W.W.&F. Discussion Forum
WW&F Railway Museum Discussion => Volunteers => Topic started by: James Patten on March 02, 2011, 07:00:58 AM
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Anticipated work on March 5:
* We have a charter on Saturday, starting at 1. Whatever ice and snow there is on the tracks, platforms, walkways, etc must be shoveled or sanded. They need access to the car shop for tours, to the house for bathrooms, to the gift shop to spend money(!).
* If the charter gets cancelled for whatever reason, there's #9 frame work to do.
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The charter is still on for Saturday. Steve reports that they tried plowing earlier this week and managed to get to the first crossing (Jayne's Way) but that was it. Jason said tonight we'll try a double-headed plow train again Saturday.
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More of the yard including the main was shoveled this week and the rails melted off in the sun. The run around track was plowed today. The forecast for Saturday is cloudy with temps around 40 and a chance of snow flurries.
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Work done on March 5:
Saturday dawned cloudy and drizzly - with the drizzle occasionally turning into light rain, and occasionally stopping. The diesel went out with the plow about 8, and managed to reach Sutter's Xing, which was covered in about 4 inches of ice. A couple of repeated backups and forwards would create gigantic wet slushballs, which were shoveled from in front of the plow when it got too big. 52 returned about 9, then went out with 10 and the caboose filled with shovelers. Davis then Sutter Xing were shoveled/chipped. Then the train backed up aways, left the caboose behind, and started plowing out Cockeye curve. At 11 the train returned to Sheepscot.
After lunch Jason thought he could continue breaking open the line, so he left with other shovelers. Meanwhile the charter train was readied. The charter arrived slightly before 1, and at 1 the first train left. By this time Jason had broken though to Sheepscot Mills. By the time the train returned and left again, he'd gotten through to Alna Center.
After the charter left everything was put away. I think everyone was tired but happy the charter worked out.
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A special thanks should go to our friends from North of the border. They asked to remain nameless, but the family of four from Quebec was instrumental at getting Jason motivated enough to try plowing again. It was worth every bit of effort we put into it. There is almost a sceince at snow removal, and once you figure out what works best at the time, it is easy to keep going. Until you get to Ice. That pretty much stops you. Photos to follow.
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Anticipated work for March 12:
* Board meeting Friday night
* Zack's going to be working at putting a jig together to hold up #9's frame pieces until they get attached.
* We may be able to go back to tree cutting - the rain from Sunday/Monday and the rain coming on Friday will probably leave not much snow behind.
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Last week two loads of eight foot ties were delivered to Sheepscot. They are sitting on top of the snow piles at the north end of the parking lot. Sometime this month (or next month) they should be sorted, cut and stacked. They are in a good location to be used on the spur when we build to where the turntable and roundhouse will be built.
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Work done on March 12:
* The picnic tables were flipped up against the tree, and are now pretty safe from Attack of the Killer Ties.
* Trees on the western end of the parking lot were cut.
* A diesel engine mechanic visited to inspect #52's engine. Prognosis good.
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* A diesel engine mechanic visited to inspect #52's engine. Prognosis good.
Did the "doctor" have any treatment recommendations?
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The "doctor" recommended replacing many of the hoses, and giving it a good steam bath. He and Jason will be talking if they haven't already.
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Anticipated work Saturday March 19:
* Tree cutting. Eric Larsen would like some help with burning tree piles near the river (and if you have a leaf blower it will help it burn). There's also the trees at the north end of the parking lot to cut.
* Zack will be working on a jig or some kind of other support to set up #9's frames.
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Wear boots if you are coming to cut trees. There is still about a foot of snow in the woods and in some places there is 4-6" of water under the snow.
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A leaf blower is needed so if someone has one, let us know. No electric ones unless it runs off of your sig lighter! ;D
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Also there's a Home & Garden show at the Damariscotta YMCA this weekend, with a woodturning demonstration Saturday at 1 and 3, and Sunday at 11. I'm going to attempt to make the Saturday 3 PM showing, if anyone's interested.
