W.W.&F. Discussion Forum
WW&F Railway Museum Discussion => Volunteers => Topic started by: Jason M Lamontagne on November 03, 2015, 07:27:37 AM
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Been a while since I've posted on the weekday effort but I mean to do so more regularly. So here's an attempt!
Yesterday, Monday, Nov 2, Jonathan finished making connections from the tank to the injectors. Last week he finished the vacuum brake plumbing- this all major plumbing on no 9 is complete. Some of it has been removed for paint access. Brendan continues work on interior tank braces.
Today Josh is up to essentially complete no 9 electrical. Tuesday Phil (Bleauvelt) will likely finish the steam line to the generator, while I'll make some slight mods to the frame casting to clear a washout plug and then work on vacuum brake and generator exhaust lines.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, we'll switch the yards out, do some minor inspection work at the bridge and make a repair to a ToM switch. Starting Wednesday we're going back to very limited access inside the tent so Stewart and Marcel can work on finish application of wood cab components, paint, and varnish, without worrying about us marking up the paint job mid way through.
Thursday will likely see some coach brake mods as we give the paint crew space... We'll also begin on a new plow mounting arrangement for 52 soon.
No 9 is nearing a test fire, as you may have guessed. It won't be this month- as it looks now...
See ya
Jason
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Jason...Wow, lots going on between weekends!
Always appreciate detailed updates.
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Also, on Sunday, Brendan and I removed the ailing Kubota motor and continued disassembly. No time frame for completion.
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We'll also begin on a new plow mounting arrangement for 52 soon.
Sounds interesting. Can you elaborate? (Does this new arrangement include a place for our Montreal friends to store their snow shovels? ;D)
-John
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The new arrangement involves hanging a man (or woman) basket off the front of the engine whew up to 4 show shovelers can shovel snow as the engine moves forward. We figure maximum speed with this arrangment should far exceed that of the current arrangement. We're looking for volunteers to test the system...
Or- we will replace the 1" bolts that currently attach the plow with 1" slotted studs. The stud will have a 1" threaded end to go in the loco frame, while the outer end will have a slot which will hold a tapered key. Thus- to mount the plow, slide over the studs and drive in the key- instead of the current arrangment of lining up to the holes and trying to start the threads. The new arrangment was cooked up by Mike Fox as he's seen it on some industrial equipment at work. Actually seems so logical it must be standard.
See ya
Jason
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Will the Taper keys have a retainer chain/ cable so when it falls out it can be found?
Also when it is 20 below and someone drops one it is simple to retrieve from the snow.
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Carl, yes. They keys did not come with them originally, but I asked for a simple hole and a length of chain be added for just such a reason.
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Anticipated work for Saturday Nov 7:
* Car barn: battens, north wall, attaching/building track 3 inside the barn.
* Loco 9
* North end: Getting the dozer to the north end.
* Kubota: Repairing
* Track work: Now that we no longer have scheduled trains, we should be doing track work. I will take out a track crew if anyone's interested, just find me. Either morning between 8 and 9, or in the afternoon right after lunch would be the best times for longevity of work.
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Fabulous idea on track work, James. I encourage big joe going out, and hitting several low joints adjacent albee's field. They've been eating at me...
Jason
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Those were the first places I wanted to hit.
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...I will take out a track crew if anyone's interested, just find me...
I'd like to help this Saturday, but with work obligations and, more importantly family plans, it looks like December 5th will be the soonest I can get back to Sheepscot. Regardless of when I get back, if the ground isn't frozen, I'd be happy to work on the track crew.
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Ill be around James. I know Ja wanted to touch base for brakeman training. Maybe I can plan around that.
Steve
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Work done on Saturday Nov 7:
* Car barn: battens are done on south side. Staging has been taken down. Door put in on the side. I found some joint bars and attached the 4 sets of joint bars on 2 sections of track on the west interior track, and did a little spiking on the third bay track.
