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Austin Barr began constructing locomotive #6568, an 1½" scale Little Engines Pacific, in 1965 while living in Whitehall, Arkansas. | |||
[[File:Austin Barr Pacific Whitehall Ark Apr 1968.jpg|center|Austin Barr's #6568 LE Pacific, April 1968, Whitehall, Arkansas]] | |||
Barr was a charter member of the Mid-South Live Steamers, organized on 17 December 1966. | |||
[[File:Mid South Live Steamers Charter 17 Dec 1966.jpg|center|Austin Barr, far left, attending charter meeting of Mid-South Live Steamers at Bud Bartholomew's residence in Nashville on December 17, 1966. Harry Wade is the young man at front and center.]] | [[File:Mid South Live Steamers Charter 17 Dec 1966.jpg|center|Austin Barr, far left, attending charter meeting of Mid-South Live Steamers at Bud Bartholomew's residence in Nashville on December 17, 1966. Harry Wade is the young man at front and center.]] | ||
Barr finished #6568, along with his track at Whitehall, Arkansas, for the first annual spring meet of the Mid-South Live Steamers. Austin continued to host Spring Meets from 1968 through 1973. | |||
Harry Wade, who also attended the inaugural meeting of the Mid-South Live Steamers, provided the following about Austin Bar. | Harry Wade, who also attended the inaugural meeting of the Mid-South Live Steamers, provided the following about Austin Bar. | ||
::I knew Austin Barr quite well, but not as well as some of the older members now deceased of course. When we first met I was kind of the "kid" of the club. See photo - I am in front. Austin is first row left. Shortly after that picture I went to college, then to sea (Navy) for a while, and then back to college so I rarely saw him after that. He had a 14,000 acre rice & soy bean plantation in Weiner, Arkansas (yes Weiner, as in Oscar Meyer) and built a large track on it where he hosted annual meets. He eventually lost the farm, his shop, and track in a divorce. I don't recall when he passed away but I don't think I saw him more than half a dozen times the last 20 years of his life. He was a very friendly and helpful guy and would help you in any way he could. I'm not sure he had a direct involvement in the development of the BLS standards, which may have already been established before he became Secretary, but he certainly helped promulgate and promote their usage. | ::I knew Austin Barr quite well, but not as well as some of the older members now deceased of course. When we first met I was kind of the "kid" of the club. See photo - I am in front. Austin is first row left. Shortly after that picture I went to college, then to sea (Navy) for a while, and then back to college so I rarely saw him after that. He had a 14,000 acre rice & soy bean plantation in Weiner, Arkansas (yes Weiner, as in Oscar Meyer) and built a large track on it where he hosted annual meets. He eventually lost the farm, his shop, and track in a divorce. I don't recall when he passed away but I don't think I saw him more than half a dozen times the last 20 years of his life. He was a very friendly and helpful guy and would help you in any way he could. I'm not sure he had a direct involvement in the development of the BLS standards, which may have already been established before he became Secretary, but he certainly helped promulgate and promote their usage. | ||
== References == | |||
* [http://www.midsouthlivesteamers.org/History/index.html Mid-South Live Steamers History] | |||
Revision as of 02:04, 2 February 2013
Austin Barr began constructing locomotive #6568, an 1½" scale Little Engines Pacific, in 1965 while living in Whitehall, Arkansas.
Barr was a charter member of the Mid-South Live Steamers, organized on 17 December 1966.
Barr finished #6568, along with his track at Whitehall, Arkansas, for the first annual spring meet of the Mid-South Live Steamers. Austin continued to host Spring Meets from 1968 through 1973.
Harry Wade, who also attended the inaugural meeting of the Mid-South Live Steamers, provided the following about Austin Bar.
- I knew Austin Barr quite well, but not as well as some of the older members now deceased of course. When we first met I was kind of the "kid" of the club. See photo - I am in front. Austin is first row left. Shortly after that picture I went to college, then to sea (Navy) for a while, and then back to college so I rarely saw him after that. He had a 14,000 acre rice & soy bean plantation in Weiner, Arkansas (yes Weiner, as in Oscar Meyer) and built a large track on it where he hosted annual meets. He eventually lost the farm, his shop, and track in a divorce. I don't recall when he passed away but I don't think I saw him more than half a dozen times the last 20 years of his life. He was a very friendly and helpful guy and would help you in any way he could. I'm not sure he had a direct involvement in the development of the BLS standards, which may have already been established before he became Secretary, but he certainly helped promulgate and promote their usage.