Summer Work Weekend July 20 & 21 "Rock the Mountain" - CANCELLED

[Joe Fox]

With much left to do on the mountain we are going to coordinate a Summer Work Weekend to finish ballast a few areas on the mountain that have been lifted and need more ballast, as well as try to do more tamping. Other work that needs to be done is we also need to line the track to its final location. If time and crew permits we can look into doing prep work for the Fall Work Weekend. I am sure there will be a project or two at the shop that will require some help, but overall our primary focus is the Mountain in an effort to ensure it is ready for many rail laying trains this fall.

Thank you everyone for all your hard work during the Spring Work Weekend, and hope to see many of you for the Summer Work Weekend.

Joe

[Fred Morse]

We could use a half dozen summer weekends this year with all the projects.

[Wayne Laepple]

Perhaps it might be time to consider a weeklong "Summer Rail Camp" like the Cumbres & Toltec and a few other places do. I know of one place here in Pennsylvania that's doing a "Work Camp" next week to complete a major track project.

[Fred Morse]

Sounds great Wayne! With building an addition to the car barn, a lot of help will be needed.

[Wayne Laepple]

It's probably too late to plan and execute a Summer Work Week this year, but it should receive at least some discussion as part of the planning for 2020 and 2021, particularly with regard to finishing up the Mountain Extension project by mid-summer 2021. I'm on board if it happens! But it doesn't look like I can get to the Rock the Mountain event this year.

[Joe Fox]

Target goal is to have the Mountain open by Memorial Day 2021. If we can stay on track with our goals, here is the tenative schedule;

Summer Work Weekend 2019 Finish the final ballasting on the Mountain.

Fall Work Weekend 2019 build 2,000' or so of track to reach our temporary ending point.

Spring Work Weekend 2020 - ballast the track built during the Fall Work Weekend and or cut in the run around switch.

Fall Work Weekend 2020 - build run around track, add track as needed, and ballast if time permits.

Spring Work Weekend 2021 - tamp and finish ballasting the mountain as needed.

Some work may need to be done on select days and or on an extra Work Weekend or two. But in all, I fully estimate we can be ready for opening by Mid May of 2021. Of course this will be largely subjective to our man power efforts on Work Weekends.

[Paul Uhland]

Cumbres and Toltec Friends have been around for 20+ years, have a couple thousand members from across the US and overseas. A few hundred show up for six or seven weeklong  spring/summer work sessions, occasional short ones;  work on buildings, rebuild freight cars, MOW and some passenger equipment; do landscaping, ROW clearing; do not do locomotives, most passenger cars, trackwork.

Have taken part in the past.

[Joseph Lupinski]

Joe realize how important getting the mainline fixed is and finishing up ballast work is on mountain and can try and make it up there for a Sat.  Sadly work keeps me busy during the week.  if anyone else from southern NH or MA area wants to commute up?

[Ed Lecuyer]

if anyone else from southern NH or MA area wants to commute up?

A fair number of regulars commute up from Southern NH and Mass. I'm in Manchester, NH. PM me if you want to carpool on a Saturday. I don't go up every weekend; roughly twice a month.

[Paul Uhland]

When you guys complete this work schedule through 2021 you will undoubtedly earn the respect and admiration of shortline and tourist rail  followers everywhere!
If I was healthier, I'd take the Jet Blue redeye,  Abq-JFK  nonstop, make my way to WW&F Land, visit my cuz in Rockport, MA also.

Go for it!!

[Joe Fox]

We have many volunteers during weekdays already and some who come up for a week or more through out the summer and anyone is always welcome to help any time.

If the summer work weekend works out well, maybe we can host future summer work weekend parties for other track projects. I know in years past we held a summer work week where volunteers got together and cut most of the main line during the week. The larger we get, the more important it is for us to continue to keep up with maintenance of our railroad.

[John Kokas]

I would suggest that our BOD authorize a survey, (via forum is OK), to determine the best week(s) / weekends in the summer to have a work week/end.  IMHO the best scenario would be to have a workweek bookended by a weekend before and weekend after thereby giving the weekend crowd a choice of 2 weekend or either one.  This provides a bit more flexibility and also lengthens the time allowed to get some big jobs done as one would expect smaller attendance than we would have for a SWW or FWW.

[Wayne Laepple]

For a trackwork event, the best bet would be to do it during the week. That way the work crew does not have to constantly close up the work and clear for trains.. I would find it very frustrating to go out to change ties or surface track and have to start and stop work several times each day.

[Joe Fox]

For now, work will focus on the mountain. And though it can be frustrating there are ways to work around trains and enjoy a break from the back breaking work.

[Bill Reidy]

Bumping this thread, since we are now three weeks away from the work event.  Just to remind folks who are making their July plans...