* Loco 9: Stewart was doing some primer painting of pipes.
* North end: Mike got the dozer on 126, then he and I headed north. The crane car was already up there. We assembled the ramp (using the crane to move the large timbers), then after lunch got the dozer off. Mike was not thrilled at driving it down such a steep ramp. After he took me back to Sheepscot he went back and did some ROW work.
* Whitefield Section House: Stewart put down some more flooring, moved the stove onto the flooring, then linseed oiled the floor he put down.
* North Yard track: Jason said "Hey lets get the switch to Bay 3 working!" The problem was that of alignment. We pulled some spikes around the frog and pushed and tugged and got some alignment fixed. Then we went to work on the closure rails up to the frog. We discovered the closure rails was too short, which was messing up the math. So we pulled the remaining spikes, and cut ourselves two new rails.
* Archives: I think Linda worked on Archives.
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A benefit of having just 2 tracks in service in the car barn. Room to walk in the shop, for now.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Mobile%20Uploads/1107150721_zpsvzx3ch9x.jpg)
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Wow... looks like some of the enginehouse shots from the original RR ! :o
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Anticipated work for Saturday Nov 14.
* Car barn - track inside it and boards/battens outside
* Loco 9
* Track work - I'll again make my offer of running a mainline track crew. Find me if you want to help. We can't run an effective crew on less than 3 or 4 people. It can be done with 2 but will take longer to do things. Otherwise there's the switch leading to car barn bay 3.
Note that Friday would normally be a board meeting day, but because Jason can't be there and everyone has Veterans Day off in some form or another, we've having the board meeting today (Wednesday) at 3.
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I'll be there Saturday. Will anyone be around Friday?
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This week:
Monday, Jonathan and I cleaned and mounted all injector plumbing permanently (unless testing shows a problem). Brendan made braces.
Tuesday Brendan applied more cold galvanizing to tank braces. I did some brake work. Quiet day.
Today (now) is a busy day (typical for Wednesday's). Jonathan is making a sleeve puller for tie Kubota engine, and will make a new collar for a vacuum brake cylinder (not no 9's). Wednesday Phil (Goodwin) is working on that vacuum cylinder. There'll be a full story about it... Eric is making braces to support the top of no 9's ejector and generator exhaust pipes. Stewart is eggshelling. Brendan will be applying the final coats of cold galvy. I'm figuring no 9's cylinder steam passage drains.
Tomorrow I'll be here in the morning- prob quiet. Maybe some painting.
Friday I won't be here- though there may be a crew on the car barn.
See ya
Jason
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Anticipated work for Saturday Nov 14...
* Track work - I'll again make my offer of running a mainline track crew. Find me if you want to help. We can't run an effective crew on less than 3 or 4 people. It can be done with 2 but will take longer to do things...
I can't make it this Saturday -- will be working. It does look like now, however, I will be able to be up the following Saturday, the 21st. If I make it, I'd join a track crew.
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There will be a few people there Friday if it stops raining, but not before Nine A.M. We may be cutting battens to start with. Yesterday, Zack and I got about 14 ft. done on the East side heading North. Hope to do more Friday.
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After studying the car barn bay 3 switch problem, and understanding the closure rails to be a foot too short- we adjusted the math and, by measuring the middle ordinate at a revised location, found that we don't need to change them. There will be slight theoretical angular error at both ends- but it's less than the practical error most joints see anyway. Something like 1/4 of a degree.
In other words, math is squishier than rail.
Bottom line: we will not be replacing the closures on that barn bay 3 switch- we'll only be respiking them to a new position.
See ya
Jason
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Will you still be able to use the 12-foot long switch points that I'm machining for you?
Dave C
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Of course! You'd have heard if such was not the case. Got your message on having 5 rails too; we'll make the 6th here.
See ya
Jason
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I think there's a switch point back of the water tank, it's not very long. It came from the TOM a while back. Small rail?
