W.W.&F. Discussion Forum
WW&F Railway Museum Discussion => Work and Events => Topic started by: Bill Reidy on September 15, 2018, 10:29:08 PM
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It's getting time to note plans, preparations and progress for the 2018 Fall Work Weekend.
Fred Morse has led volunteers the past many weeks so that 1,000 ties were ready by the end of today (Saturday, September 15th). Don't believe his claims we overwork him -- we had trouble keeping up with him today cutting and stacking the last bunch of ties! Here's a photo of the tie piles at Sheepscot -- there's many more staged at Top of the Mountain. Cut tie ends at Sheepscot were treated by Mark Cheetham later in the day.
(https://i.imgur.com/VhXMmYx.jpg)
Roadmaster Joe Fox and fellow volunteers have sorted and stacked 100 sticks of 60-pound rail. Here's a small sample of the rail stacked, with layers sorted by 5 east and 5 west running rails, ready for transport to the Mountain Extension.
(https://i.imgur.com/aUT23R5.jpg)
Today (Saturday, September 15th), Joe led a group of volunteers to dig through our inventory of rail joint bars and identify 235 that fit our rail and are judged good. The bars were stacked on pallets.
(https://i.imgur.com/oEjqfVJ.jpg)
Plenty of track bolts and spikes are stored at Sheepscot, so all track material is now at hand to build new track down the Mountain. Thanks to Mike Fox and assistants, the right-of-way is ready for the goal of 1,400 feet of new track Columbus Day weekend. We know that amount of new track is possible -- in 2001 we completed the push from Sheepscot Mills over the new Humason Brook trestle, and in 2003 from Trask's Crossing to Alna Center. While some of us may have gotten older, we're fortunate to have younger members and friends join us since then.
All we need now is good weather Columbus Day weekend Friday - Monday, October 5th through 8th, and a strong volunteer turnout. Work weekend volunteer turnout has never been a problem. Can we set a new work weekend record of 100 volunteers on site Saturday?
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Is the plan to start staging track material along the ROW to help speed up the construction process?
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This question has come up a lot. Once the rail crane is built, the plan is to load up a car load of rail at Sheepscot at the end of each night. More than half of the ties are currently staged at ToM, and we havent set up an official loading time on that yet. My guess would be the same thing, ties get loaded at the end of the day at ToM by the crew before returning home. Spikes, bolts, and joint bars will be on a yellow work car pushed ahead of the track building train if everything goes well.
I have been told the rail crane will be operational in two weeks, to allow some time to test it and make modifications if needed.
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Joe,
You answered my question. I wondered how long it would take to build the crane.
Jeff S.
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You know what I just realized is that we sorted the bars into 3 piles. "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly" Good being ones that we are using, and bad being the scrap, and ugly being odd balls out.
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All the focus seems to be on building track, yet I know there are other projects in the offing. Perhaps someone in the know could list EVERYTHING, since there are bound to be folks who may not be interested in building track but want to be useful otherwise.
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This work weekends main focus will be track work. April was ok, however we could have used many more hands for track. Thus the result is any other projects will be absolutely minimal.
Projects will include shop projects (bare minimal crew), stair building and other wood projects around Sheepscott, parking lot clearing, etc. The projects will all be going on, however we ask everyone not designated for certain projects to please take a ride north to see if there is any help needed with track building. If no extra hands are needed with track building then the extra hands can fill in at Sheepscott. But where track building is critical we wouod like as many volunteers up north. April we really got the short handed with help and are trying to minimize that this time around as many volunteers felt like they were forced to work which is not how we want people to feel.
Also we understand there will be times people will want to check out the progress on the rail grade, and bridge which is always welcome as well.
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List of projects is as follows.
Track extension.
Parking lot clearing.
Constructing a deck on the front of the Percival House
Burying conduit from shop to house.
Machine shop crew will be manning the gantry so doubt anything will be going on there.
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Thanks, Mike. That's just what I asked.
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Joe has repaired the insta-track, and also made a new one.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Resized952018093095095135_zpsf3itjfaq.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Resized952018093095095507_zpsm8ssyjpt.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Resized952018093095095701_zpsoynm4pjm.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Resized952018093095101316_zpsk9yk87ij.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Resized952018093095101457_zpsfdgsyhu9.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Resized952018093095101739_zps9lb6pwpt.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Resized952018093095112252_zps2t0wpk4h.jpg)
Joe has also made an insta-track repair kit.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Resized952018093095112245_zps5spdxxfz.jpg)
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He does good work, just like his dad.
Jeff S.
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Thank you Jeff. The new one was made with a 4×4 laying around at my house just itching to be used. After making several wood blocks today, with more to make later this week the end result will be a Insta Track repair kit which will include a hack saw, hammer, small vice grips, pliers, washers, wing nuts, bolts, and blocks so that we will have a way to repair any insta tracks that get broken during the day.
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Joe,
You are really on top of it. Sort of like a chip off the old Insta-Track Block.
That is not a dig at your dad (the real digger in the family).
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Methinks our new Roadmaster will work out fine. Joe always seems to be thinking one or two steps ahead.
