Sheepscot Turntable - Official Work Thread

[Ira Schreiber]

No wonder I am having problems.
I cut three times and measure once.

[Mike Fox]

I was asked this past weekend by a guest what the grid was for. So I started telling him about the turntable. He was still baffled as to the need for the grid work. It was obvious to me pretty quick that no matter what I said, this guy was going to have something to say about it. So after describing how large the center pivot was going to be, he again questioned the need for such gridwork. I then told him that a bridge company reviewed the blueprints and we were following their recommendations. Again he questioned it. So my final answer was we only wanted to do it once.

Then he looked at the wood beams, and asked what they wre for. Again I explained the turntable. To which he said something about how those were made of steel and how using wood was only going to attract insects. So I told him it was Doug Fir, and there would be plenty of preservative to keep the bugs from bothering.

Then he started to ask about the forms..

[John McNamara]

There are almost as many experts in railroading as there are ties, and trying to talk to either produce similar results.

[Stephen Piwowarski]

From his response it sounds like he wan't really familiar with what we are trying to do. Maybe he didn't understand the overall concept. Wouldn't be bad to have a sign with some drawings explaining the overall concept of the project. If he understood that the original was wood and we were building a replica of an original design that does not exist anymore, perhaps he's be more receptive.   

[Bill Baskerville]

Perhaps a few laminated pictures of the original and the design placed in the little house would offer a good place to send people to explain what we are doing.  Although, in this case, it might not have helped.

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

For some people there is a disconnect between input and out put.
Even if you plugged one ear there would be no retention.
You wonder where their keepers are.

[Mike Fox]

I like that response Carl. Tried explaining we were replicating one originally on the line. Pictures would be a great help, because that is the easiest way to explain what you are doing. Not tell them, show them.

And then I pointed to the future roundhouse...

[Brendan Barry]

More turntable work.

One set of main beams has been stacked up on their sides to be marked and drilled for bolts that hold the beams together.





Cross members are being cut to length.







First batch of cross members had their first coat of wood preservative applied today.



Moving timbers around for cutting.

[Terry W. Shirley]

That chainsaw attachment is cool. I never knew it was available for a Skilsaw.

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

What are you using for Green Treating?

[Brendan Barry]

What are you using for Green Treating?

 Copper Naphthenate

[Bill Baskerville]

I see someone painted the tractor with Copper Napthenate also.

[Brendan Barry]

More turntable progress.

Rebar plan with the different foundation areas marked.



Rebar panels for the concrete beams that connect the center bearing support and the retaining wall / ring rail support in front of the roundhouse area.



Rebar hoops bent up that tie into the panels above.



Rebar cage for the center bearing done.



The third bundle of rebar the pieces of the left are whats left of the second bundle.



Cutting the last of the cross beams.



Every cross beam is getting three coats of wood preservative along with the main stringers. The turntable won't stay green after a couple months the  wood will weather a shade of brown.

[Steve Smith]

Thanks so much for these progress shots Brendan.

Say, I just noticed that the preservative color goes quite well with Harry's roof!

[Brendan Barry]

More rebar was cut and bent today. I believe we only have one more set of hoops to bend up.