W.W.&F. Discussion Forum
WW&F Railway Museum Discussion => Work and Events => Topic started by: James Patten on November 15, 2010, 10:12:48 AM
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There's been some discussion in the past about having a winter work weekend, similar to the the spring and fall work weekends, where a bunch of people show up in the winter to cut and burn trees, etc. This would be a three day event, Saturday to Monday on a holiday weekend.
My question to those on the group is this: is this something you'd attend? When should we have it? How intense should it be?
As for when, there's Martin Luther King weekend in January, or President's Weekend in February. Those are the only winter holidays that fall on a weekend with any reliability.
The idea would be to have a lot of people show up to help with cutting trees on the right of way for future track laying. This entails cutting the trees down, cutting up the branches, and throwing the branches into a fire (plus some people to help get the fire going in the morning, and watching the fire(s) at the end of the day). It would likely mean hiking in a ways (possibly in deep snow) to the cutting site. It also means cold weather and the potential for snow at the wrong time.
I'm asking because our stalwart tree cutters, Fred and Zack, are no longer physically able to start at 7 and go until 2 with the chainsaws, or throwing wood on a pile, and so forth, so we need younger people to do this. It would enable us to get much more ROW cut off at one time.
Let me know what you think.
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In case anyone gets "cold feet" about such work...
I have participated in this activity many times over the last several years. While I suppose the conditions could be extreme, every time I have done it I have had a great time... and the bonfire(s) from the burning brush are more than enough to keep you really toasty. More often than not, I find that I have overdressed for the weather, and peel off a layer or two during the day.
It's also my daughter's (Emily) favorite railroad work activity... and something she can actually help with by gathering brush and throwing it on the fire.
I don't have a preference when a specific weekend were to be held for this.
That having been said, I'm not sure where we would be planning on clearing this year... maybe some details/potential sites James?
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All;
I too look forward to winter railroading even if it's "cuttin' and burnin'". Once the fire gets going and you start hauling branches you're down to your shirtsleeves within a half hour - even if it's 11 degrees. My preference would be for MLK weekend since it's been on my and HWMNBN schedule to be at the Museum since I can remember. We'd have to find a open motel though.
It was my boys' favorite day because what's more fun than watching big trees felled and then burning them in a huge bonfire or two!
Dave
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There's been no discussions at the museum about where we would clear, other than squaring off the parking lot and thinning out the trees on the land north of the lot.
Options are a) on the ROW north of Rt 218, between 218 and the Head Tide Road, b) ROW south of 218, between that and the stream, and c) north south of the stream but below the really big washout (which we don't have access to).
Motels are a concern. There's probably one or two in Boothbay Harbor, Brunswick, and maybe even Wiscasset/Edgecomb that are open in the winter. Believe it or not there's really nothing of mention in Newcastle/Damariscotta any more. There's also B&Bs.
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I *think* the Schooner Inn (behind the Chinese Food Restaurant) in Wiscasset remains open in the winter... I stayed there once and seem to remember it being during a cut/burn session.
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Winter work is lots of fun, and you get to feel as if you had been transported back in time more than 100 years as you view a swath of cleared land covered in snow. My only caution would be to wear clothes that you don't mind having full of holes, as the air is full of burning embers. I recall wearing an old coat with a hood and smelling burning nylon. It took a little while to realize that a couple of embers had landed in the hood behind my head :o
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You know that I will vote for option A.... :-X
However, it would be nice to clear the small remaining area where the trestle will be built at Trout Brook. That would not require a big "work weekend" but if it were done it would finish off that streach from the brook to 218. Then we could get it graded and maintain it far more easily!
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The Cod Cove Inn (Edgecomb) may have a few rooms open in Jan - Feb. That's where I stayed when I came up for Clarissa's memorial service a few years ago. We had a clearing party that weekend and there were a lot of members helping cut and burn trees in the parking lot area. Much was accomplished. As Ed said, it was cold when we started but much warmer in a couple of hours when the sun got higher and the fires were going strong. It's one of the more enjoyable jobs in the Winter.
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I'm sure the kitchen crew could prepare some good hot New England meals at noontime.
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Thanks to Ira for some of these:
Schooner Inn (Wiscasset) appears to be open in the Winter.
Cod Cove Inn (Edgecomb, overlooking the Sheepscot) IS open in the winter.
Sheepscot Harbor Village Resort (where Bintliff's Restaurant was) is open in the winter.
Brunswick has: Knights Inn (formerly Mainline), Days Inn, Travelers Inn, Fairfield Inn; all of which I am sure are open in Winter.
Bath has Holiday Inn
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Either weekend could probably work for me, as both Mondays are company holidays for me. My preference would be MLK weekend.
- HWMNBN
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IF I can get up there when I get a paid house hunting/job hunting trip I'm game for playing in the snow. ;D
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I have added a poll to this thread. Please vote.
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Vote early, vote often...