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....and Joe Fox is now a licensed contractor of Insta-Trak Corporation, a major supplier of railroad track materials with offices in principal cities. (Maynard MA and Auburn ME)
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Although I am thinking ahead in some aspects, it is nice to have many bend my ears to remind me of some details that may be overlooked. Small details like some of the bolts that may be bad, which is when I came up with the repair kit idea. It is a team effort, and I must say I am very excited for this weekend. We all work together very well, and everyone is always looking out for each other.
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....and Joe Fox is now a licensed contractor of Insta-Trak Corporation, a major supplier of railroad track materials with offices in principal cities. (Maynard MA and Auburn ME)
When something works as well as the insta-track has, there is no need for improvement.
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Thank you Jeff. The new one was made with a 4×4 laying around at my house just itching to be used. After making several wood blocks today, with more to make later this week the end result will be a Insta Track repair kit which will include a hack saw, hammer, small vice grips, pliers, washers, wing nuts, bolts, and blocks so that we will have a way to repair any insta tracks that get broken during the day.
Who on the track crew will be assigned the duty of remembering the kit? :o
Jeff S.
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Who on the track crew will be assigned the duty of remembering the kit? :o
Jeff S.
The same person assigned to remember to charge the Joint Bar Bolt Impact Wrench and bring it along.
Bill
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Who on the track crew will be assigned the duty of remembering the kit? :o
Jeff S.
The same person assigned to remember to charge the Joint Bar Bolt Impact Wrench and bring it along.
Bill
HWMNBN :o
Jeff S.
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Who on the track crew will be assigned the duty of remembering the kit? :o
Jeff S.
The same person assigned to remember to charge the Joint Bar Bolt Impact Wrench and bring it along.
Bill
HWMNBN :o
Jeff S.
Heh. You're going to have a wait, then, on bolting track together. I can't be in Alna until Saturday.
At least the weather forecast looks good -- let's hope the forecast holds. This is from WMTW in Portland:
(https://i.imgur.com/YNyzxqR.jpg)
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Wonderful weather forecast!!!!!
Just great for laying track, running trains, building decks, cleaning up the parking lot and other odd jobs.
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Weather forecast Thursday to Monday is looking very good. Going to be in the upper 50's and low 60's most of the weekend. Perfect track building and other working weather.
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The rail gantry was tested out today. Tomorrow the plan is to put 150' of track down using the normal Wednesday crew.
Chainfalls mounted.
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6897.jpg)
Railing being loaded back up after being run out and put down from the trailing flatcar.
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6904.jpg)
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I hope we have considered our track laying will be on a down grade. Need a hefty couple of folks to keep the rail from racing down the crane from the loading flat car to the EOT.
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The rail will be eased down the crane with a rope and pulley. So each crane will have an operator and a handler. All part of my estimated 13-14 man crew size. Each person will have a designated job, and the tie handlers will also be needed to help slide the rail up against the spacer against the other rail.
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Joe,
As usually, you have it under control and have thought of everything.
I am looking forward to being a part of all this work this weekend.
Bill
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The main idea for the crane was developed by Jason, Brendan, and Rick, and I helped add input here and there. Just someone on the sidelines like everyone else trying to hep make sure things run smooth.
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Finally figgered it out...a pair of chainfalls rolling under both long girders as shown pick up rail sticks, "trolleying" them from back flatcar to be lowered to the ties in front of the leading flat, onto insta-track "speed mounts", awaiting permanent gauging/spiking/bolting, permitting the rail setter rig to advance faster and with much less backbreaking effort than if all done manually.
Verrrrrry clever. Youz guys, as usual, work ril gud! ;D
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The rail gantry in action. We put down about 160' of rail after lunch with a crew of 12.
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6920.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6925.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6927.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6933.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6942.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6953.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6957.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6962.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6982.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6992.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_6998.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7005.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7011.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7018.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7022.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7028.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7038.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7045.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7049.jpg)
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Thats awesome. Well done.
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That's great news -- I'm glad the test run went well.
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Triple huzzah!! So good to see the Ingenious Colossal Contraption working as designed. ;D
Well, well done.
Waiting for feedback from the ICC gandies! ;)
And many thanks for as many photos as possible.
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BTW, if 1400 feet of built track is this FWW goal, and you've just warmed up laying 160 feet after lunch, that's 11.4 percent of the job.
Slow down, already! ;D ;D
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By next Fall Paul we should be a well oiled machine and able to build all the way to the road if all goes well. Which would be good as that would give us all of 2020 to build the runaround track, turntable, and ballast and tamp it. Very exciting history being made here.
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Slow down a little Joe. You don't need to reach the road so soon.. Maybe to the switch area..
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I figured we would be ballasting down the mountain for SWW and laying track to 218 in the fall. Let's not lower expectations yet.
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We can only ballast in the spring because we still have work to do in the summer.
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The good news is that it only takes six people to pick up, move, place, and bolt a stick, and it's fast and smooth...
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That's what I wanted to hear...well-deserved semi-automation reaches WW&F! :P ;)
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If I understand this new process correctly, the limiting factor is going to be the number of insta-tracks we have, and thus how quickly the spikers and gaugers working behind the flat can free up the insta-tracks. Do we have any idea whether the insta-track supply will dominate or if the spikers and gaugers will dominate?
