Mission Accomplished! I am more than pleased to report that the couplers and associated bits and pieces, along with four 20-inch car wheels, were delivered to Sheepscot on Dec. 14. The trip was not without drama, however. While charging north at 65 mph or so on I-95 near MP 32 (Biddeford exit), the left steering (front) tire sustained a sidewall separation, resulting in a nearly instantaneous flat tire. Fortunately, I was able to safely make it to the breakdown lane. A phone call to Enterprise's emergency desk, followed by several with a service dispatcher and a nearly three hour wait for assistance, saw us on our way again with a brand new tire.
Upon our arrival at Sheepscot around 1:30 p.m., we found Steve Z. and Fred Morse waiting for us, and they were quickly joined by Phil. B., Brendan Barry and Jason Lamontagne. They had thoughtfully parked a flatcar at the end of track by the station, and with the assistance of the John Deere tractor, they dragged each coupler to the rear of the truck, hoisted each one and loaded them, along with various springs, draft plates and cut levers, on the flatcar.
After a few minutes to inspect recent work by the flanging team, admire preparations for Victorian Christmas and eyeball the bridge (It sure is big!), we chatted for a while with Keith and Ginny Taylor and then headed south again. We overnighted with Gordon Cook in Masss, with final arrival in Lancaster at 1:45 p.m. Dec. 15, just ahead of a promised 1-3 inches of new snow.
Special thanks to the guys for unloading, and to the team (Phillip Marshall, John Kokas, Nick Hovey and Rick Rowlands) who helped remove the couplers in Mount Union and Rick Rowlands for his help loading the couplers on Tuesday.