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Does President's day coincide with February vacation for the schools? In thinking that the RR will need to be opened for early March (charter), perhaps if the RR were open for a mid-February work weekend, a public winter operating day could be included as something to do for kids on vacation. I stop short of saying winter "event," as I don't want any production labor costs beyond opening the RR, which we have to do anyway. Further, RR transporation for wood-cutting crews may be handy if cutting anywhere outside the immediate area of either station (that may not be relevant this year anyway...).
Jason
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I believe President's Day does coincide with school vacations.
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I added another option to the poll, because I didn't find a category that best fit my vote. (Which is that the date doesn't matter at all to me, and MLK/Pres. weekend is no different than any other.)
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After a Christmas holiday and New Years holiday we should be ready to do lots of tree cutting and burning brush by MLK birthday. This first winter work weekend,I think, should be finishing cleaning up around the parking lot and a lot of small evergreen trees near where the new sidings will be. Of course if there is little snow we could work about anywhere.
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Looks like I may be able to do at least MLK weekend, maybe both if we get really ambitious.
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Of course I am willing to work any weekend I can, but can not commit to any particular weekend. Weather permitting with me. So much to do if and when it snows....
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Hampton Inn and Suites here in Thomaston is open year round, and has Applebees a stones throw to its side and a multi movie Flagship cinema right behind it ,walking distance from the inn. Thomaston is 35 minutes to the North on RT 1< another 5 minutes brings you to the Maine Eastern Railroad roundhouse in Rockland,Gman.
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After discussion at tonight's board meeting, the results are in.
We will be having our first winter work weekend on President's Weekend. The reason it's President's Weekend is that we have a charter on first Saturday of March, so some of the crew will spend a portion of one of the days clearing out the railroad. It's also the beginning of school vacation week. Crews will be:
* cutting trees, sounds like mostly thinning the fur tree herd on the Boudin parcel (which has the added benefit of showing us more of the lay of the land).
* if we can get enough carpenters, doing roof repair work on Coach 8 inside the machine shop.
Remember that this is our first winter work weekend attempt, so this is why we're keeping things close to home the first time.
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James;
Is it all three days? (Saturday, Sunday & Monday?)
Dave
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It is all three days.
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Some changes to what we're anticipating with the work weekend.
* The coach 8 roof repair is off until Spring work weekend.
* Clearing snow in Sheepscot yard will be the major challenge. Plus clearing switches at Alna Center. Sounds like we'll plow out the mainline and AC siding first, then put the plow on the south side of the engine so that it can plow out Sheepscot yard. We'll still need lots of help on the switches. The last I heard this was a Sunday task. Note that we will not be steaming up #10 for this.
* Rivetting of #9's smokebox to the boiler. There's still a few holes to drill. This is a Saturday task.
* There are some #10 tasks still to do to get it ready to steam: getting the new grates into the firebox, fitting up a new ashpan.
* Tree cutting is certainly possible, but because of heavy snow is now way down on the list. Maybe if people come with snowshoes they can start out that way.
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Another Work Weekend job we should consider is clearing snow off of the machine shop roof. This week has brought some freezing rain and more is predicted. Additional rain will make the snow much heavier. There have been some roof collapses in Maine this Winter. Yes, the shop building is well built with large timbers but it wouldn't hurt to be on the safe side.
If the weather is warm enough, new phone/data cables will be pulled through the pipe from Bay 3 over to the freight house. The pull takes 2-3 people.
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James;
It doesn't look like you'll have enough work for the other 97 people that will be sure not to miss the Inaugural Winter Work Weekend! Make sure you have enough T-Shirts made up.
Dave
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We're only expecting about 20-30 people, because of the rather late notice in the newsletter and because its winter - the 11-15 people on this forum that said they could make it, plus the usual 12-15 regulars.
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Well Guys,
I'm a new guy and was really looking forward to spending at least two weekends a month working with all of you. I was there for at least two weekends in January. However, my employer, also known as the VA, has decided that certain people, doing certain jobs must work mandatory 2 weekends a month until September. Needless to say I had to make sure that I spend some weekend at home doing honey do lists.
That being said, it would appear that my ambitions of working on 9, the track and other WW&F related ventures is going to have to take a back seat for a while. I hope to get there as often as I can. But who knows, I work for the gov't, and as you all know, so anything can change!
My apologies for not being able to make the Winter Work Weekend....I hope this changes by Spring Work Weekend.
That's my sob story dejour >:(
You may hear the same song from the other new guy, Todd, as he works the same job as myself
Red
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Red,
I know I hate it when life gets in the way. But it happens to me too. Switch the honey do's to Sunday and come on down.
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HA!
Mike I'd love to do that but, you don't know my wife's to do lists! ;D
Hopefully this too will change!
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Negotiate!
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Been There ............ Done That .................... Still can't win ............ I feel for you :(
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Thanks for all the advice and sympathy :D