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Looking at the schedule for the weekend, it looks like work starts at 7AM on Friday, but breakfast is not served. We're arriving Thursday late afternoon. Should we plan to go into town to get breakfast on Friday? Or bring a cold cereal and pop-tart style breakfast so that we can eat and be ready to pitch in starting at 7 ?
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Hey Russ, feel free to bring cereal, oatmeal, or other easy breakfast item with you if you'd like.
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Spikers will be broken down into teams. The first team will have to gauge and safety spike in order to remove the insta-tracks.
There are plans to make more insta-tracks, with the new ones made from steel.
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Best wishes to all for safe travels and safe work. I'm sorry I can't be there to share in the fun and excitement. I'll be eagerly awaiting photos and reports. I'll be wearing my collection of WW&F T-shirts and other regalia for the entire weekend in honor of the FWW.
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"The good news is that it only takes six people to pick up, move, place, and bolt a stick, and it's fast and smooth..."
So what happens to the other 68 people? They can't all drive spikes!
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Thats awesome. Well done.
And in the Narrow Gauge Tracklaying Arms Race, The Yankees of Alna have responded to the challenge from Miners of Como and brought out their heavy track weaponry.
So why don't we tell MNG to have a stack of rail and ties plus a truckload of Moxie and we'll get their track in place to Gray. ;)
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Wow, that crane is impressive. It's great to see it working as it was envisioned. I hope everyone understands that the spikers are going to have to pace themselves. It's all well and good to say that we will have to keep up and keep the insta tracks coming but it's easier said than done when you're not the one swinging the hammer. The idea for the rail crane, as I understand it, was for safety, not too turn this track laying into a sprint. If I have anything to say about the process, we will be breaking into teams and each team will have their spiking job, and we will get a flow going. And we are not gong to rush. It takes as much energy to drive the last spike as it does the first and there is no point in wearing people out. In my younger days when we were haying my grandfather would say: "pace yourself, boy!". We have laid 1300 plus feet in a work weekend using the old method and I see no reason to hurry the crews this weekend with the new. We will establish a pace and we will get it done and have some fun at the same time.
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Wow, that crane is impressive. It's great to see it working as it was envisioned. I hope everyone understands that the spikers are going to have to pace themselves. It's all well and good to say that we will have to keep up and keep the insta tracks coming but it's easier said than done when you're not the one swinging the hammer. The idea for the rail crane, as I understand it, was for safety, not too turn this track laying into a sprint. If I have anything to say about the process, we will be breaking into teams and each team will have their spiking job, and we will get a flow going. And we are not gong to rush. It takes as much energy to drive the last spike as it does the first and there is no point in wearing people out. In my younger days when we were haying my grandfather would say: "pace yourself, boy!". We have laid 1300 plus feet in a work weekend using the old method and I see no reason to hurry the crews this weekend with the new. We will establish a pace and we will get it done and have some fun at the same time.
I'll bring up the heresy again without comment....
(https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-25784252/images/5b5fbc01ea90bTQOvJfA/July-29-2018-Bob-Schoppe_d600.JPG)
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People don't come to the work weekends to stand and watch automated track laying. They come to participate and to experience some of the old way of doing things, in my opinion. That is what makes the WW&F unique. I'm not interested in turning the WW&F into the fast paced rat race I'm trying to get a break from when I go there.
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I'm not interested in turning the WW&F into the fast paced rat race I'm trying to get a break from when I go there.
Well said. Amen. (And happy birthday.)
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Hear, hear, Dana!
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Said it before and I will say it again, any kind of automated hammer sucks to carry. Bring in an automated hammer, and I will not be spiking any more. Hate those things. Get hung up on everything, tripping hazards everywhere. Especially one that will drive spikes into solid ties.
Worked professional track crew for a few years and our most productive spiking days were the days when the hammer was busted. Were we glad to have a hammer back, yes. But we hand spiked over 800 ties in a week all done by hand with two spike maul operators.
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I'm not interested in turning the WW&F into the fast paced rat race I'm trying to get a break from when I go there.
Well said. Amen. (And happy birthday.)
It's Dana's birthday? Happy birthday!
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Dana had a BIG "odometer flip" birthday on Saturday, Sept 29th. He spent it at the WW&F trying not to make a big deal about it.
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He hit 200,000 miles?
Fortunate for him he has friends like us to make a big deal about it! ;)
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Wayne there is much to do other than tracklaying...especially with the backlog created by the bridge project. And some of the 68 are getting older and less able to wrestle rail sticks...
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I totally understand that, Bob. I'm one of those folks who's getting older -- 71 last July. I stopped working on track about four years ago. My point was that it seemed that all effort was to be concentrated on laying 1400 feet of track over the weekend, to the exclusion of the usual roster of less taxing additional projects.
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Jason's Pictures from Thursday
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/IMG_2587_zpstye9976o.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/IMG_2592_zpssznv5er1.jpg)
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It would be great if somebody posted a bit of video taken as it goes through that curve just north of it in the last picture.
