Hal was to the steam preservation and main line excursion world what Rollin Bredenberg was (and still is, despite retirement) to the industry's operations/traffic/capacity planning world. Few people understood or could negotiate costs, logistics, liability protection, or even photo runby locations the way Hal did. Conversations I had with him over the phone or face to face were like speaking to my own dad, not just because their vocal mannerisms were uncannily similar, but also because their backgrounds in aerospace, engineering, and technology had them thinking and speaking a common language. I don't recall whether Hal ever received a lifetime achievement award from the R&LHS, NRHS, or other organizations for his enormous input during the heyday of group-sponsored main line steam excursions. He certainly deserved one.