May 2014 Work Planning

[Jason M Lamontagne]

Hi Alan,

I'll be there Friday as well- there should be a few folks around.

Look forward to seeing you!

Jason

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for weekend of May 23 - 26.

* Start of summer season: This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, which is the start of our summer season, our summer timetable (Saturdays and Sundays, trains operate 10, 11, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30), and this weekend we'll be running steam.  Note that we are not open on the holiday, although it's likely that there will be people around to help give tours and whatnot.
* #9
* Yard track construction
* Landscaping
* Clark ROW work

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

This Week -

* Restrooms - Zack installed a rain guard on the propane wall heater's exhaust pipe.

* Shop - Jason and Jonathan worked on #9.

* Track - Jason led a crew of 6 working on the Cockeye Curve comp. joint, getting it back into a smooth curve.

* Comm - John M. worked on the line side telephone circuit.

* House - The east (front) door was repaired and painted.

* Garage - The garage rats have a project going on the excavator,  a photo may be posted which will explain better than words.

* Outreach - Thursday evening was the Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce meeting at the WW&F.  32 business and civic leaders came to Sheepscot for a nice buffet supper and train ride.  Linda worked all day preparing the meal which was served in the cellar.  The guests toured the shop and took a trip to the end of track where President Steve Zuppa explained the land purchase and plans for track building.  One fellow was so taken with the museum that he wants to start volunteering on weekends.  

[Dave Buczkowski]

Stewart;
What do you mean by "line side telephone circuit"? The line along the ROW?
KD

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Yep, the circuit that runs along the mainline, feeding the line side call boxes and AC station set.

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday May 24:

* Shop second floor: the Texas Downey Boys cleaned up the second floor over the extension to turn it into a wood shop.  Some woodworking tools were already up there, so they cleared out some other material and set up shop.
* Steam: First day of the summer season, #10 was fired up and most trips ran.  The railcar followed a couple of times.
* Wood preservation: Flatcar 126 received a coating of wood preservative on the deck.
* Mower car: Mike did a test-run with the mower car, then did some maintenance.
* Switching: Several cars were switched around, so that Loco 10 can get into Bay 1 now.
* #9: Work was being done on one of the cylinder casting seats.  Also the tank was flipped upside-down for Brendan to work on it.

[Mike Fox]

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Work done May 25th -

* Engine 9 - Brendan started the project of making the steel floor for the cab.

* Shop - Much progress on setting up the second floor wood shop by the Downey's.  Their first project is making a new pilot/cow catcher for #9.

* Chow - A wonderful lunch was provided by Nancy Weeks, thank you Nancy!

* Trains - Small number of passengers but in the group were visitors from Pennsylvania, France and Australia.

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for the weekend of May 31/June 1:

* #9: Jason will be around Friday, Saturday and Monday
* Landscaping
* Yard track construction
* Train operation

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

This Week -

* Restrooms - Zack installed a battery powered spray air freshener unit on the wall in the womens room.

* R-O-W - Fred set out some "Burma Shave" signs that he made.  The signs indicate every 300' of grade north from the current end of track.

* Car 65 - Steve Z. worked on the new display area in the south end of the car.  The module and glass may go in next week.

* Comm - John M. did more testing of the railroad's lineside (crank) phone circuit.

* Locomotive 9 -

  (1) Much progress with Team Downey working on the new pilot/cowcatcher, cutting new wood parts and restoring the iron parts. 
  (2) Brendan purchased wood to make a template for the steel cab floor.  The steel is on hand.
  (3) The tender decking was cleaned and painted to be ready for the cab, cab floor and tank.
  (4) The rear cut lever sill was painted and the cut lever was cleaned and painted.

[James Patten]

Work done on May 31:

* Loco 9: Marcel and Team Downey were continuing work on the pilot.  Bill F attempted to fix the welder which Brendan had been using to work on the tank.
* Yard track construction: Fred, myself, Mike, Stewart, Courtney, Leon and Zack helped to spike down nearly a rail's length of track on the track to the roundhouse, then three more pieces of rail were retrieved with the crane.  One piece went to the roundhouse track, while the other two went on the straight track.  Mike wanted to have a place to build a ramp to get the excavator on a flatcar.
* Trains: Only four "tourists" but three passenger trains went out.
* Archives: Linda worked in the archives.

[Mike Fox]

Fred went with Bill, Stewart and myself to retrieve the rail with Ichabod. This was his first time working with the beast and was truly impressed. Much easier moving rail with it than trying to do it by hand, when you don't have enough help to move it the regular way (all hands on rail)