Messages

1

Work and Events / Re: Fall Work Weekend 2018

« on: October 04, 2018, 11:15:44 AM »

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....

2

Work and Events / Re: Fall Work Weekend 2018

« on: October 04, 2018, 10:18:36 AM »

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. 

3

Work and Events / Re: September 29th Fall Festival and Evening Train

« on: October 02, 2018, 10:59:24 AM »

We need them to put their comments into geosocial media like Yelp and Trip Advisor.......

4

UK (Welsh, British) Two Footers / L&B Steam Gala - Lyn & Lyd

« on: October 01, 2018, 08:22:01 AM »

I was waiting for the L&B to post an entry to the website, but .....



Shaun Bradbury's Flickr photostream of the event...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shaund1010/sets/72157701909917515


https://www.facebook.com/LyntonRailwayPhotos/?__tn__=-UK-R

5

UK (Welsh, British) Two Footers / Re: News from the L&B's coach assembly line

« on: September 27, 2018, 11:34:20 AM »

I do like the modular construction methods! Extremely cool.

6

UK (Welsh, British) Two Footers / Re: LYN at the WHR Super Power Weekend 2018

« on: September 27, 2018, 06:49:15 AM »

But things will be even better at the L&B's Autumn Gala this coming weekend when visitors to Woody Bay in south-west England will be able to see not one, but two L&B engines (LYN and LYD) on their home line hauling appropriate L&B carriages side by side for the first time in 83 years!

Trains services operate on both days every half-hour from 10:00am till 4:30pm.

Christopher,
Shh, you're stealing my thunder for the next post

It's too bad the CIC share offer cannot be subscribed outside of the UK.

7

UK (Welsh, British) Two Footers / LYN at the WHR Super Power Weekend 2018

« on: September 25, 2018, 04:29:23 PM »

LYN at the WHR Super Power Weekend 2018

_{Photo credit: Graham Rust}

http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/story/lyn-whr-super-power-weekend-2018

LYN - the World's newest steam loco - was the star attraction at the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways Super Power Gala on September 14th – 16th.

LYN was based on the northern section of the Welsh Highland at Dinas hauling special trains between Caernarfon and Rhyd Ddu.

8

Work and Events / Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread

« on: September 25, 2018, 08:32:21 AM »

Again, I do not deserve any more credit than anyone else doing their part for the museum. Team effort.

Someone has to organize it and keep the ball rolling. You deserve appreciation for that effort.

9

Volunteers / Re: September 2018 Work Reports

« on: September 23, 2018, 07:10:09 AM »

You know one way that will blend old and new is to build snap track sections by hand in Sheepscott then load them onto the gantry system for placement and delivery.
Finish spiking by hand when the section is placed to adjust for final gauge.
It give all the "fun" of hand spiking track without having to do it in the middle of the forest.

Then the ties don't have to be handled twice (onto the flatcar and off the flatcar) since the work is done on campus.

The Kubota, in addition to the gantry, could be used to coarse tweak the placed sections with hand baring for fine adjustment.
Once everything is done bring the MOW car to the new EOT to load the excavator.

I include a link to one of Jerry's fine photographs of the D&SNG rebuilding from the big washout with snaptrack.



We all want to get to Rt 218, we just don't want to see anyone hurt or injured with material, tools and equipment.
The hand snaptrack assembly can then be closely supervised by the experienced folks and can be used as a learning experience
- a teachable moment! With a bathroom nearby!

A snaptrack section can be created during the year as an exhibit to show how track is laid by hand.
Participants would know that their little bit of effort with the display will actually be used on the railroad.
Interactive exhibits with explanatory signage are good.

10

Work and Events / Re: Trout Brook Bridge - Official Work Thread

« on: September 19, 2018, 11:33:34 AM »

Not to say ATV's wont be an issue, we are extremely fortunate to have some very caring and considerate neighbors.

