March 2012 work planning

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday March 17 (St. Paddy's day!):

* #9: I've heard that Rick and Paul will be up again for the weekend, so this weekend looks to be another one of fitting and attaching items to the frame. 
* #65: Probably painting, and boarding.
* Track: I'm hoping to run a track crew using Big Joe.  So we'll probably need to spend a couple of hours getting the compressor running and making sure all the machinery is working.

[Mike Fox]

Add removal and machining of North Coupler of #65 to you list. May require lifting a floorboard or 2 and If lifted with the crane will be blocked up on the truck.

[James Patten]

Regarding #9: it's not this weekend but the following weekend that Rick and Paul are up.  So Jason is at the Museum on Saturday, not Sunday.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

30 Seconds over Sheepscot -

This week Jason and Jonathan got the pillow blocks, cross rod and reverse link installed on #9's frame.

RC4 was inspected and the leaking oil sight glass repaired.  The oil was changed and the railcar taken out on a test run to EoT and back. 

Car 65 received more work with interior sheathing installed on two sides.  The southwest (side) wall is done and most of the south end is done.     

Stewart

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday March 17:

* #65: Mike removed the north coupler and removed some material from the rear so that it would swing easier.  When it was put it back it then moved side to side much easier.  Stewart kept working on the inside boards.
* Big Joe: One of the angle irons was removed and a sliding pipe arrangement was installed which greatly stiffened the whole arrangement.  Some other stiffeners were welded to it.  In the afternoon it was taken out and used in tamping up the ties that were replaced last week.
* #9: Ed G was working on something
* Lunch: Cindy and Brigid gave us a New England Boiled Dinner in honor of St Paddy's Day.
* Jason and I discussed the next timetable and planning for the drill and rules reviews.
* I took RC 4 out to get the new length of the railroad after the work done last Fall.  Mike actually walked the wheel from Rosewood to the end.  The track is actually 2.47 miles long.

Today was the Alna Town Meeting, so Steve and Stewart disappeared for much of the afternoon

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for weekend of March 24:

* #9: I say "weekend" because I think Rick and Paul will be up, working both Saturday and Sunday on #9.  Jason will be there with them on Sunday.  I'm assuming there will be work on the frame, but there may also be work in preparing the boiler to be jacked up and supported with tie cribs.
* #65: More painting, interior boarding.
* Track: With Big Joe all welded up ready to go, I'm taking a track crew out to work on track north of Davis Curve in the morning.  Might also go in the PM if there is interest.

[Joe Fox]

If everything is ready to be put back together on the 10, I hope to work on that tomorrow, and get it all ready to go for the Easter event. I will call Jason tonight and see what else needs to be done, such as last minute valve lapping, etc. but anyone interested in getting dirty is welcome to join. However, I plan on leaving the drain plugs/hand hole covers out as well.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

30 Seconds over Sheepscot -

This week more work was done on #9's main frame by Jonathon and Jason.

Zack built the first set of doors for Car 65.  The interior sheathing was completed and more than half of it was painted with primer.

Vern got all the information to fabricate the rungs for Car 65's side ladders.

John R. brought the latest newsletter (March/April) They will be mailed Monday.

Stewart  

[James Patten]

Work done on March 24:

* #65: Zack finished building the doors and started installing them.  The east set of doors were on by the end of the day.  They look really nice.
* #9: Led by Mike, the boiler was lifted off the floor gradually with cribbing being put under as it went up.  The smokebox of the boiler is now about 6 feet in the air and the firebox is 4 feet high.  Rick worked on removing the heads of the bolts tying the two frame pieces together from the inside of the frame, so that the boiler would fit.  When I left, the rear frame was being jacked to meet the boiler, with mixed results.  Some rivet heads will need to be ground down a little.
* Lunch was chicken soup by Cindy and Brigid.
* #10: Joe was working on lapping valves.
* Clean up: Joe and Fred took a trip up the line to clean up ties, including the ties we replaced two weeks ago.  They are on a flatcar at the end of track with a "Free" sign on them.

[Dave Buczkowski]

James;
Aren't you concerned someone will think the flatcar is included?

[Fred Morse]

The sign says Free Ties. All the other free ties near the parking lot have been taken. If these ties are not taken this week we'll probably put them where the others were. These's still one more pile just North of the trestle and the big pile of trash. Hope we can get it all cleand up this spring.

[Joe Fox]

And this small project has drastically improved the overall appearance of the trestle area. Thanks to Fred wanting to get this area cleaned up, it looks a lot better, and makes the railroad look better.

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday March 31:

* Clean up: Some boy scouts will be on the property from 9 - 11 as part of a service project, we'll be doing some clean up around the property.  I don't know exactly what that means, but a train trip might be involved.
* #65: See Zack and Stewart
* #9: See Jason

[Fred Morse]

Steve Z. and I talked about cutting up the dry wood for the steam engine and having the scouts put it on a car and stacking it between the tracks near where the engine is fired up. A train ride is also a possible.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

35 Seconds over Sheepscot -

Steve Z. and Cindy took Easter train flyers to a bunch of businesses along Rt 1 from Wiscasset to Damariscotta.

Most of the BoD election ballot envelopes got stuffed.  Look for a ballot in your mailbox next week.

Jonathan did more machine work on #9's frame/brake mounts.

Zack installed the steel door sills on Car 65 and the rest of the interior sheathing (except doors) got primer.  Tomorrow we plan to build the other set of doors and hang them on the car.

Stewart