Sheepscot Passenger Platform Reconstruction - Official Work Thread

[Bill Reidy]

Alluded to elsewhere, a project is now underway to provide a firmer foundation for the Sheepscot Station buildings and rearrange platforms for better guest flow during popular events.  A few Tuesday photos.

A temporary giftshop for winter events is being set up in Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes combine No. 14.  A view from the partially disassembled station platform looking into No. 14.


Inside No. 14 Tuesday morning.


A view inside the gift shop building, with Cindy Rhine and Randy Beach discussing the project. 


The largely disassembled platform.  A temporary platform ramp has been set up on the turntable lead track in the lower yard for our winter event passengers.

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

Will the platform be  extended North so the train does not have to be shuttled to free the engine
for the run around?

Inquiring minds and all that.

Darn auto correct

Happy Thanksgiving

[Ed Lecuyer]

Yes, the platform will be extended about 100' north. Everything is being placed on new pilings, and the platform lowered so to match the step on the coaches (and not the coach platform). The handicap access ramp (and main boarding flow) will be on the east side of the Sheepscot station building, so that check-in can be done via Sheepscot station's ticket window (across from the gift shop door.)

Finally, parts of the mainline will be planked over, to allow the siding to be used for passenger operations - which will be very handy on days when two train sets are in operation or other special circumstances.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

On the pic of the gift shop above something has puzzled me a lot. Above the door at the back of the room there is a  triangular roadsign with a dark blue Mogul on it. Obviously this isn't an American roadsign but a French one. I wonder how you've got it.

[Bill Baskerville]

On the pic of the gift shop above something has puzzled me a lot. Above the door at the back of the room there is a  triangular roadsign with a dark blue Mogul on it. Obviously this isn't an American roadsign but a French one. I wonder how you've got it.

Good catch Alain.  Now my curiosity is up also.

[Bob Holmes]

Great idea to put the platform at step level.  That's a tricky gap to navigate from platform to platform, esp for small kids and older folks (like me!).

Bob

[Bill Reidy]

With the lower platform, how will guests in wheelchairs enter the cars?  Will the portable metal ramp still work?

[Ed Lecuyer]

With the lower platform, how will guests in wheelchairs enter the cars?  Will the portable metal ramp still work?

There will be a wheelchair ramp at baggage-door level installed at the north end of the new platform.

[Bill Baskerville]

With the lower platform, how will guests in wheelchairs enter the cars?  Will the portable metal ramp still work?

There will be a wheelchair ramp at baggage-door level installed at the north end of the new platform.

Interesting.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

On the pic of the gift shop above something has puzzled me a lot. Above the door at the back of the room there is a  triangular roadsign with a dark blue Mogul on it. Obviously this isn't an American roadsign but a French one. I wonder how you've got it.

Good catch Alain.  Now my curiosity is up also.

In France that roadsign warns a driver that he is nearing a grade level without any barrier and that he will only meet a crossbuck and  mostly a Stop signal by the track. Here is a pic of that signal in the late 60's and a train of AMTP with two ex TPT boxcars. I wish anybody could satisfy my curiosity  and Bill's one in the process about that French roadsign hanging in the gift shop.

[Jeff Schumaker]

I'm sure someone at the museum knows how it was obtained.

Jeff S.

[Benjamin Richards]

I was going to write, "That's just a generic Vienna Convention sign" but I went and checked, and it turns out every country has their own variation on the image. Some ten-wheelers, some 0-6-0's, some 0-8-0's, etc. And the one in the gift shop is definitely the French one. The locomotive silhouette is black, instead of dark blue.

Alas, I don't know where it came from. 

[John McNamara]

With the lower platform, how will guests in wheelchairs enter the cars?  Will the portable metal ramp still work?

How will the lower platform affect access to the gift shop (single door and multi-door)?
-John M

[Ed Lecuyer]

The gift shop / freight shed will be lowered to match the new platform height. Sheepscot Station will be getting a step, as it's pilings are independent of the platform and are in good shape.

[Jeff Schumaker]

What will be the process of lowering the freight shed?

Jeff S.