At minimum the ROW and especially the bridge + approach trestles should be posted for No Trespassing since not everyone is as considerate as our good neighbors and friends. We should be posting all crossings with such discrete signs -



Legally the signs might have to be posted by the W&Q since that is the entity that the Museum is leveraging.

U.S. Code › Title 49 › Subtitle V › Part A › Chapter 201 › Subchapter II › § 20151
- Railroad trespassing, vandalism, and highway-rail grade crossing warning sign violation prevention strategy
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/20151 <- Thanks go out to Cornell Law School!

(c)Model Legislation.—
(1) Within 18 months after November 2, 1994, the Secretary, after consultation with State and local governments and railroad carriers, shall develop and make available to State and local governments model State legislation providing for—
(A) civil or criminal penalties, or both, for vandalism of railroad equipment or property which could affect the safety of the public or of railroad employees; and
(B) civil or criminal penalties, or both, for trespassing on a railroad owned or leased right-of-way.

I'll see if I can dig up the specific Maine legislation for RR ROW Trespass.

I'd urge the BoD to consider it as an agenda item.

11

Work and Events / Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread

« on: September 15, 2018, 07:15:38 PM »

A reasonable estimate for 6000 track feet of rail would be $120,000 at todays rail price.

$70,000 for ties, spikes and culverts.

$100,000 to repair two large washouts and one major landslide.

$60,000 in excavating and ballast costs.

$30,000 for the queen truss bridge over Carleton Brook (this may be high)

Total is $380,000.

If we used annual fundraiser for next 7 years just to extend track, we could be at Rt 218 in 6 to 7 years.

But as you know we have other needs to provide for.

This old post from 9 years ago was interesting enough to look back and contemplate considering the bridge is almost in place and just about all the grade is done to Rt 218 and there's enough rail and materials piled at the museum to get there.... Would be interesting to compare the actuals against the estimate.

12

Work and Events / Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread

« on: September 15, 2018, 07:10:14 PM »

...

Are you going to stop just giving us pictures of Cross Road? This teasing isn't fun!

More great work! 

Does the grading go past Location 10? I thought you mentioned you had completed that location a few weeks ago... or was Contractor Jeff waiting for Location 9 to be finished so he could put the fill in and dress location 10.

I say let Fred loose with a chainsaw on Section 5.....tell him there is a case of Moxie (or his preferred beverage) at the north end of Section 5 with his name on it.

Any thought of running the grade with a stone rake just to integrate all the wiffles and provide a good, smooth surface for the fabric before the track is layed?

13

UK (Welsh, British) Two Footers / Re: Latest news from the L&B's shops

« on: September 13, 2018, 05:37:51 PM »

All of the L&B heavy coach construction and restoration is done off-site....

The L&B's East Anglia Support Team (EAST) are busy restoring L&B heritage vehicles at Friday Wood Farm, Colchester.
http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/trust/groups/east-group


Not just coaches, but they are building the next two Steam Engines remotely....

The plan is for ‘YEO’ is to be built in North Derbyshire and ‘EXE’ at Boston Lodge.

14

Work and Events / Re: Trout Brook Bridge - Official Work Thread

« on: September 12, 2018, 06:19:19 AM »

I was a bootlegger for a while. I used to bring Yuengling north until it became available in Massachusetts and Maine. I still occasionally find a case of Little Kings in the back of my car.

Wayne "The Bandit" Laepple bootlegging a truck of Yuengling east of the Susquehanna River to Portland, Maine in less than 12 hours.
Sounds like movie material! Call Hollywood!

I caught a photo of Wayne's ride to FWW full of Yuengling and Moxie all in glass bottles.

15

Work and Events / Re: Trout Brook Bridge - Official Work Thread

« on: September 11, 2018, 10:33:18 AM »

We didn't tell you about the 6 months of permitting work with Town of Alna, DEP, Army Corps of Engineers, etc etc.

i.e. paperwork.