W.W.&F. Discussion Forum
WW&F Railway Museum Discussion => Work and Events => Topic started by: Dave Buczkowski on October 27, 2008, 10:33:49 AM
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All;
I was just wondering what time the caravan will leave Sheepscot on Saturday for Albion. I presume we will continue relaying the track we started last year but I don't know who is in charge this time around.
And Duncan, as James can tell you, Carl serves lunch at 1:00 PM
Dave
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....Carl serves lunch at 1:00 PM
...whether you want to eat then or not. ;)
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Dave,
Unless there's plenty of Kielbasa and sauerkraut I don't think I could bring myself to attend. Mmmm. By the way, where were you on Sunday? We did get coupons to eat in Bridgton although Kielbasa was not on the menu.
Duncan
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Dave,
Unless there's plenty of Kielbasa and sauerkraut I don't think I could bring myself to attend. Mmmm.
Duncan
Duncan, I'm going out on a limb here and absolutely guarantee the complete absence of kielbasa and sauerkraut...
on the other hand if you like eating moose...you might be in luck!!
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-8/342468/moose.jpg)
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Duncan;
If I know you'll be there I'll bring a kielbasa. Sunday I was raking the yard. Someone has to do it as the boys are away at school and my daughter had to keep the couch from floating away.
Dave
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I will be heading up that way again this year. I plan on landing there around 8 again. I want to take some before shots this time. After shots are easy. As of right now, the weather is showing partly cloudy with a high in the 50's. Not bad for November 1.
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Mike, I was up there two weeks ago and found most of the mainline pulled up. Some of it is in panels sitting in the grass along side the ballast. The only rail on the grade was about 90' at the south end of the yard where the flanger sits. The outside wheel of the south truck is on the ground. It looks like the crew will be relaying the mainline back up to the station.
I looked inside the blacksmith shop and it's about ready to go, just needs the brickwork for the forge. That's a nice building. If Vern sees it he may jump ship to work at the Albion end of the railroad.
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Here's a link to last year's thread on this from the old discussion forum. Scroll down to see Mike's pictures...
http://www.setbb.com/wwfmuseum/viewtopic.php?t=422&mforum=wwfmuseum
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Steve,
That moose looks like he's grinning. He knows he won't be providing the sandwiches. No, I will not be attending, kielbasa sandwiches or not. This weekend is my time to pick up leaves. I don't have any Guido's to send away to school nor a daughter to at home to help me like Dave does. Have fun re-laying the mainline guys and take plenty of pictures for those of us who can't make it.
Duncan
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I'd like to help at Albion but I have tables at the Gaithersburg Train Show 10/31 - 11/2. We took a velocipede to Albion the first time we rebuilt the mainline about 8 years ago. It was great riding it from near the culvert up to the station. I was on the second "train" to arrive at Albion since 1933. Someone with a pickup could take the handcar up, that would give the crew another reason to re-lay more track.
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All;
I'm wondering if there will be any adults in charge at Albion on Saturday. So far all I know that are going are Steve Smith, Mike Fox and myself. From what I understand neither James nor Jason will be going as they are otherwise occupied. Will there be someone with a pickup to bring tools from Sheepscot? About all I can fit in the Clubman are a couple of spike mauls and a track gauge.
Dave
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I can stop by if needed and take what ever we might need. I will try to remember some of my tools before I leave. I think the track bolts were 7/8" (head size). So I'll bring some of those so we can have more than one doing the tightening.
Someone let me know if I am getting the tools and I will.
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Besides spike mauls and track gage shouldn't we have a spike puller or two and a couple blocks, to support ties during spike driving? I can bring my 50-foot tape measure and will try to scout up some chalk for laying out.
Steve
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I am going to be there this year, should be at Sheepscot by 7:30 AM or so.
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Gawdon,
In honor of Duncan should we stop at the Alna FD for breakfast?
Dave
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Mike;
This is my second attempt at this message. I think my first may have been trumped by Gordon's posting. Since my first has disappeared and I don't know how to retrieve it, I'll try again. I'll meet you about 7:30 at Sheepscot (now Gordon will be there as well). We should grab spike mauls, track gauges, lining bars, shovels, the five gallon bucket with the spacer bar, wrenches, chalk and the tie marking gauge along with other implements of destruction. We should also grab Dana's Tie Spacing Rope (Patent Pending).
I don't know how far away we'll be from needing to deal with the stub switch so I'll take a photo of the Sheepscot switch for a guide. Hopefully the slide plates are still around. I don't remember if the entire switch was dismanteled so we may get bogged down a bit with that. See you tomorrow morning!
