Today started out to be a good day to work outside -- if you're a fish. The weather did improve a bit as the day wore on.
Here are a handful of photos. Most everyone was busy working, so there wasn't much opportunity to take photos during the day.
First two photos were taken around 8 this morning. Joe (with assistance from Dana), was installing slanted sideboards to direct ballast on the southern half of flatcar 118 in the pouring rain.
A crew of six went out shortly after to Davis grade to lift and tamp the track where needed. The crew consisted of Joe Fox, Dana Deering, James Patten, Jay Barta, Ed Lecuyer and myself. Airman Big Joe (the tamper) went out first, followed by locomotive #52 and caboose #320 (to provide some shelter from the weather, if needed).
Sometime between 9.30 and 10, the rain ended for a while, making the morning more pleasant.
The rain set back in around 11.30, so it was a good time for lunch. After a good lunch courtesy of Stewart, Dana, Jay and I went back out to tamp, while Joe and Ed used 52 to assemble and bring out the rail gantry and flatcar 118. The rain had passed by then. While tamping was underway, a crew picked up most (if not all) the discarded ties along the east side of Davis grade using the gantry train.
As to Wayne's question, the west side ditch (cleaned by Mike earlier this season) was running well. The east side ditch was not, in part due to the discarded tie piles. This was noticed in the morning, which led to bringing out the gantry train to pick up the discarded ties. Apparently there had been a lot more rain overnight last night, as the ditches and streams were all running well. It also appears there has been a lot of rain over the last couple of weeks, as the turtle pond on the west side of the track on Davis grade has risen at least a foot since the fall work weekend. Wished I had time to get up to see Humason or Trout Brook today. I hope Stewart can get a sandbar photo of Trout Brook bridge.
The rest of my photos were at the end of the day.
At the north end of Davis grade around 3.30 p.m. The tamper had put in a busy day and we were nearly done using it. Joe, Dana and others were busy replacing a tie that had been rejected earlier this year. In the background, Brendan Barry had brought up #52 with ramp car #1015 to pick up the last of the discarded ties and other items that needed collection.
Joe helped spike the replacement tie, as Dana lifted the tie. Brendan looks on.
After the tie was installed, Big Joe tamped it, completing its work for the day. I thought Big Joe ran very well today.
The gantry flat back in Sheepscot, loaded with the discarded ties from Davis grade.
I left Sheepscot shortly after 4 p.m. for the drive back to Massachusetts. As I approached Wiscasset, the sun came out.
