Some photos from today (Saturday, May 11th):
We need more wood split and stacked, Fred.
Oh, nevermind. Dave Buczkowski and Fred Morse stack some of the last split wood on the overflow pile near the three-way switch at Sheepscot.
Earlier this week, Bill Baskerville asked me to get a few photos of locomotive No. 52 with its new handrails installed. Bill had fabricated the handrails a while back, and someone/some people installed the hand rails during Spring Work Weekend. Thank you Bill and the installers for this safety improvement to 52.
In shop bay 3, locomotive No. 10's smokebox has been placed on the lathe to secure it while drilling work is underway.
Meanwhile, No. 10's frame and cab rest at the north end of bay 3, with a sign about No. 10's restoration for the public.
This past week, Brendan Barry worked on drainage on the west side of our car barn. The drainage ditch has been lowered a few feet and a culvert reset lower under the woods track. Material piled to the left of the ditch will form the roadbed for our new ramp/exhibition track that will come out between our garage and restrooms building.
The view from the north end of the car barn showing a portion of the woods track removed to accommodate the repositioned culvert. A stub switch will be installed over the culvert to branch the new ramp/exhibition track off to the left of the woods track.
This past week, the shop crew bolted and riveted the frog to be used on the new stub switch on the woods track.
Regarding today's trains, engineer James Patten wanted No. 9 to be turned to face north, so the engineer's position would be on the east side of the train and he could have better visibility to the platforms at Sheepscot and Alna Center. Today we held our first Mother's Day Tea, with tables set up on the east side of the track at Alna Center. Here No. 9 is centered on the turntable before it is turned to face north.
No. 9 has been turned to face north, now all set for the day.
The recently delivered Franklin & Megantic coach on the turntable lead at the Sheepscot lower yard. Brian Fanslau (Maine Locomotive & Machine Works) has performed a handsome restoration of this car.
WW&F coach No. 3 and the Franklin & Magentic coach were set out on the turntable lead in the morning for use on the noon and 1.30 p.m. trains. Moms and families were seated in the two coaches for the ride to Alna Center and later return.
In the afternoon, No. 9 handled a four car train consisting of WW&F No. 3, the F&M coach, MLMW open car No. 120 and WW&F coach No. 8.
WW&F No. 3 and the F&M coach out on the main at Sheepscot.
As Mike noted, the Percival House well pump was replaced today. Here Zack Wyllie, Mike Fox and Leon Weeks work on installation of the new pump mid-afternoon.
A couple of notes:
-- Yes, that's the sun visible in today's photos. Clear days have been a rare treat this spring.
-- I'm glad James got a photo of the Mother's Day Tea setup at Alna Center. Families I spoke with enjoyed the event. Steve P. did a nice job organizing the event.