W.W.&F. Discussion Forum
WW&F Railway Museum Discussion => Volunteers => Topic started by: James Patten on February 27, 2013, 07:12:23 AM
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Anticipated work for weekend of March 2:
* Shoveling (likely)
* Restrooms
* #9. Jason will be around on Friday and Monday but not Saturday
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Work done on March 1 & 2:
* #9: Friday, Jason and Jonathon worked on T-Bolts for the wheel binders. They didn't finish. Saturday, Eric S continued working on something related to that. Saturday afternoon Brendan showed up and started working on something, probably the tank.
* Crane car: Mike was busy, first replacing the temporary chain from which the top hangs with a permanent chain, then working on braces to keep the rail clamps from kicking out.
* Plowing: Steve, Stewart, Fred, Mike and I plowed out the main line, as far as Sheepscot Mills (which had logging activity). Brook Crossing was especially bad with ice, two inches or more over the rail.
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Just a little correction. Jonathan finished the t bolts for the wedges last Monday, all but one are installed. Yesterday we finished all binder work and oil grooving in the shoes and wedges. I expect that Eric worked on t bolts for the shoe and wedge attachment.
Jason
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I forgot that I was the one with the pictures.
Here we are clearing Janes Way. No Ice.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/WWandF%20Ry/2013-03-02084545_zps41217bc6.jpg)
Brook (Formerly Davis) Crossing was another story entirely. Last years logging efforts really made this ice problem worse than I've seen it in the past.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/WWandF%20Ry/2013-03-02090332_zps110b0d6b.jpg)
On the trip back I took this picture, approaching Janes Way from the North.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/WWandF%20Ry/2013-03-02094645_zpsb033f120.jpg)
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Anticipated work weekend of March 9:
FRIDAY:
* #9 (Jason will be there)
* Board meeting at 4:30
SATURDAY:
* #9 (but no Jason)
* Restrooms
* Spring prep (whatever that means)
MONDAY:
* #9
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This week -
Restrooms - Zack connected and tested the two heaters. They warm the rooms up quickly.
Engine 9 - The foreward binders were installed and the second pair of drivers was set. The engine was then lowered a bit to lever her. It's good to see the locomotive with her wheels.
Machine shop - Inside door casing was installed around the north doors. A bit more will be done to make the bay doors more weather proof. This is guaranteed to bring warmer days.
Stewart
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Also Saturday is Lime Rock RR day at OHTM. I imagine some of us will migrate that way again. I will be attending.
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Work done Saturday March 9:
* #9: Wes was working on it
* #10: Eric was working on it
* Crane car: Mike put the final pieces on it, with some helpful suggestions by Ed L.
* Percival house: Linda and Brigid put in a concentrated effort on starting to organize the Percival house.
* Mud and water: I dug some ditches in the driveway of the Percival house and routed water away from mudding up the whole driveway.
* Interviews: I interviewed some early directors about the "old days", with Steve H filming.
There was probably more but I didn't see it.
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Work was also started on Big Joe in preps for spring work weekend. The fuel sediment bowl has been removed and a new one requisitioned from TSC.
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Interviews: I interviewed some early directors about the "old days", with Steve H filming.
James, does that perhaps mean that a successor film to the earlier one about the WW&F is in the works?
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James, does that perhaps mean that a successor film to the earlier one about the WW&F is in the works?
Steve H did mention that it was getting time to do a successor film. I'll have to let him chime in on that. The interviews were for another reason, however.
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Anticipated work for March 16:
* #10: Jason will prepping the loco for the Easter Eggspress trains, on the 30th.
* Spring prep: a trip should be run up-line to clear out crossings, fallen trees, and see if Alna Center station is still there.
Restrooms are waiting for the electrician (who should be here this week) and tile installation before further work gets done.
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The kitchen crew is planning a nice Irish dinner this weekend with a special St. Patty's treat for desert.
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So Josh has been downgraded to "the electrician," huh?
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This week -
Members of the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Assoc. toured the shop buildings and yard.
Fred donated his John Deere tractor to the museum. It was delivered Monday. The fellow who brought it also donated a nice threading machine.
Restrooms - Josh installed the interior lights and switches. He also installed the porch lights and the goose neck light on the gable.
#9 - Jason and Jonathan worked on a number of parts. Leon has been fabricating boiler jacket stand offs and brought two sets to test fit them around the boiler.
