Author Topic: November 2017 Work Planning  (Read 31137 times)

Ed Lecuyer

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #15 on: November 12, 2017, 10:17:11 AM »
* ToM Phone box: I don't have a report about that, I know a train did go out for that.

John McNamara placed new phone box in service at TOM. Tested and Passed. Even Fred said it sounded good.

While John was busy tinkering, Fred, Dwight and I stacked 75 ties on the Mill Siding.
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Paul Uhland

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #16 on: November 12, 2017, 04:20:32 PM »
Betcha it would make ordering lunch pizza a lot easier up there. ;D
Will the phone line be eventually extended to 218 EOT?
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Ed Lecuyer

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #17 on: November 12, 2017, 05:41:45 PM »
Considering that the Magneto telephone system is our primary communication device between stations, train crews, and dispatcher, I fully expect that it will continue to be extended as the track proceeds northward. The mag phone is far more reliable than cell phones along our railroad.
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Mike Fox

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #18 on: November 12, 2017, 05:44:57 PM »
Yes. Hopefully buried. I am planning on building a knife that would hook on the bucket of the excavator and bury all new wire. This will hopefully eliminate some of the trouble we have been having with loss of service.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2017, 06:30:07 PM by Ed Lecuyer »
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John McNamara

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #19 on: November 12, 2017, 08:22:33 PM »
For a long time I was very discouraged by magneto telephone line problems, but Brendan's replacement of the Sheepscot to Brook Crossing wire, Fred/Jason/SteveZ's line extension, and Fred's trouble shooting north of Alna Center have breathed new life into the system and boosted my enthusiam. During Fall Work Weekend, I temporarily installed the phone box that had been the object of vandalism and rodent damage at EOT into a new location at TOM. Since then I have refurbished the box and attempted to prevent the incursion of insects that would tempt rodents. I have left the box unlocked for ease of emergency access and to reveal to vandals that the interior is very uninteresting (no iPhone10 within).

There is further work to be done. The telephone mounting within the box needs improvement (shorter non-Phillips screws), and the weather-tight conduit needs to be painted or otherwise made less-modern. The insect-proofing could be improved with weather stripping around the door.

Given the now excellent transmission (replacement of the old F-1 transmitter element), I see no reason that the line couldn't be extended to 218 (and beyond).

-John M

Paul Uhland

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #20 on: November 12, 2017, 11:50:49 PM »
As kids on Staten Island, we discovered a phone magneto box in my grandmother's cellar that put out quite a zap when cranked. A really snotty, curious kid up the block got two bracelets wired to his wrists by my bro, let out a helluva  wail!
 
Never bugged us again.  ;)
« Last Edit: November 13, 2017, 12:38:56 PM by Paul Uhland »
Paul Uhland

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #21 on: November 13, 2017, 12:11:04 AM »
My uncle was a NY Telephone tech in the Wall Street area, taught us kids basic phone practice; I later helped the overworked tech at Philips' now-closed 2400-phone, Abq chip plant; also did some installation at Intel's nearby, newest Rio Rancho plant.
Phone work is interesting and  necessary.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2017, 12:41:40 PM by Paul Uhland »
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Mike the Choochoo Nix

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #22 on: November 13, 2017, 09:03:35 AM »
Years ago I worked for a farmer here in Minnesota. Back in the late 40's there was little rural phone service. His neighborhood got together and built a magneto phone system with old phones. 10 or 15 years later when the phone company came through they made sure that they " bought them out" even though it was an informal arrangement. I guess they could have formed a company and been competition to the big boys because they were there first.
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Paul Uhland

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #23 on: November 13, 2017, 12:35:21 PM »
You DO NOT argue with 'the phone company'!  >:(  ;)
« Last Edit: November 13, 2017, 12:37:29 PM by Paul Uhland »
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James Patten

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #24 on: November 15, 2017, 07:11:45 AM »
Anticipated work for Saturday Nov 18:

* Car 67
* Bridge
* Top of Mountain
* Storm clean up - there's still a lot of debris left alongside the track that should be cleaned up before Christmas/snow.

James Patten

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #25 on: November 18, 2017, 05:55:57 PM »
Work done on Saturday Nov 18:

* Bridge: Tim the Bridge Guy was there, notching out some of the under timbers.  I ran the tractor for him.  He got 4 timbers notched.
* Storm clean up: the tree by the water tower was cleaned up and reclaimed for #9's firebox, then more trees further up the line were dealt with.
* Store merchandise: Linda and I made a concerted effort to consolidate some boxes of merchandise upstairs, enough so that we could bring over the Two Foot Musings boxes that have been living in the kitchen for the last several months.  Meanwhile Bob helped rearrange the gift shop for Christmas refreshments.
* Archives: Linda did some archivy stuff.

Mike Fox

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #26 on: November 18, 2017, 08:08:14 PM »
Some finishing touches were done off site early this morning on the permit notifications our abutters will be getting.
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Paul Uhland

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #27 on: November 19, 2017, 12:44:24 AM »
How's almost-done 67 doing with its coming roof, doors and hardware in the 'new' repair ship/dance hall?
« Last Edit: November 19, 2017, 12:46:41 AM by Paul Uhland »
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James Patten

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #28 on: November 19, 2017, 08:01:53 AM »
67 is waiting for a forging day.  Some of the existing metal for ladders/etc are bent and need to be straightened, plus there's some missing.  I think we still need to build a track for the door, too.  I don't know when any of this is happening.

Dwight Winkley

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Re: November 2017 Work Planning
« Reply #29 on: November 19, 2017, 01:47:58 PM »
The steel for 67 has arrived from our suppler. It is on the floor of bay 3.