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Reply to Russ Nelson. Most members meet around 6AM at Ships Chow Hall. There is also Miss Wiscasset and another restaurant across from Shaw's market. All breakfast eatery's are on Route 1 south of Wiscasset. Ships open around 5AM
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Breakfasts are also being served at the Museum (via Nancy) on Sat/Sun/Mon starting at 7 AM. One stop shopping!
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The third place Dwight mentioned is the Marketplace Restaurant next to the Subway sandwich shop. That's my haut when I go to the railroad.
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A belated Happy Birthday to Dana. And best wishes to the whole gang this weekend. Like Wayne, I won't be attending but I'll be rooting on all the gang working hard to lay track down the mountain and wishing I could be there to help.
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The first photo of this morning's work has appeared on Facebook. Credit to El Presidente, David Buczkowski.
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Photobucket appears to be down so for now here is an opposing shot of the one Ed put up. Joe took this.
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Wow...track work a go-go! :P
Looks like they're just passing the private crossing. Those Insta-Track pieces/parts are working.
I don't understand complaints from you "old heads" that this current tracklaying protocol, adapted to available labor, is simply too "modern" and not faithful to past, total hand and back labor. ??
Again, check the recent post of early 1900s CN? trackwork, doing pretty much the same thing. Also, see the similarity between the posted European machine and WWF's?
I see LOTS of non-automated work to be done in these current work pics.
I'm glad Trout Brook Bridge piles were driven by machine, heavy timber lifted by crane.
Asking volunteers, travelling far on their own dime and not used to the drudgery of tracklaying (I've done some) to work healthily with cleverly augmented help, NOT automation, seems THE ideal compromise!
Realistically, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM???
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Paul,
As I perused the number of posters on this one topic, I made a surprising discovery. All but two of the posters were active (and in some cases EXTREMELY active) volunteers. That simple fact alone (at least to me) would lend their opinions far more weight than those of someone who do not volunteer on site on a regular basis.
At the risk of shattering the Museum's long standing acceptance of any and all opinions, I would humbly suggest that this discussion is toned down a mite.
Steve Zuppa
24 year member
21 year volunteer
15 year board member
9 year President
Current BS Watchdog
[Moderator's note - Post edited slightly.]
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Well I as one who has never laid track and couldn't make it this year because of previous commitments I think the track laying crane is a great idea. I plan to be there next year and see how many spikes I can bend. :)
Mike Nix
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I apologize that I misread some of the preceding posts. If I had been more careful, I would have moderated this topic a bit more closely.
The "modern-day" WW&F has always used historically accurate and safe techniques for all of its tasks, whenever possible. When such techniques are not practical (hand tamping stone ballast) or safe/permitted (lap-seam boilers) modern methods are used. Moreover, as the railroad has grown, we have had to make some adjustments, some due to efficiency, some because we now have resources. These changes are always well-thought out by the folks closest to the situation, and after much debate and information gathering.
The latest example of this is the rail crane. Over time, I can envision other automated machinery, including even a spiking machine.
Meanwhile the fun is in the building. And I am looking forward to being trackside tomorrow.
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Todays spike teams led by Dana did fantastic and kept up pace with the rail crane. Please lets not get carried away with automation. We are very fortunate to have so many eager folks want to pound spikes. If we automate too much we will start to drive away our help, and none of us want to see that happen.
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Amen Ed and keep on tracking. I was a member of the track crew in Pithiviers for decades. Trackworks are a tough job when you usually use a pen instead of a lining bar or a tamping tool but how rewarding they are when at the end of the day you turn back and look at what you 've done. I spent quite a lot of good time carrying them out when I was younger.
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I do agree with you Joe. As long as you can, go on with the way you do, it's the genuine one.
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BTW, I see nothing in the crane "technology" that could not have been done in the early 20th century by a creative WW&F engineering department. Except the chain falls, but Block and Tackle would have worked as well. So I think the argument is moot...
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How far did track building reach today? And was there any work done in Sheepscot? I know at least a couple of Sheepscot projects (parking lot, front deck on the Percival House) had been planned this weekend.
I plan to be at the museum Saturday and Sunday.
Thanks!
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560 feet of track today.
The Percival porch is well along.
Alan was working a crew in the new machine shop but on what I don't know.
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Disregard my track question -- I see that was discussed outside this Fall Work Weekend thread, in the October 2018 Work Planning thread, plus James just posted a reply here. From James in the other thread:
"FWW Day 1 (Friday), Track crew report:
"I think we can all agree that the crane system is a success. There were two cycles of track laying, as the train went back at noon for a reload. It took about 2.5 hours to put down a train's load of ties and rail. Sorry, but I can't remember how much that is! The end of track at the end of the day today was at the former slide location.
"I can't report about the rest of the campus as I had to head straight home once I got back."
Glad the crane system has worked out well!
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Other work done today included the framing and deck for the back door. Steps and hand rails to go,
Started clearing trees for the parking lot expansion.,
Moving the ceiling braces in bay 3 and fabricating hangers for the bridge crane,
Cooking lots of good food,
Shuttling people and materials to and from EOT (a moving target),
Some work in archives,
And I know some other things that I didn’t see or remember.
