Sheepscot Turntable - Official Work Thread

[Mike Fox]

And now, a safety observation. Never, never, never pull on the table or handle to move it. ALWAYS push. If you should loose your footing while pulling on the table, it will be on you before it stops. If you slip while pushing, you will be in the clear of the table movement.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Good advice Mike. 

The last thing today: Joe and I added spikes at the joint bars on the bridge rails.  The bars are notched so we spiked through the notches which holds the bars in place.  The joints are in the center of the bridge so temp changes won't bother, spiking keeps the rails from creeping on the stringers when the engine brakes or throttles.

[Gordon Cook]

And now, a safety observation. Never, never, never pull on the table or handle to move it. ALWAYS push. If you should loose your footing while pulling on the table, it will be on you before it stops. If you slip while pushing, you will be in the clear of the table movement.

Excellent and timely thought, Mike.  Thanks.
It's not always obvious that the big thing swaying on the hoist or moving down the track won't stop when it encounters your foot or head. Until it hits you.

[Joe Fox]

https://youtu.be/11x9ixuzb-c

First spin on the table.

[Joe Fox]

First steps (wheels) on the table.

https://youtu.be/mmR2lTqB-a0

[Marcel Levesque]

Harry would be proud.

[Glenn Christensen]

AMEN Marcel!

Best Regards,
Glenn

[Charlie Lacasse]

That was so awesome!!! thanx for posting the photos and the links to the vids. Some more great history in the making. I wish I had been able to be there and see it in person. :-)

[Bill Sample]

I'll guess that this is the first spin for #9 since its final ride on the Wiscasset table in the '1930s.

[Chuck Watford]

Harry would be proud.

I think Alice Ramsdell would be, too. #9 sure looks good on that table!

[Brendan Barry]

Jason's pictures from Saturday.













Some more from Joe.

[Bob Springs]

Will the turntable get a 360 degree outer rail or will it only have the outer rail at the "business end" as now?

[Ed Lecuyer]

We need to put this in a "FAQ" somewhere; but it keeps coming up in so many different places...

A 360 degree outer rail is not necessary. Once the locomotive centered is on the bridge, the weight is born completely by the spider wheel. Since there are no tracks on the south side of the table (nor are there likely ever to be any) there is no need to put in the rail there. Moreover, this is the same practice used on the original turntables in Wiscasset and Albion - the outer ring was only present where the tracks came into the circle.

[Paul Uhland]

Here's an idea...
build a 'curb' out of old ties,  maybe two courses high, pegged through with long rebar, along the turntable's swing, around to both ring wall ends.
It will--
*block driving or working in  the 'table's working area.
*keep dirt from washing into the 'pit'.
*maybe satisfy those who want to see an un-needed, full ring wall.
*look cool.

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

The photo on page 221 of Jones' edition of "The Maine Two-Footers"
seems to show a curb all the way around the turntable pit - but not a ring rail.

If the curb is 1 tie high it would not be hard to step back out after turning the bridge.
Going down is a lot easier.
If 2 ties high set a short section back a tie width to make a step for us old geezers.