Machine shop - The east door (into bay 3) got it's frame casing so all the doors are done.
Kitchen crew - Cindy and Linda spent the better part of a day making things for the Irish dinner on Saturday.
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Work done on Saturday March 16:
Most of the local (Alna) volunteers were missing much of the day because of the Alna Town Meeting.
* Restrooms: Zack covered the outside posts with boards, in order to prevent splinters (the posts are PT).
* #10: Prep for the loco to steam up on the 30th: Firebox door, smokebox front, coal bunker boards, and a review of water treatment
* #9: Eric got the eccentric straps in. Jason and others worked on shaping/making straps.
* Fred's Tractor: After playing around with it a little, the rollbar was put on and some slight improvements were made. Then more playing around.
* Big Joe: Mike did some work on it: gas tank, hydraulic exhaust, other.
* Lunch: A great New England Boiled Dinner put on by Cindy, Brigid, and Linda.
* Line trip: After lunch took a trip up the line to check on crossings and track. There were some small trees down north of Alna Center station.
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Anticipated work for Saturday March 23:
* Snow shoveling, maybe some plowing
* #9: No Jason, but those that know what they're doing can show those of us that don't what to do.
* I'm sure Mike has things planned for the John Deere and Big Joe.
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No me this weekend. Owls Head with the family. May stop to drop off papers. If I have time, I may remove the Hyd. Drive motor from Big Joe.
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I actually will be there Saturday, though maybe not all day.
Jason
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Does anyone know what the plans are, if any, to plow to Alna Center?
Thanks!
-John
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A week late John. No snow last weekend. May settle enough to be ok for Saturday.
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I was at the RR today. Looks like the plow would barely kiss the snow on most places, and we've several days of 40 deg weather coming.
See ya
Jason
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This week -
Things were a bit slower this week due to the 10 - 12" of snow that fell on Tuesday but there was some activity at the railroad. Jeff plowed the driveway and the S&S crew shoveled the station platform and walkways to the shop.
Engine 9 - Five people worked on a number of parts. One part was the brackets (not the NCAA type) that sit on the base of the binders that hold the T bolts for the wedges.
Restrooms - Steve Z. and Zack worked on a few items which included Steve re-touching some of the top coat paint and Zack working on the attic access hatch.
Easter prep - On Wednesday, Joe and Dawn Fox came to Sheepscot. They worked, along with Cindy, loading 1,750 Easter eggs with candy.
Stewart
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Work done on March 23:
* Restrooms: the plumbing inspector came by and looked at the plumbing, and left without issue.
* #9: Ed G worked on cleaning and freeing up some pieces belonging to the brake rigging.
* #10: Wes has spent some time polishing and cleaning the brake and steam gauges in the engine, and worked on calibrating them. The gauges are back in the engine.
* Telephones: John M and others took a trip to AC to make sure the phones are still working, at least between those two points.
* Fred's Tractor: Fred gave John R and Dave B instructions on running the tractor. We moved some snow around.
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Big Joe's Hydraulic drive motor did not want to come off. I have a plan to remove it but need more time than I had available today.
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And today in Baltimore, Dave Crow, with a little help from me, machined two more rails and most of a third for the three 35-pound switches for the north yard. At the conclusion of our last session in the Baltimore Streetcar Museum's machine shop, we had set up a jig to secure each rail in position for machining, so today all it took was setting the rails in place and clamping them before we started milling. Each pass took about 40 minutes, and we had to make five or six passes on each rail. We ran out of time with one pass left to do on the third rail, and we hope to get back to that one in a couple of weeks.
Next, we'll have to make a vertical 5/8-inch diameter outside curve on this rail to nest into the other half of the frog (we did the other parts during our first session last month), and then we can bolt the two rails together before final machining to form the point of the frog. That's for another day.
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It's not Fred's tractor anymore, It's W.W.and F. Deisel tractor #1 Whatever!
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Also -
The "telephone extra" run doubled as a plow extra as we took #52 to clear the line and expose the rail head to the sun. We stopped at each crossing to check for ice. Most of the crossings had a plow ridge to break through. The worst place was at Sheepscot Mills xing where we had to chip out frozen mud in the flange ways .
