May 2015 Work Planning

[Paul Uhland]

Number 10's "cyclone arrestor" really dresses it up, will provide extra entertainment when the first exhaust blast sends it fifty feet straight up!  

Great to see Mike's weed sickle working, am sure will save loads of summer labor.

[Pete "Cosmo" Barrington]

Number 10's "cyclone arrestor" really dresses it up, will provide extra entertainment when the first exhaust blast sends it fifty feet straight up!  

Great to see Mike's weed sickle working, am sure will save loads of summer labor.

Yeah, before this conversation gets moved to the "WWF" category I have to ask... just what WAS up with that? 

[James Patten]

Anticipated work Saturday May 16:

* Track - Dana would like to finish ballasting, tamping, and switch work and put the run-around into service.
* Loco 9
* Treasure hunting - sorting through the stuff brought back from the Shingle mill.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Also -

* Continue to sort through the many items that the garage rats mill mice brought from the shingle mill.

[Paul Uhland]

Seems Dana's top priority is correct--finish extended track, get new ops routine going ASAP. 

[Dana Deering]

Hey Stewart,

     Wouldn't "garage possums" or "mill possums" be more appropriate?

I'll be up tomorrow and we'll see if we can get the TOM track in service.  Bug dope and maybe rain gear are in order.

Dana

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday May 16:

* Loco 9 - Wes was working on the templates for the jacketing in the cab.  Marcel was working on the cab roof.
* Track - Dana and crew stoned up the tail track, dressed the siding and main line, then tamped the tail track.  A crew had been up during the week working on the stub switches.
* Kubota - The Kubota and some poles were on the trailer when I got there this morning.  The poles will become part of the coal pocket and had been liberated during the week.  Mike did some work on the hydraulics for the mower attachment.
* Garage/Mill Treasures - While the Kubota was away the Downeys from Texas showed up and occupied the floor space in the garage by counting bridge washers.  There's 700-something bridge washers in our possession, we needed nearly 500 for the turn table.  They categorized them and stuck them in buckets.  The tractor brought the buckets to the shop where they are stored for now.

[Mike Fox]

I also took measurements from MP 7 North. Current EOT is 1947 feet North of MP7. Trout Brook, top of the South embankment looking into the brook, 5302 North of MP7, or 22 feet North of MP 8, if it were located there. So, we are looking at 3355 feet to get to Trout Brook. I took a lot of notes, so now to assemble them into a presentable plan.

[Wayne Laepple]

Thanks for the info, Mike. How far to the first washout, the slide, etc.?

How much rail do we still have on hand? Not enough, I don't think.

[Bill Reidy]

When we left Top of the Mountain yesterday afternoon, I tried to count the number of rails left in the pile there.  Looked to be about 35 to 40, so say a little more than 500 track feet.  My guess is that would bring the track in the vicinity of the first washout.

[Mike Fox]

Dana says right around 500 feet, it is 650 to the first obstruction. So I can see a plan for track laying north till we run out, and then track work in the North yard. But that will be Dana's call. He may have other things he wants to get done first (like a building  ) It could be a very productive FWW.

[Bill Reidy]

Thanks Mike.  No question it will be a productive fall work weekend.  With the car barn track, main line maintenance, other work in Sheepscot and maybe extending north from TOM to the first washout, there will be plenty to do, as always.

[Paul Uhland]

Wow. Looks like lots of exciting work coming up the next few months. You guys are still amazing.   Really enjoy following WW&F progress.
Am assuming reg runs to TOM are now SOP.
If a couple more runaround switches can be found for Head Tide , how about leaving the current TOM crossover in place, as is, for max flexibility or as part of an emergency north terminal?
Can't wait for car shelter work to resume. Wish I could help.
 

[James Patten]

The new timetable should be out for Memorial weekend, which will make TOM the new standard location to run the locomotives around the train.  Those of us working on it are still working out a few details.

[Joe Fox]

The two stub switches at TOM are going to be removed when a new run around is built once tracks reach 218. That way the location at TOM will be as historically correct as possible.