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I must admit that I had some reservations with the gantry system originally but having been on-site and working under the new system I can safely say it was an unqualified success. What was put together from bridge leftovers was awesome and would have Rube Goldberg beaming with pride. I can see us doing even better tomorrow.
Track building was not the only thing going on. There was a crew working the new deck on the Percival house,. A group cleaning up the parking lot,. And others working in the shops and gift store. kitchen crew was very busy with meals at Sheepscot and end of track.
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Stewart has posted a nice set of photos documenting today's progress on the museum's Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/WWFRailway
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Wow and double Wow!! Color me impressed with the day's track building.
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Let's hope everything goes well, if you lay another 560 on saturday that leaves only 120 for sunday if my math is right. Great work!
Mike Nix
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Bob Holmes: ..."Except the chain falls, but Block and Tackle would have worked as well."...
Just looked up Chain Falls - they go back over 100 years.
I have a Chain Fall from the 1920's - maybe not from the time of the original rail lay but not long after.
Mine is a Differential Hoist - it has 1 chain and 2 different sized pulleys on top.
This guy is a little long winded, so be prepared to skip ahead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXzGSB4i1UU
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Jasons pictures from Friday.
Passing Alna Center
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/IMG_2608_zpsavgigqtg.jpg)
Albees Field
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/IMG_2611_zpskpyvsabs.jpg)
Passing Location 2 (Steve L on the flat)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/IMG_2620_zpst9arjmiy.jpg)
Looking South from about the same location afterctrain passed.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/IMG_2624_zpsvcsblxzi.jpg)
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Thanks Jason & Mike
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My pics from today.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/1006180932_zpst7ihejwh.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/1006181402_zps7cj4nthu.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/1006181402a_zpsywmufy9j.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/1006181702_zpsyepkxuyu.jpg)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/1006181702d_zpsrj6tkndw.jpg)
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Clearing for the new parking lot west of the present lot.
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7066.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7071.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7075.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7079.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7084.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7089.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7095.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7101.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7121.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7125.jpg)
(http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s5/bbarry74/bridge%20move/IMG_7127.jpg)
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I was at our museum Saturday and Sunday and was a member of the work train crew both days. Here are a few photos I took both days. For reference, here's the map Ed Lecuyer had posted for the extension. I hope Mike will correct any incorrect locations I have referenced below.
(http://wwfry.org/pics/MountainExtensionSectionMapLowRes.jpg)
FWW day 2 - Saturday, October 6th:
At the end of the day Friday (FWW day 1), track had reached just north of location 4 - the slide. Here's a view of the work train after it had arrived first thing Saturday, a little after 9 a.m. A crisp, clear morning, with temperature in the 30s.
(https://i.imgur.com/OUSOVsx.jpg)
A view from the south end of the work train, where the spiking crew was getting to work. The work train consisted of (north to south) yellow work car 1015, rail gantry flat car 126, flat car 118, locomotive 52, caboose 320, and yellow work car 1007. Work car 1015 had joint bars, bolts, tools and other material for bolting the rail, while 1007 had spikes, tools and other material for the trailing spiking crew.
(https://i.imgur.com/B1c0sci.jpg)
Turning 180 degrees and looking up the west side of the work train, we see the north end past the slide.
(https://i.imgur.com/aYrTdzz.jpg)
An east rail being placed. The progression northward was placement of 14 ties (rail length was 28 feet), placement of the west rail, placement of the east rail, repeat. On Saturday, Jason Lamontagne handled the joint bars with James Patten, while Rick Sisson watched for kinks.
(https://i.imgur.com/ha9qh0i.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Qj2kP4m.jpg)
The spiking crew soon reached location 4 -- the slide.
(https://i.imgur.com/tBuAqoi.jpg)
Now the pinch point -- location 6, looking north. Others have commented how well the rail gantry has worked, and here is an example of how it has improved safety. No rail handling now needed by a dozen+ volunteers lifting and carrying a rail northward along a narrow right-of-way. In this view, a bundle of 14 ties has just been put down north of the train.
(https://i.imgur.com/pCNdqSW.jpg)
The 14 ties laid out, waiting for rail. A volunteer has a piece of insta-track ready to hold the rail gauge, before the spiking crew can secure the rail. Three insta-tracks were used to hold the gauge per 28-foot rail section.
(https://i.imgur.com/BVp2svR.jpg)
A west rail being put into place.
(https://i.imgur.com/VA0UF4X.jpg)
The 10.30 a.m. passenger train brought lunch for the track crew. Here it is arriving around 11.20 a.m. Locomotive #9 backed open car 103 and coach 8 down the grade. This is the first time #9 has reached the slide.
(https://i.imgur.com/MNjtTI4.jpg)
A view of the end of track at lunchtime Saturday. I'm standing at location 8, looking southward.
(https://i.imgur.com/xcOVHXm.jpg)
After lunch, the work train returned to Sheepscot to pick up more rails and ties. Two 10-rail layers were loaded on flat car 118, while enough ties for the 280-feet of track were loaded on the rail gantry car 126. This is two-thirds capacity for both cars.
(https://i.imgur.com/04XZHqR.jpg)
Upon return, the south end of the work train was at the pinch point.