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Progress at the museum today - A couple of members started this morning to pull 3 new cables for the feed to the freight shed. The cables were stretched out across bays 1,2 and 3 of the shop floor and over the ground to the east wall of the freight shed. This was done to make sure we had the right length for the conduit. With the measuring complete everything was pulled back to the west side of bay 3 to prep for pulling the cables into the pipe that Josh R. installed. The cables (including 2 data and a voice line) were in a pile that was getting caught on everything including the Brookville. While untangling the mess we heard a truck pull in out front. It was member Brendan Barry, stopping by on his lunch break. He saw what we were doing and volunteered to crawl under the freight shed and pull the cables through the pipe. Brendan saved the day. Two of us straightened the cables and fed them into the pipe while Brendon pulled them with the pull string. The new lines were pulled in about 1/2 hour. Things went so well we decided to finish pulling the voice line into the freight house terminal and to the phone system in the machine shop. Tomorrow will be re-wiring day for the station and freight house phones. The gift shop phone extension will be 301 (or 0) and the station will be 302. The old rotary dial phone will remain in the station in case the power is out.
While working on the wiring we tested the answering machine in the station. It wouldn't pick up so Steve Z. donated a nearly new (combo) fax machine / answering machine. The new machine is set up in the office and Steve has the instructions to get messages. Thanks to everyone who helped today, especially Brendan and Steve!
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Hey a little off topic but I flew over the WW&F today...The track and yard looked great! Being a new member (so far about maybe 35 volunteer hours +/-) I never realized just how much track you guys have laid down past Alna Center. Glad to be able to help out when I can (more if I can get off of mandatory overtime at work)
Red
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Hey Red, I saw "De plane" yesterday ... now I know who was buzzing the yard! That was my truck parked by the station.
Work today -
New phones were installed in the gift shop and Sheepscot station. The credit card machine was connected to the new system. When it is in use the LINE 1 button will light up on the digital phones.
#52's hood and doors were removed and the prime mover steam cleaned by Jonathan.
Steve Z. toured visitors in the afternoon and sold a membership.
It was sunny, breezy and 65 today so a lot of snow melted, now we have mud in places.
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It was sunny, breezy and 65 today so a lot of snow melted, now we have mud in places.
Ah...can the black flies be far behind?
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Hey Stewart
Yup saw the truck....can't wait to get a picture of 10 from the air when she's under steam as well as document the progress made on the yard and main line over the course of time!
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Work done on March 19,
* Mike F and Bill F worked on #52. Mike repaired a hole in the air intake pipe, then they adjusted the pipe so it wasn't hitting another piece of the motor. Eventually the plow was removed, then Mike drained the oil to refill with oil.
* Stewart worked on the phones in the house.
* Fred and Steve Z cut trees on the north end of the parking lot, with occasional assistance by me.
* Zack worked on setting up a jig for #9's rear frame.
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James took the stuck handles out of 1197 and I straightened them while he gave a tour. Now all 4 handles slide in and out. Fred put the grease to them.
I took pictures of the remaining snow and the jig and will post them when I get them downloaded.
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The house has all new Cat 5 wiring with a terminal in the cellar. The old cordless phone from the gift shop is now in the office, connected to Ext 310 so intercom calls can be answered in the office. The fax/ans machine is connected to the 4193 line.
Stewart
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Anticipated work for March 26:
* This is the day of rules reviews for railroad operational people. The review will be in the afternoon, and include some time with an emergency responder who will teach us the basics about emergencies with people.
* I've heard there will be riveting on #9's smokebox.
* There may be wood cutting/burning as well.
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Number 9 work will not include riveting but will include riveting prep, and initial steps to assemble the frame. First steps will be preparation of the rear frame cross-members to which the truck pivot will eventually mount. Also, the casting will be finished up, removed from the mill, and hand-work commenced. It should be moved into Bay 2 as well. Riveting prep is to drill those last 8 pesky holes; riveting should be in April.
I hope we can hit No 9 hard in the morning, and those who don't attend the rules review will continue. I'll have to be at the review.
