April 2009 Work Weekend Progress

[Stephen Hussar]

More pictures from Sunday...

[James Patten]

Did they ever make steam-powered air compressors?

Stick some bicycle foot pedals on it, to make it go (slowly of course) plus a foot brake pedal to make it stop.  It needs a chair for the operator to sit in comfort.  Eventually we'll have to build a cab around it, and soundproof it like they do on the standard gauge engines.  Then it will be too hot in there with the window closed, so maybe a small amount of air from the compressor can be diverted for air conditioning.

I was thinking as I watched them work that it would be helpful to have some ballast being fed to the tamping site as the situation demands.  So add on a ballast feed mechanism.  Which means we need a supply of ballast!

Before we know it we'll have a track maintenance machine that will be the envy of narrow gauges across the US!

[Bill Reidy]

I understand "Big Joe" Tampiere forgot to sign out in the volunteer log book Sunday.  He wrapped up a little after 4 p.m.

Thanks to Dana, the kitchen crew, and everyone else who organized the work weekend.  It was a pleasure to participate, see friends and watch the museum grow.  Looking forward to getting up to the museum when I can over the summer, including the July work week, as well as the October work weekend.

- Bill

 

[Dwight Winkley]

Was at the museum today. Went to the end of the line and counted rail lenths

525 feet was tamped, lined, dressed and put in service.
360 feet was tamped, but not lined, Not in service.
270 feet had gravel fill put in low spots, jacked up and shovel tamped. Still needs ballast,

Out of the log book  Friday,     55 names in log book
                            Saterday, 78
                            Sunday,   52
                           

[Dave Buczkowski]

James;
   While operating "Big Joe" I was thinking how nice it would be to have a cup holder. BTW, Big joe is still in business. Unfortunately they have a new modernized logo that isn't as nice as our Big Joe.
Dave

[Dave Buczkowski]

And Steve, why can't my $135.00 camera take photos like yours. They look better than actually being there!
Dave

[Ken Fleming]

James, steam powered air compressors are called air pumps (LOL).  The Burlington Route (C.B.& Q.) had a R-Class Engine, 2-6-2, No. 2222 that had two extra compound air pumps mounted on the front of the smoke box.  They used it for work trains right up to the end of steam service.  Really needed for air dump cars they used in ditcher service.  I am sure other roads had an arrangement similar.  Of course back then tamping was Armstrong Powered.  Railroads used a lot air power in shops and roundhouses most supplied steam driven compressors.

[James Patten]

Now that I think about it my question about steam powered air compressors was rather stupid - after all, Bridgton 7 & 8 both have them!  Not to mention all the trains with air brakes in the steam era got their air from the locomotive.

So lets find a vertical boiler and air pump and stick it on the back of the tamper platform.  Although maybe the boiler shouldn't be on the same vehicle as the tamper because of the vibration..?

[Stephen Hussar]

This'll work... but I think you're right James, it's got to be on a separate platform! 

[Nyle Buxton]

 Lets forget the air compressor and use the stationary steam engine to run a mechanical tamper through a clutch.... just like a power punch press.

[Duncan Mackiewicz]

Just imagine how fast that fly wheel would be spinning in order to create the speed of an air tamper.  Wow!
Duncan

[Keith Taylor]

Actually, having the boiler on the platform might be a good idea. You would never have to shake the grates to get the ash down out of the fire!

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Thanks for the stats Dwight.  You could include Thursday as well.  While not an "official" work day, there were at least 5 people working on the tamper and more working on the shop building.  The crews got the tamper frame painted, planked over and more welding done on the arms. The new tamper platform allowed the air compresser to be loaded on the car Thursday afternoon.

 In addition, most of the old shop windows were removed and many nails pulled out of the T111.  The upper panels were removed to be ready for the installation of the new sheathing Friday morning.  This work allowed for a smooth start when the bigger crews arrived Friday.

Other projects from the weekend included the construction of the replica Prebles shelter (noted elsewhere), partial painting of the front and side of the shop extension, the installation of a solid granite door step on the east side of the shop, painting of the #2 handcar (the one with the original WW&F rocker handle) and the installation of a beautiful new TICKETS sign.  The sign was made by Bill R. and replaced the old rotten sign that was originally a one sided sign.

I really enjoyed working with everyone on the new shop wall, it was a great project.  Our motto was "Anything smaller than a 6X6 is just trim"   

[Dwight Winkley]

The last photo on page 2 (7th)  reminded me that I forgot to include two rail lenths in my tally list.  One and a half rail has ballast and it is tamped as a ramp to get down to the half rail with no ballast that has the ties resting on the ground.

We weren't sure how good a job the new tamper was doing. When we air tamp by hand we tamp the ends of the ties from the rail to the tie end. With the new tamper only one spot next to the rail is tamped three times. With the power up on the new tamper the tamping steels are going deeper. The lining crew learned how good a job the new tamper was doing when they tried to line the rail. Help! we need more men with lining bars.

[Wayne Laepple]

Well, that's quite an endorsement of Big Joe from Dwight. On the wide gauge, automatic tampers tamp only six inches or so on each side of the rail. The rest of the stone is there to provide drainage and support. If you go out and look at a location where the tamper has just passed, before the area is dressed off by a ballast regulator, you'll see the depressions in the ballast on either side of the rail left by the tamper, just like ours did.