August 2020 Work Reports

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Wow ! Talk about a stunning work on a dazzling tank. Amazing restoration it'll look great in a freight consist. Bravo!!!

[Bob Holmes]

Stellar job, Catherine.  And not an easy one to do that well!

[Pete "Cosmo" Barrington]

FANTASTIC!
It looks like a full-color version of the photos from "BUSTED AND STILL RUNNING" !!

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday August 8:

* Picnic: nothing like picnics of the last several years, but we had sold out trains.  Nancy Weeks did the food assisted by Cindy.
* Pavilion: Jeff Verney dug out a hole for the last two post foundations (which were poured two weeks ago) and helped placed them.  Then Mike, Dwight and I put up all the remaining posts (minus two - one is broken and we need an extra one) and put up the header on the posts for the entrance.

Here's a picture of the 1:00 train taken from Alna Center.

[Bill Reidy]

Here's a picture of the 1:00 train taken from Alna Center.

For some reason I don't see James' photo embedded in his post.  In case others are experiencing the same, I think this is a direct link to his photo:  https://imgur.com/vskdDPu

Thanks James.

[James Patten]

I fixed the embedded image.

[Mike Fox]

Bob Longo passed these images along of the 5pm train to MP8..and also included this text

"Five o'clock train on Saturday. Dana and Joe engineer and fireman. I (Bob Longo) was running 52 waiting at the bottom of the mountain in case 9 needed a push, it did not. Fun was had by all"

[Jeff Schumaker]

Great to see it was a sunny day. Great day for a train ride.

Jeff S.

[Joe Fox]

Would like to lead a track crew Saturday, 8/15 to change a rail, and lift some low spots on the mountain. Shovel tamp as needed.

[Stephen Lennox]

Anticipated work for Tuesday 11 August and Wednesday 12 August 2020

Tuesday:

*  Rail joint bar repair and bolt tightening.
*  Retrieve flat car and stage for loading SS.
*  Prep work for Saturday Track work (see Joe Fox post)
*  Prep for up coming TOM work  (clean up, rail crossing)
*  Coach #3 work (pending).
*  Yard switching.

Wednesday:

*  Tie pick up along main line.
*  Coach #3 work (pending)
*  Continue prep for TOM
*  Move sprayer to a car barn lead.

Note:  Looking for volunteers Saturday for track crew detail.

[John McNamara]

A possible addition to "Anticipated work for Tuesday 11 August and Wednesday 12 August 2020:
* Check area mowed and trimmed at SS and AC to find and mark where phone line was cut.

[Mike Fox]

Between the station and the pumphouse at SS, the line is on top od the ground and I noticed the area was bush hogged. Recently. I would check the first box north to see if that is it.. Wanted to bury that last section but was eay too wet the last few times when I was in the area with the Kubota

[Stephen Lennox]

John we will check it out for you, Mike thank you for the location, that will save time.

[Mike Fox]

If I had to guess that is where, but could be almost anywhere

[John McNamara]

I am always fearful when I read that mowing and trimming as occurred, as phone line damage is likely. Despite my purchase and trial of various test apparatus, the most reliable fault finding is done by visual examination of the line. Fortunately, the exposed areas are a relatively small percentage of the total mileage, and almost all are along the tree line on the east side of the R-O-W. The best people to so this are the mowers/trimmers, as they know the territory. ("Gotta know the territory, gotta know the territory" (the Music Man). Here's my plan:

• Have the mowers/trimmers review the territory they worked, looking for line damage.
  
• Mark suspect spots with a yellow-tipped grade stake. I bought some stakes and stored them in the last stall of the garage.
  
  • If the line is gray well wire (UFB), I can splice it. If it's black Telco 6-pair, I'll need assistance.
    
  • After repairs are complete, leave stakes in place, add more.
    
    • Where there are lots of stakes, bury the wire or install water pipe sleeving over it.