At Alna Center, John rebuilt the telephone junction box while the rest of us cleaned both crossings and gathered fire wood for the station stove. Wind blew the cover off of the kindling box so we put some kindling in the station to dry out. The station stove will be used unless the weather warms up a lot. Everything is snow covered and we hope that some sunny days will clear the field by Saturday for the Easter egg hunt.
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The museum's trailer made the trip down to Dean's house in Massachusetts this weekend and was loaded up with the ground throws from Baltimore that have been sitting on my trailer. Some of you may recognize the loader. The guy in the green shirt is our friend Tim who had no idea what a ground throw was until today but he helped transfer them between trailers.
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/image_zps55d42f30.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/image_zps2568c727.jpg)
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Anticipated work for Saturday March 30:
* Restrooms: the tiles have arrived, Zack and Steve Z are going to get them. However the tile probably won't be installed until the end of April (scheduling issues with the tile guy).
* Easter Eggspress: Noon to 3, on the hour. Easter egg hunts at Alna Center, providing that the ground is not too spongy. #10 will be doing the honors.
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Itchy and Scratchy installed the cellulose in the attic this morning. The tile guy will be starting the walls on Tuesday 4/2/13.
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This week -
At least 12 members worked on a number of projects including:
Ballots - Steve and Kathy spent at least a day loading BoD election ballots to be mailed out to members.
#9 - Among other things, work on milling the cylinder end caps. Leon installed all 3 boiler stand off bands for the boiler jacket.
Restrooms - As Steve mentioned, Blown-in insulation was installed in the attic. The job included putting gaurds on the backboxes for the ceiling lights and adding weather stripping around the attic hatch.
Clean up - The 2X6's near the garage were moved and restacked with dry sticks. The annual Spring process of getting the stone out of the grass and off the passing track started.
Sheepscot Station - The "new" antique door received it's top coat of green paint to be ready for the work weekend.
Easter Prep - Linda made food for the Saturday volunteers at Sheepscot and Alna Center. Zack cleaned and partially filled the water tank. The bunny crew finished loading the eggs and baskets. There will be over 3,500 eggs for the hunt this year.
Track and crossings - An inspection trip was run Friday with the railcar. Sheepscot Mills crossing was muddy and needed a lot of cleaning. The fields at AC are snow free and dried up fairly well in the last couple of days.
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The 2X6's near the garage were moved and restacked with dry sticks.
Stewart, what do you mean by garage?
Great news that the fields at Alna Center are snow free! Please Mother Nature, keep it that way,OK?
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Thanks for catching that Steve. I left out a word, should have written "garage site". That's the area which is n/w of the restroom building along the north edge of the parking lot.
Thanks!
Stewart
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That's good news Alna Center is snow free- I still have some snow in my front yard here just southwest of Boston!
At least we have crocus in bloom.
- Bill
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Work done on Saturday March 30:
* Easter Eggspress: We had 575 riders in 5 trips. Nobody went away without any eggs. Because of the crowds we did the motive power swaps. Everyone seemed happy.
* Restrooms: Zack and Leon picked up the tile and delivered it. Tiler comes on Tuesday.
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Due to the extra train, the AC crew had to go into the reserve supply of eggs. Close to 4,000 eggs were given out. Thanks to Josh B. for bringing extra eggs, Don & Jeanne S. for getting two extra gift baskets to award the kids who found the gold eggs and Troop 1152 of the Girl Scouts of Maine who had three of their girls helping at Alna Center. The rest of the Girl Scouts set up a table at Sheepscot, selling over 100 boxes of cookies. I spoke to a number of people who came to the railroad for the first time. There were also a number of regular passengers that we last saw at Victorian Christmas, some come to most of our special events. Everyone I spoke to said it was a great day.
Many thanks to the kitchen crew that sent up sandwiches, chowder, beverages, pies and cake. AC station was like a restaurant!
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Close to 4,000 eggs were given out.
That's close to 333 dozen eggs! Where did we get that many?
Also, 575 paying passengers must be a new record - great news!
Anyone ready to write it up for the next WW&F Newsletter ? Thanks!
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333 dozen eggs.......................the rumor mill has it that the chickens are very, very tired!
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Marcel, according to the little meter thingy that shows at the left of the posts, that was your first. Well, it may have been a long time coming, but when it did, it was a dandy!
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It was about 425 paying passengers and 150 or so 3 and under. Yes, that is a record, by about 200 people. I hope this a foreshadowing of the coming season!