Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 69 The control panel for Hall's model train set is wired into the control panel from a full-size locomotive. Hall eventually began welding locomotives and working on diesel engines for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad in 1978, but he never stopped working on his own Volkswagens, or anybody else's. If someone drove a run-down Volkswagen through Glendive, Hall offered to fix it up with spare parts that he kept in his garage. Hall's hand-painted "hippie bus" features an American flag on the roof and a strong red, white and blue—and tie-dye—theme through- out. Inside the engine compartment, he painted marijuana leaves around a 1600 dual-port engine, which Hall installed himself. e back is reserved for colorful bumper stickers that say things like, "Legalize it!," "Psychedelic State," and the fan favorite, "Don't laugh, your daughter could be in here." When Hall bought the van, he stripped the interior and refur- bished everything. He installed gold shag carpeting on the headliner and glued glow-in-the-dark planets and more marijuana leaves on the shag. Tie-dye curtains with peace signs block the hot sun. Every once in awhile, the bus rolls up at a car show and it is always a hit. Hall rolls fake joints using catnip and places them on the dash, where they're always stolen. Although Hall loves his vehicles, he is no longer able to work on them or his model train set. A heart attack left him unable to move around well, making fitting into cramped engine compartments or underneath his train diorama impossible. He hadn't been down to the basement for months until I visited him. At one time, Hall said, people would visit all the time. e local school would take field trips to see his collection and the local newspaper, e Glendive Ranger, even wrote an article about him. Now, the tiny museum sits in the dark, collecting dust. "It's my life," said Hall. "But I don't much have the get-up-and-go to do it anymore." LITTLE BEAR 1/2 Little Bear 1/2 page n n A R T • F U R N I T U R E • L I G H T I N G • R U G S R E P R E S E N T I N G L O C A L A N D R E G I O N A L A R T I S A N S 406.585.2927 | www.littlebearinteriors | MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 10 TO 5 81630 GALLATIN ROAD | BOZEMAN, MONTANA 59718 ¼ MIL E SOUT H OF T HE L IGHT AT 4 CORN ERS ON HIGHWAY 191

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