Dave
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Dave,
If you plan to honor me by stopping at the Alna FD for breakfast, be sure to get the Kielbasa and sauerkraut omelet. That and a cup of coffee should ensure you work alone. :o)
Duncan
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Another Albion day is in the books. Some more rail was relaid. And them some more was re-relaid. 6 guys, 150 feet (or so) feet of track, no problem. When I get a minute, I'll put a few pictures on.
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All;
To expand on Mike's report, it was like a WW&F Ry version of the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day. We keep relaying the same track over and over. This time it was because Carl thought the track we laid last year was too high. This time we got back to where we ended last year, including the switch. Brad, if you see a nearly new John Deere in Mike's backyard urge him to bring it back. I think Mike went for coffee in the tractor he enjoyed it so much. We actually got a lot done with just five of us - Steve Smith, Bob Gabriel, Gawdon, Mike and myself.
I think we need to open the discussion again about helping the Albion group, which only consists of Carl and Phil, more. Nothing got done there since we visited in November 2007 other than lifting the track we put down.
I think we got a lot done today with only five people and no adult supervision. It again makes me proud to be a part of this group.
Dave
PS to Duncan - bummer, no kielbasa today. It was ham at the Alna V.F.D. though it was a nice breakfast.
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Dave,
That would account for why you all were able to work together and finish so much. Sounds like you all had a good time. I wish time and circumstance would have allowed me to join you. Alsa, with no kielbasa and a ton of leftover "home" work I just couldn't make it.
Duncan
PS: Maybe next year.
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Photos Anyone??? Here we are at the start of the day.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-11/1225939/Albion_Day_2008,_morning.jpg)
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-11/1225939/Albion_Day_2008,_morning-4.jpg)
And looking through the weeds, I did manage to locate some track from the past. It was only from last year and I help lay it, but it was still the past. Looked kind of sad out there actually.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-11/1225939/Albion_Day_2008,_morning-3.jpg)
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-11/1225939/Albion_Day_2008,_morning-2.jpg)
After some initial head scratching, we got down to business. The first four lengths of rail are down, and we have started spiking. Also note the green Ballast regulator in the background. That was my choice tool of the day.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-11/1225939/Albion_Day_2008-3.jpg)
At the end of the day, we wound up with a track that looks like this.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-11/1225939/AlbionDayEnd,Nov.1,2008.JPG)
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-11/1225939/Albion_Day_2008.jpg)
Another fine day to be in Albion. And I hope next year, it looks like it did when we left.
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Isn't that where we left off last year? I have to admit, I was wavering on going to Albion due to things that need doing at home before winter, and when I read Stewart's report that the track had been taken up...again...i just couldn't do it. The WW&F crew has laid that same track three times now and I can't justify spending the time doing the same thing over and over and over. Albion is such a worthy project and the limited time we can spend there needs to be used to make progress. I hope the track isn't too low this year...
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What is the reason the track keeps being taken up?
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The first time it was taken up was due to rotten ties. They unbolted everything, marked the rails and stacked them up. This made it difficult because not all jointbars are the same. When we laid it down last year, we put it on top of all the ballast. Carl felt it was too high so he again unbolted what we had done and tossed the track into the weeds. This year, we levelled the ballast and I removed some with that nice ballast regulator.
Everything we did is dead level with only one small dip just before the Flanger at the south end.
And Dave, I'm with you. Until the track gets put back, the more sessions at Albion, the better.
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Mike, The pictures are great to see. Hope Carl was included in the decison as to the level the track was laid. Thanks again for the pictures and up date of Albion. Fred L. Kuhns
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i strongly suggested to Carl (and Phil) that the track we laid this year had better be in the same place next year or we would turn right around. I even told him we'd send a scout the week before to double check. I think the track is too low but that's where Carl wanted it.
Mike is being very modest about his skills with a tractor. The only low spot is where we put down a section of track before Mike discovered the tractor. And this was without benefit of any surveying tools. If he ran the excavator leveling our R.O.W. there would be very little leveling. Maybe Santa will put a Deere under Mike's tree this year.
I took some photos as well. With the boys at school I'll have to figure out how to download them to the computer they left behind.
Dave
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Awe c'mon Dave, I wasn't that good. Steve and I leveled a pad large enough for the tractor to sit on. Once it was level, it was easy. I just hope it is as easy the next time. The same tractor for about an hour should get the rest level enough.
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Great pictures, Mike -- thanks for posting them!
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Dave didn't mention the large, wide, relentless grin on Mike's face as he maneuvered the John Deere around.
Especially when he had it on three wheels as he lifted the switch 'insta-track' section. 8)
Seriously, Mike Fox and his green shovel made the job go a lot easier, nice and level. ;)
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I only wish it were mine ;D