December 2015 Work Planning

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday Dec 5:

* Car barn: Continue on the north wall.
* Loco 9: Not much left to do I don't think.
* Other: It would be nice to start moving the tie pile out of the parking lot to somewhere else, so that when snow arrives we can plow for Victorian Christmas.  Likewise we should remove the cones and tape.  I suspect Mike wants to get the dozer, and work on the Kubota.  It would also be nice to remove the rail from Flatcar 118 so that it's empty and available for use.

[Fred Morse]

Can we delay Christmas until Feb. 25th?

[Bill Baskerville]

If the ties could be moved to the near the woods track, perhaps scattered along side the track path with the tractor, and the rail also placed near the CB end of the woods track then on the SWW I could take a small team and work on the woods track while the larger team is working on ballasting the CB track and it's lead tracks.

[Dwight Winkley]

where is all this help coming from?
dwight

[Ed Lecuyer]

Bill is referring to leading a team at the SWW = Spring Work Weekend.

[Mike Fox]

Ties have yet to be cut to length, so should be stored where that can be done. They are neatly stacked along the edge now, and we are loosing little parking area if left there.

And James is correct. Dozer retrieval will be this weekend. Want to get it back before the weather prevents it. I took a ride in an excavator once off the side of a lowbed trailer in the snow once, Only dropped about a foot on one side to the ground, enough to make your pucker pucker up. I would not want to do it from a flatcar, almost 3 feet off the ground.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Here's my thougnts on the ties:  

It took a day to stage them where they are and I don't think it makes sense to move them just for a few hours of parking 6 or 7 cars.  

[Dwight Winkley]

Remove rail from flat car? Has the discussion been made that the 25 lb. rail will be used on the Woods Track?  I don't want to have to put them back on a flat car in order to move the rails north and put the rails back in storage from where we got them last fall.
dwight

[John McNamara]

I believe the need for a cleared flatcar involves its possible use in "megatrain."

-John

[Paul Uhland]

What is 'megatrain'?
I'd leave the ties needing work where they are.
Yes, Case-y should come back home ASAP for cb area grading, various small jobs at S-cot.
Kubota-fix would make for nice indoor work for now.
Almost-done 9 looks mahvlussss!

[John Kokas]

Would "megatrain" have anything to do with a possible doublehead with all the rolling stock in tow?   

[John McNamara]

"Megatrain" was a slang term used at the 2014 Victorian Christmas to describe a train that consisted of a locomotive, coach 3, coach 8, excursion car 103, flat car 118 with railings, and caboose 320. One of these trains carried 197 passengers plus crew. The unusual feature was the use of 118 with railings, an accommodation not used since the very early days of the museum. If this year's crowd is as big as last year's, there is a distinct chance that a flat car with railings will again be used, hence the need for a cleared flat car.

-John

[Jason M Lamontagne]

I have to recommend against moving the ties- that's a big job and I don't believe we have the resources to pull it off. 

Cars can be parked up against the tie piles as is; if the remaining aisles between car rows are tightened up some, we shouldn't lose parking.

We'd like to go to AC this weekend to scope out some details for the VC operating plan.

See ya
Jason

[Jason M Lamontagne]

Oh I missed James mention of freeing up 118- absolutely spot on!

Current plan is to use the 25 on woods track with a tighter tie spacing.  Zack's ok w this too.  So the rail can go in the crotch between barn track 3 and woods track for now.

Jason

[James Patten]

Work done today, December 5:

I had to leave at 2:15 so I missed a few things later in the day.

* Car barn: the north wall is nearly finished if not fully.  The third bay was done, the second bay was nearly done, and the first bay was being worked on.  Scafolding was down over barn bay 3.
* 118: We cleaned off the car, putting the 25-lb rail between the Woods track and the barn bay 3 track.
* Bulldozer: Mike and I got the dozer this afternoon, and spotted it on the unloading track back at Sheepscot.  It was coming off as I was leaving.
* Loco 9: Big news for it.  Hydro test Thursday, steam test Friday at which they discovered a bunch of leaks that they addressed yesterday and today, and another steam test today.  Before light-off the dome cover was put back on in Bay 1, then it was put by the woodpile and lit off.  I think it had pressure by lunch, after lunch Jason and crew spent time getting the various parts and pieces working.  Josh was working on getting wiring to the rear headlight, which was being mounted at the same time.  The whistle was blown while Mike and I were up getting the dozer (heard it pretty clearly), then again for me before I left (I could feel it in my chest - sounds great!).  After I left it moved on its own power.  My wife and I showed up just as it was returning from Alna Center towing Coach 3 and full carload of people.