March 2011 Work Planning

[James Patten]

Anticipated work on March 5:

* We have a charter on Saturday, starting at 1.  Whatever ice and snow there is on the tracks, platforms, walkways, etc must be shoveled or sanded.  They need access to the car shop for tours, to the house for bathrooms, to the gift shop to spend money(!).
* If the charter gets cancelled for whatever reason, there's #9 frame work to do.

[James Patten]

The charter is still on for Saturday.  Steve reports that they tried plowing earlier this week and managed to get to the first crossing (Jayne's Way) but that was it.  Jason said tonight we'll try a double-headed plow train again Saturday.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

More of the yard including the main was shoveled this week and the rails melted off in the sun.  The run around track was plowed today.  The forecast for Saturday is cloudy with temps around 40 and a chance of snow flurries. 

[James Patten]

Work done on March 5:

Saturday dawned cloudy and drizzly - with the drizzle occasionally turning into light rain, and occasionally stopping.  The diesel went out with the plow about 8, and managed to reach Sutter's Xing, which was covered in about 4 inches of ice.  A couple of repeated backups and forwards would create gigantic wet slushballs, which were shoveled from in front of the plow when it got too big.  52 returned about 9, then went out with 10 and the caboose filled with shovelers.  Davis then Sutter Xing were shoveled/chipped.  Then the train backed up aways, left the caboose behind, and started plowing out Cockeye curve.  At 11 the train returned to Sheepscot.

After lunch Jason thought he could continue breaking open the line, so he left with other shovelers.  Meanwhile the charter train was readied.  The charter arrived slightly before 1, and at 1 the first train left.  By this time Jason had broken though to Sheepscot Mills.  By the time the train returned and left again, he'd gotten through to Alna Center.

After the charter left everything was put away.  I think everyone was tired but happy the charter worked out.

[Mike Fox]

A special thanks should go to our friends from North of the border. They asked to remain nameless, but the family of four from Quebec was instrumental at getting Jason motivated enough to try plowing again. It was worth every bit of effort we put into it. There is almost a sceince at snow removal, and once you figure out what works best at the time, it is easy to keep going. Until you get to Ice. That pretty much stops you. Photos to follow.

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for March 12:

* Board meeting Friday night
* Zack's going to be working at putting a jig together to hold up #9's frame pieces until they get attached.
* We may be able to go back to tree cutting - the rain from Sunday/Monday and the rain coming on Friday will probably leave not much snow behind.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Last week two loads of eight foot ties were delivered to Sheepscot.  They are sitting on top of the snow piles at the north end of the parking lot.  Sometime this month (or next month) they should be sorted, cut and stacked.  They are in a good location to be used on the spur when we build to where the turntable and roundhouse will be built.

[James Patten]

Work done on March 12:

* The picnic tables were flipped up against the tree, and are now pretty safe from Attack of the Killer Ties.
* Trees on the western end of the parking lot were cut.
* A diesel engine mechanic visited to inspect #52's engine.  Prognosis good.

[John McNamara]

* A diesel engine mechanic visited to inspect #52's engine.  Prognosis good.

Did the "doctor" have any treatment recommendations?

[James Patten]

The "doctor" recommended replacing many of the hoses, and giving it a good steam bath.  He and Jason will be talking if they haven't already.

[James Patten]

Anticipated work Saturday March 19:

* Tree cutting.  Eric Larsen would like some help with burning tree piles near the river (and if you have a leaf blower it will help it burn).  There's also the trees at the north end of the parking lot to cut.
* Zack will be working on a jig or some kind of other support to set up #9's frames.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Wear boots if you are coming to cut trees.  There is still about a foot of snow in the woods and in some places there is 4-6" of water under the snow. 

[Eric Larsen]

A leaf blower is needed so if someone has one, let us know.  No electric ones unless it runs off of your sig lighter!   

[James Patten]

Also there's a Home & Garden show at the Damariscotta YMCA this weekend, with a woodturning demonstration Saturday at 1 and 3, and Sunday at 11.  I'm going to attempt to make the Saturday 3 PM showing, if anyone's interested.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Progress at the museum today -  A couple of members started this morning to pull 3 new cables for the feed to the freight shed.   The cables were stretched out across bays 1,2 and 3 of the shop floor and over the ground to the east wall of the freight shed.  This was done to make sure we had the right length for the conduit.  With the measuring complete everything was pulled back to the west side of bay 3 to prep for pulling the cables into the pipe that Josh R. installed.  The cables (including 2 data and a voice line) were in a pile that was getting caught on everything including the Brookville.  While untangling the mess we heard a truck pull in out front.  It was member Brendan Barry, stopping by on his lunch break.  He saw what we were doing and volunteered to crawl under the freight shed and pull the cables through the pipe.  Brendan saved the day.  Two of us straightened the cables and fed them into the pipe while Brendon pulled them with the pull string.  The new lines were pulled in about 1/2 hour.  Things went so well we decided to finish pulling the voice line into the freight house terminal and to the phone system in the machine shop.  Tomorrow will be re-wiring day for the station and freight house phones.  The gift shop phone extension will be 301 (or 0) and the station will be 302.  The old rotary dial phone will remain in the station in case the power is out. 

While working on the wiring we tested the answering machine in the station.  It wouldn't pick up so Steve Z. donated a nearly new (combo) fax machine / answering machine.  The new machine is set up in the office and Steve has the instructions to get messages.  Thanks to everyone who helped today, especially Brendan and Steve!