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Work done on Saturday November 14 (at least in the AM - I left at noon)
* Car barn: Yesterday Fred and Zack ripped a whole bunch of battens and got them up, today we ripped more and got the east wall done. Started working on the west wall, although not nearly as many will be needed because of the dozer lean-to. The ditches with the wire mesh have been filled in.
* Track: Finished safety spiking the car barn bay 3 track. Jason planned to work on it in the afternoon and tie it in to the outside track.
* Whitefield Section House: Stewart was nearing completion of the floor.
* Loco 9: Marcel was doing cab work.
* Train shows: John R was stocking up for the train show season.
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The 3rd bay barn track connection was made-- and the switch leading to it wad the remainder of the spikes requiring pulling, pulled. Wednesday we'll plug holes, respike, and put in a guard rail or 2. Bay 3 will then be accessible.
Good track crew yesterday: James, Greg, Leon, Hansel, Dwight, JB, John McNamara, myself. Wind made it feel really cold...
See ya
Jason
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If we keep the good weather, maybe we can finish the West side of the car barn, then all that's is the North end. Boards and battens. After that, doors!
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The north end needs purlins in the gable too.
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Anticipated work for Saturday November 21:
* Car barn: battens, north end wall maybe
* Loco 9
* Whitefield Section House
* Track: I repeat my offer of running a track crew. 3 or 4 people are the minimum to run it. Otherwise will finish up what needs work in the car barn, move the 4-wheeled cars into Bay 3, and maybe work on extending the Woods Track.
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Re Whitefield...If you are building and hanging the sliding door Saturday, suggest a couple of car step stirrups as handles, one inside/one outside, mounted vertically by the lock hasp.
Did that to both big, heavy sliders at the C&TS Chama depot freight room, now their gift shop.
Work great.
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Fred...Alna wx fcst shows rain tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon through Friday late , again mid-day Sunday.
Good luck.
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We don't have lumber for the door. Maybe next week?
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Anticipated work for Saturday November 21:
* Track: I repeat my offer of running a track crew. 3 or 4 people are the minimum to run it. Otherwise will finish up what needs work in the car barn, move the 4-wheeled cars into Bay 3, and maybe work on extending the Woods Track.
I currently plan to be up Saturday. Assuming I make it, I'll join the track crew.
Unlike my travelling partner, I will not volunteer him for the track crew unless he wants to!
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Today, Zack and I cut about a hundred battens to have then ready for tomorrow, if we have a good crew Sat. we should be able to finish the West side of the car barn. Then on to the North end.
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Fred, Hope you have a good team of helper's on Saturday and a nice day for work with little wind. On to the north wall. Fred L. Kuhns
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Work done on Saturday Nov 21:
* Car barn: Fred had a good team of helpers, and got the west wall completely battened.
* Track: I took a crew out in the afternoon and we hit the two big bad dips north of Albee's Field rail pile with Big Joe.
* Shuffling: Three of the four-wheel cars have found their way into Bay 3 of the car barn: the wooden car (#1006), the mower (#1009) and the fire car (#1004). Because I didn't want to mess with the setup for getting into Bay 2 of the car barn, I ran the cars up to the "switch" and (with help) lifted it over to the next track. Big Joe and the compressor car were left on Track 7.
* Overhead crane: Several years ago Dave B arranged for the donation of an overhead crane from a hospital. The crane arrived, was partially dismantled and stored. Mike decided to set it up in the garage to help him with the Kubota. He retrieved it from storage and set it up.
* Loco 9: Marcel was working on cab windows and fastening in the side panels, plus probably other stuff.
* Archives: Linda was in the Archives.
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James, Great to hear about all the progress on the car barn, along with the on going work on number 9, section house, track work, car shuffling, Linda in Archives, and Mike working on Kubota repairs. Fred L. Kuhns
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Great to hear of track work w big joe- thanks!