(https://i.imgur.com/sQsPIE5.jpg)
Are we having fun yet? The work train crew enjoyed a bit of hurry up and wait as the day progressed. Jonathan St. Mary was Saturday's engineer; Bill Baskerville was Sunday's engineer.
(https://i.imgur.com/TSh3bqO.jpg)
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FWW Day 3 - Sunday, October 7th:
Over the past 17 years I been fortunate enough to volunteer at the museum, I seen many striking scenes. This one is among the tops: the south view from the work train as we approached the end of track first thing Sunday morning.
(https://i.imgur.com/B6oaoYF.jpg)
Dana Deering and Joe Fox discuss the day's plans with the spiking crew.
(https://i.imgur.com/aqFOrnF.jpg)
Turning 180 degrees to the north, a photo of the work train on the curve at location 8 to location 9. This is a sharp curve, though I am told not quite as sharp as the north end of cock-eye curve.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZtUM0Bp.jpg)
This view looking north toward the spikers and the work train train gives a bit better perspective of the curve.
(https://i.imgur.com/x7wagCy.jpg)
Ties being lowered at location 9 -- the second 48" culvert site.
(https://i.imgur.com/zoIugRN.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/WsWUcAJ.jpg)
The last rail being placed for this fall's mountain track extension. This was around 10.35 a.m.
(https://i.imgur.com/q69qOzI.jpg)
#9's 10.30 train again delivered lunch.
(https://i.imgur.com/ITkBjyq.jpg)
Volunteers watch as #9 and her train prepare to leave for the southbound journey back to Sheepscot.
(https://i.imgur.com/e5ctSKb.jpg)
Volunteers enjoy a well-deserved lunch break in the Maine woods.
(https://i.imgur.com/YlFruqc.jpg)
After lunch, our work train was in the way of spikers, so we proceeded south, cleaning up the right-of-way as we progressed of rejected ties, no longer needed silt fencing, unused culvert and other material. We also dropped a few replacement ties. Here our train has stopped at the construction road entrance, near the former end of track.
(https://i.imgur.com/YPlyRhv.jpg)
We spent a good bit of time putting road fabric down underneath the first 150 feet of track that had been laid the past week as a proof-of-concept for the rail gantry. Once that was done, our train picked up a lot of material left behind from the location 1 washout repair, before proceeding up the Top of the Mountain.
(https://i.imgur.com/ntpeuCK.jpg)
Here are a few late Sunday scenes at Sheepscot.
First, not necessarily work done this weekend, but while the flat cars were in work train service, the removable benches were cleaned up and stained.
(https://i.imgur.com/n54sNqI.jpg)
Progress on the parking lot expansion.
(https://i.imgur.com/NKzNffu.jpg)
Progress on the Percival House front deck and future stairs.
(https://i.imgur.com/PkoySg0.jpg)
The conduits has been placed and backfilled between the shop building, Percival House, and planned electrical distribution building.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZxIisRK.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/9PT5iuD.jpg)
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I hope the above gives some sense of the accomplishments so far this weekend. A couple of items worth noting:
-- We had over 100 volunteers sign in on Saturday. I believe that's a first time for our museum.
-- 1420 feet of track was built this weekend.
I know I enjoyed seeing many old and new friends this weekend, including a member of the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes museum I hadn't seen in nearly 30 years. All in all an amazing weekend.
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Thanks for that very complete and comprehensive report on the FWW activities, Bill. It's greatly appreciated by those of us who could not participate.
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Very impressive work, and a job well done to everyone.
Thank you to all who helped make this a great weekend. Talk about a year for the history books.
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Very accurate descriptions Bill. Thank you. Wish I could have spent more time up there..
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Mike, you may not have been up there all weekend; but you sure played an important part! Those 48" culverts and that retaining wall are some important elements, that will be in service for years to come! I am glad that there were no injuries, except maybe a few blisters from the spike mauls. Thank you to everybody who worked on the FWW.
i am enjoying every one of the pictures!
Ted Miles, WW&F Life Member
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Thank you so much Bill for that very interesting report that perfectly shows how the gantry system works. No wonder that with such a brillant system and organisation you have achieved what you've planned. I've discovered the WW&F just a year ago and I've been following you on fb and on the forum since then . I must say that this first eventful year has been very exciting and I'm sure that the next few years will be as much .Although I'm only a far away onlooker I can really experience the emotions and happiness that the on the spot volunteers feel because you guys know how to share them through fb , this forum and You tube. Thank you so much and congratulations again for your great sense of communication and for all that you've already completed all along that historic year.
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Pictures going from south to north of the new track.
Starting just about the location track laying started on Friday.
(https://i.imgur.com/8KSmsjE.png)
Around the curve.
(https://i.imgur.com/C0IX8N1.png)
Approaching the slide area curve.
(https://i.imgur.com/calJQQz.png)
At the slide.
(https://i.imgur.com/1p27O1D.png)
About where track laying started on Saturday. The pinch point is in the distance.
(https://i.imgur.com/hgT4BYX.png)
From the pinch point.
(https://i.imgur.com/0J9m1YS.png)
From about the location of the distant people in the previous photo. Yes it is very close to the edge.
(https://i.imgur.com/DvGneiL.png)
About the end of track laying on Saturday. The End Is Near.