Jason
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Well since the third Saturday of the month was last weekend, I am unable to make it this weekend. Hopefully someone takes some pictures.
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Okay,
I hope I placed this on the correct thread
So as far as drilling those “pesky” eight holes for the smoke box on Number 9:
After Todd and I managed to break an uncountable multitude of drill bits, two holes have been drilled clear through and two have been drilled at least into the ring.
I think the problem is the little bits can’t hold together through 2.5 inches, or better, of steel plate. It doesn’t seem that we can get straight enough trying to leverage them from bottom side of the smoke box.
Todd had an idea of drilling with the light bits only through the first layer of plate, then using the big bits. But by then we had run out of bits and were rapidly sliding into the really pis…um… I mean annoyed mode. So needless to say, it hasn’t beaten us, but we need to come up with a better battle plan. I think as soon as we get the two holes that have been started drilled through we really need to drill from the inside of the box.
As far as coming next weekend I have to see what the plans at work will be. But I will be back….drilling holes isn’t rocket science, or should I say steam physics…and I have never been beaten by, and refuse to be beaten by a piece of steel !
Sorry for not completing it Jason, but third time working on it should be the charm
Red
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You guys both made a hugely great effort and must have been-- annoyed-- by the end of it. I'm sorry my machining and meeting activities prevented me from helping, but thank you very much for the great effort. Drilling from the inside will be fine; as I mentioned to Todd at the RR today, the only reason for drilling from the outside was for a good visual alignment on the outside; +/- 1/8 or even 1/4" isn't structurally important.
Thanks again; I'm sure we'll get it!
Jason
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Work done on Saturday March 26:
* #9: As seen above, Red and Todd spent time drilling on #9's smokebox. Stewart and Ed worked on the frame. Jason spent time on the frame casting, and at the end of the day it was taken off the milling machine and is ready to be moved to Bay 2.
* Wood cutting: A number of people worked north of the future parking lot cutting and burning.
* Rules review: we had a presentation on what to do with hurt people, then had a review of the rulebook.
I was indoors most of the day so if there were other activities I didn't see them.
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Work done in the last two weeks -
Our hired diesel mechanic, Jon worked on #52 a couple of days last week. He replaced some parts and repaired/adjusted others. His work, as well as Mike Fox have the locomotive in good shape for service this year.
An inspection trip of the mainline was run yesterday with the railcar. The railroad is in fairly good shape considering the frost heaves this time of year. The only trouble spot is the south switch at AC which should stay lined for the main because it needs new switch timbers.
The Model A truck was checked over, started and driven over to the West Alna Rd and back. It will be ready for use at the Work Weekend.
The phone system extension to the house (ext 310) was programmed for making outside calls. Members who need to make calls from the house may dial out on the intercom phone by dialing 9 - 1 to get an outside line. Dialing out on the intercom extension lights the line 1 button on the other phones which allows members in other buildings to see that the line is in use. Answering an outside line call at the house should still be done with the wall set. This keeps the intercom phone available for calling between buildings.
Stewart
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All;
Sorry it's taken me so long to post these photos form March 26, 2011 but my camera has had issues downloading photos to my Mac. The first hoots is from First Aid class. No one received detention but it was touch and go for awhile.
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/dbuczkowski/IMG_3455.jpg)
The next one is Professor Patten explaining it all to us:
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/dbuczkowski/IMG_3456.jpg)
Finally, Professor Patten explains how the brake stops the wheel from going round and round. Mr. Reidy seems particularly fascinated:
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/dbuczkowski/IMG_3457.jpg)
Dave
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If you were there but not in the picture, you don't get credit for being there ;D ;D Sorry Dave!
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Great class photo Dave. You can really see who the good students and troublemakers in the class are. We have a few good attentive students like the one at the front of the class who appears eager to learn, however, John R. is clearly grinning after poking Jason in the back, Steve Z is about to fall asleep in class, Bill and Dwight are up to something as they are hiding behind the person in front of them, and the guy on the far right is clearly guilty of something deserving a whack from the ruler across the knuckles. ;D