.