(http://[b]https://i.imgur.com/K1aeiga.png[/b])
The end of track, looking back south.
(https://i.imgur.com/CnRmihJ.png)
Hopefully that helps with the scope and view of the work.
There's a lot of very close trees. They were left in part to provide guidance to the stone trucker so that he wouldn't go off the edge. We'll cut a few back, but we are limited to only 10 feet either side of the center line.
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Thanks for that very complete and comprehensive report on the FWW activities, Bill. It's greatly appreciated by those of us who could not participate.
It's also appreciated by those of us who were working down at Sheepscot the entire weekend.
Dispatcher Jeff ::)
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(and fellow dispatcher, Ed. ;) )
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Dispatchers Jeff and Ed kept train operations moving this weekend while ensuring progress was made in a safe, expeditious manner. I served as dispatcher one work weekend a couple of years ago. It was a bit frustrating since I couldn't be directly onsite at the rail construction site, but it's an important unsung role.
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I am in the beginning stages of planning at least one tree cutting Saturday before snow flies on the newly tracked section. Possibly renting a wood chipper. And loading the flats with the larger wood. After the snow falls, we will be cutting the trackless section to the bridge. I will try to announce the special fall cutting day as soon as I can plan it.
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I appreciated Jeff's willingness to help dispatch Saturday, while he went solo over the rest of the weekend. I did it by myself all weekend last Fall, and it was great to have someone to help when needed, chaos ensues, etc., and then to chat during the calms between the storms.
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Thanks James for those pics of the final result of an impressive work.
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Perhaps next time someone with a camera is at the north end of track, a photo looking north toward Trout Brook could be taken.
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I had the great privilege to run the spiking crew for the FWW and I can't say "thank you" enough to all of you who helped. I was amazed by the progress we made each day and by the high spirits that everyone showed. There was a spirit of team work and cooperation that was evident the whole time and I was happy from start to finish. The best part of it was the fun everyone seemed to be having. It was great to see all the friends from away and to meet so many new folks and to see so many younger people. I kept track of the total trackage spiked down each day:
Friday: 525 feet
Saturday: 547 feet
Sunday: 348 feet
Excellent work everyone!
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Perhaps next time someone with a camera is at the north end of track, a photo looking north toward Trout Brook could be taken.
There have been a couple of photos posted on Facebook. I hope the photographers don't mind my sharing them here. The one with no one in it was taken by Russ Nelson. The one with Russ Nelson in it (and Dana) was taken by Galo Hernandez.
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Great work over the weekend to all involved! I noticed in the above photos that the joint bars are staggered, yet it appears to be tangent track. I thought we had the joint bars across from each other on tangent track to prevent side rocking of the cars?
Thanks from Chicago for another week.
Dave Crow
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Great work over the weekend to all involved! I noticed in the above photos that the joint bars are staggered, yet it appears to be tangent track. I thought we had the joint bars across from each other on tangent track to prevent side rocking of the cars?
Thanks from Chicago for another week.
Dave Crow
That track is just starting to come out of a curve. The joints were staggered on the curve to help alleviate kinking in the curves. I will defer to Joe or another higher up track guy but I would think that the staggering won't be taken out on that straight because there's another curve further down the grade from that spot.
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Pictures going from south to north of the new track.
I see you got my best side in the fifth photo. ::)
Jeff S.
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Jason has wanted to try off set joints. Off set by about 4 feet. The thinking is to get the joints off of one tie, so maybe they won't be so low and easier to maintain.
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We are going to try staggered joints on the Mountain in hopes our track keeps alignment in and out of curves better. This may increase the need for jacking and tamping, and we will keep an eye out for it. Our current track still has one side get lower than the other, so this may not have that much of a different effect.
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Someone else mentioned a day or two ago that the length of each rail is 28 feet. Out of interest what is the weight of each rail in pounds per yard?
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Chris, the rail is 60 pounds per yard. These were originally 30-foot lengths of rail, but with the ends cropped off to remove the banged-up ends from the original joints.
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I actually think these were rolled out at 28 footers. We didn't crop that many of them, and I am not sure of any railroad that would cut each rail to 28' and drill them.
Now with that said, Dave is correct that the standard size for light rail is 30'. Once you get into 75 lb rail and larger they cone in 40' lengths and larger.
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Actually, heavier jointed rail is typically 39 feet long (to fit within a standard 40 foot gondola). I'm going to make a wild guess that in the days when lighter rail was king, the standard gondola would be 30 feet so 28 foot rails would make sense.
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When I was researching the rail we got from Wisconsin, I was told that it had been "cascaded" twice. First came out of a Milwaukee Road main track to a branch line, then about 15 years later was placed on this branch line to upgrade it from 45-pound rail. I would bet that at one time or another it was cropped from 30 feet to 28.
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You can see beyond the EOT that we could not have gone any further. such as the huge dip in grade. There is serious grading and tree removal to be done before we can lay more track. Lots of opportunity for volunteers to help Mike over the next several months...
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Actually, heavier jointed rail is typically 39 feet long (to fit within a standard 40 foot gondola). I'm going to make a wild guess that in the days when lighter rail was king, the standard gondola would be 30 feet so 28 foot rails would make sense.