See ya
Jason
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Anticipated work for Saturday Nov 28:
* Car barn - work on the north wall, getting the rafter area closed in.
* Loco 9
* Kubota repair
* Bulldozer retrieval?
* Track - the work I thought was done in the car barn isn't, so we could work on that. Or main line track work.
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No retrieval this weekend. Maybe next weekend.
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A note to all:
On Friday and Saturday, final varnish work will be occurring on no 9.
Please, everyone, stay out of bay 4. Not just the tent- the entire room. If you must go in to retrieve something, please be brief, don't make breeze, don't go in the tent, don't breathe, don't touch the floor- or the air. Etc.
There shouldn't be such restrictions after this...
Thanks,
Jason
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James...When the cb's final, north wall work is done, will tarps be hung temporarily over the door openings?
9 looks so good with its sharp lettering and almost-done paint job. With most? of its parts installed, is there a steamup date set yet?
Hope Case-y the Dozer will be OK parked up at TOM.
Happy Thanksgiving, WW&F-ers all.
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Deleted my question about further north yard track work soon...needed switch points are being finished elsewhere, need completion and delivery first.
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There is no set date for no 9's steam up. We'll likely know that day.
See ya
Jason
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If possible, media coverage of 9's steamup would be wonderful.
Unfortunately, I doubt my old employer, KOAT-TV7, would fly their news helo, Abq to Sheepscot.
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Very busy day today. 5 of us there working. Zack worked on the North end purlins, and took the upper part of the wooden staging down. Dwight and Fred chored around, cleaning out the garden shed again. Fred moved nails to the car barn. I helped with the reorganization, and hung the trimmers. Fred then commented there was more room in there for more stuff.
The Center track in the car barn had about 2 feet cut off the south end, to allow for easier passage and lessen a tripping hazard. Dwight secured some stops to the East and center rails, to keep the freight cars from hitting the rear wall.
I finished dismantling the Kubota engine, so the sleeves can be changed.
Fred and I spent some time cleaning up the garage. He is planning a dump run in the morning.
I moved the gantry over the Kubota, before some clutter reappears.
The big project of the day was the varnishing. Eric spent a few hours cleaning then applying the first coat. I snapped a couple pics when returning a tool at the end of the day..
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Mobile%20Uploads/1127150936_zpsihm2foyk.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Mobile%20Uploads/1127151344_zpsqujviyru.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Mobile%20Uploads/1127151447_zpsddgypu81.jpg)
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VERY wise to put wheel stops of some sort on cb track ends to prevent new-wall smash-throughs.
That handy, hefty gantry might be able to raise a tank, if necessary. :D 2926ers have a couple; their 5-ton, home-made "Big Bird"...does cab, compressor and sand dome lifts with ease.
9 is almost all decked out in her shiny new "outfit".
I bet the cb's north wall may be finished this weekend.
And organization, putbacks, cleanup never ends.
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Work done today, Nov 28:
* Loco 9: Eric put the final coat of varnish on the engine. It appears that the running boards were painted with gritty paint. The coal bunker needs a coating of something. Jason said test fire will be soon.
* Car barn: Zack finished with the purlins in the attic, and then we took down the wood staging and put up metal staging over track 3. A bunch of boards were brought over and cutting started. The first board went up before lunch. I left at noon, but presumably many more boards went up after lunch.
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boards were installed above and around track 3. Next will be trim, and battens. Than the steel staging will be moved to track 2.
dwight
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Dwight...great that you guys are a l m o s t done with making cb wall.
Will dozer shelter work wait until SWW?
And when does the paint crew start? ;D
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Hi Paul, Not sure when dozer shelter will start to be built. Because of this all the battens were installed on the west wall. I believe this is a new idea and at present there are no funds to build it. As to painting, this could happen at SWW. But that depends on the weather. If it rains on any day 5 days before SWW, than there will be no painting at SWW.
dwight