Correct. According to John H. White's "The American Railroad Freight Car", the standard car length in the 1870s was 29 feet (for example, V&T flatcar No. 308, built by the Detroit Car Works in 1876 and now at the Nevada State RR Museum, measures 29 feet 8 inches), growing to 30 to 34 feet by the 1880s. I've seen mill dates of 1888 and 1889 on our rail from Wisconsin, so 28 feet would have been just right for that era.
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Here is a picture from the current end of track that Joe took.
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/miketrainnut/Resized952018100795142551_zpspe4jzhwb.jpg)
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Wiscasset Newspaper article about Fall Work Weekend, highlighting the rail crane:
https://www.wiscassetnewspaper.com/article/volunteer-built-crane-aids-railroad-track-laying-alna/108635?source=fs&slide=1
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There are several videos posted on the WW&F YouTube channel. Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/c/WWFRailway (https://www.youtube.com/c/WWFRailway)
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Thanks for the link, Ed.
Jeff S.
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What I like best about that "quadra-spiking" video is that the spikers are all 17 - 18 years old. That's the future of the railway right there. Let's continue to encourage these younger guys (and gals, if you're out there...) all we can. We're building this railroad not just for us but as a legacy and we need "heirs" to carry it on. There were lots of young faces at the FWW and it looked to me like they were all having fun while working hard. What could bode better for the railroad? I am still very much in awe of what the whole track crew, crane to spikers, working together, accomplished. I'm still smiling about it.
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I do agree with you Dana , Youngsters are the future of ours railroads in Alna as in Pithiviers where a few of them have recently joined the association, which has not happened for long. Even the AMTP leadership is young by now and I think it may be the reason of their coming. Young are keen on learning about railroad and strong and they get along very much with the eldest that are happy to know that the efforts they have made to keep the RR alive and kicking over the past decades, wont go down the drain.
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[topic drift]
I'm going to make a radical statement.
Bryce, Dan and others in the teenage crowd are NOT the future face of the WW&F museum, nor of railroad preservation.
...
They are the CURRENT face of the WW&F and of railroad preservation. Bryce and Dan (and Carlos, and others I haven't worked along side yet) are just as much a part of today's WW&F as Fred, or Zack, or even Jason. They just get the benefit of seeing this project for the next 60-plus years, once us older folk will be long gone and largely forgotten.
While I may be stating the obvious, I think that is what makes the WW&F special. Instead of discouraging new or younger volunteers, we add them into the family and try to guide them as best we can. And that is what bodes so well for the long-term survival of the WW&F. I pray that we never lose sight of that.
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I think we're saying the same thing in different ways, Ed.
Forgotten? Nah, we'll be in the stories they tell to the young ones they shepherd into the railroad fold, with some embellishment, I suspect. :)
That said, I'm in no rush to be just a story. I am looking forward to helping push the rails across the bridge and on to 218. I also want to add that none of the great strides we were able to make during the FWW would not have been possible without all of the prep work. Well done, one and all.
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I think we're saying the same thing in different ways, Ed.
Yes, of course we are. However, so many other organizations (and the occasional curmudgeon) forget what our youth can offer today. Every time I hear someone bemoan the Millennial generation, and how they just don't care about preservation, I wonder that the core problem of not engaging others (regardless of age or ability) is being missed.
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I completely agree on what's been said regarding our younger volunteers. It's no accident that at least a couple of these young men are qualified brakemen -- they've well-earned their positions. There's been a lot to celebrate on the WW&F this year, and our younger volunteers are among the top of the list.
I'm just jealous that I was about 40 when I discovered the WW&F. They beat me by over 20 years!
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I like to think of all of our volunteers as legends. Especially ones who took me under their wing when I was a teenager. Guys like Fred, Dana, Dwight, Bob L, Jason, Bob C and many others will always stick out very strong in my mind. It is this kind of willingness to teach and share knowledge that makes us all have a strong bond with each other.
I am extremely pleased with how amazingly well everything went.
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Forgotten? Nah, we'll be in the stories they tell to the young ones they shepherd into the railroad fold, with some embellishment, I suspect. :)
The "moose calliere" perhaps?
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Forgotten? Nah, we'll be in the stories they tell to the young ones they shepherd into the railroad fold, with some embellishment, I suspect. :)
The "moose calliere" perhaps?
Champien Moose Calliere
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Now that everyone has had time to catch their breath after the fall work weekend; I have a question for somebody. What is the purpose of the black material under the new track? l have not seen it on other parts of the WW&F. Railway.
I assume it stays there permanently? Or just does it rot away in a couple of years?
Ted Miles, an away narrow gauge fan
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It is road cloth, which will hopefully help minimize weeds. We have used it in a few areas in the past, and with the clay on the mountain it also helped prevent workers from getting clay stuck on their boots.
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I have seen Class 1 railroads using Road Cloth in their new construction. The cloth keeps clay/mud from working up into the stone ballast.
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In more than a few places it felt like we were walking on a soft mattress - where the ground underneath was pretty wet and muddy.
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Just so! It was still hard to avoid the clingling clay where there was no road cloth.