August 2017 Work Planning

[Jason M Lamontagne]

Current op plan for Saturday:

All day Saturday and Sunday, Alna Center will host a WWI reenactment group, who will have an information table, as well as demonstrating marching, bayonet and firing (blanks) drills. 

On Saturday, Locomotive 9 will haul an all- PoCo train of 118, 309, and 320.  It will run as second class at 10:55, 12:25 and 1:55.  Locomotive 52 will haul a first class passenger train. 

Passengers are encouraged to ride 1st class to AC, enjoy the reenactment activities, watch the spectacle of the arriving steam train, then eithe ride 1st class back to sheepscot or second class (capacity-allowing) to ToM and return.

Saturday evening a photographer's steam passenger extra will depart Sheepscot Station at 5:00 for Alna Center, where a we will play out a scene of young soldiers leaving Alna, ME in 1917 for what would become the Great War.  Multiple station- stop runbys; requests considered.  Planned consist is 9, 309, 8, 11, 3.

See ya
Jason

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday August 12:

* Culvert: due to rain this morning the culvert was not placed, but it was removed from the flatcar (placed there yesterday but the weekday crew) and placed next to the track near the culvert.
* Car shop: the center post support was poured Friday.  The I-beam was lifted into place today.
* Lots of people at the picnic today.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Work done Sunday, August 13th:

* Car shop - The south post footer form was built and the concrete poured this morning.  The center post footer forms were removed and everything (mixer, etc.) was moved to the north end of the bay for the next footer to be installed.

* North Yard - More spiking was done to the 3rd switch so it's all set.

* Picnic - More good sized crowds rode the trains and toured the World War I camp at Alna Center.  The soldiers camp was well received by museum guests and volunteers.  Some of the train crew temporarily renamed the side track "camp siding" for the weekend.  There were lots of great photo ops available both days, especially at Saturday afternoon's special camp train.  The re-enactors did a super job of portraying the Second Maine Infantry muster of 1917 and we learned quite a bit from each other.  It was quite a weekend.

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for weekend of August 19:

* Culvert: finish placing the culvert in the big hole.
* Car shop: posts, footers, digging.  Or whatever.
* Trains, gift shop, lunches.

[Paul Uhland]

Start...Your car barn 3/woods track post implies that switch is finished, ready for total use.
 True?
BTW, how's 10's flanging coming?

[Joe Fox]

Any interest in doing track work tomorrow, 8/17?

[Jason M Lamontagne]

Joe,

Thursday's are usually quiet- tomorrow is quieter.  I won't be here as I leave town for a funeral.  If any others take you up on the offer- great! 

Paul,

Barn 3 switch is complete.  Flanging on hold pending shop repairs for labor.  We may push it along in the next couple weeks if we have a spare moment...

Jason

[Wayne Laepple]

The North Yard switches are indeed complete and operational. However, some additional ballast is necessary on the west side of the second switch. The track is passable but currently supported on blocks. In addition, the heads of the bolts holding the transit clips on the No. 1 rod need to have their heads ground off just a bit so the point will seat snugly against the stock rail. Both Dana and Joe were apprised of these matters.

[Joe Fox]

I did not know about this, however I can look at it to see about fixing them, or may leave for someone else to address with a bit more cutting skill then myself.

My agenda for tomorrow is joint bar changing, tightening a few loose joints on Davis Grade, and see what is left for time. Next week I may be able to devote another day to mainline work. Maybe we can schedule a day to have a crew dump stone in some key locations? Hopefully this fall we can devote the entire track efforts into maintenance.

[Jason M Lamontagne]

Stone dumping happened last May and June; let's TAMP!!!  Been waiting for an opportune day.

John M will need some help on a telephone project, and we must keep the shop improvement advancing, but if joe comes for a day, let's get him a couple of helpers and try out the tamper, now operational.

Ties need changing too; still have hopes on the back hoe changer but the power pack needs some rework.

Lastly- the second Mike asks for support, we should drop and run to comply.  The deadline he is facing is a real, museum-wide one.

See ya
Jason

[John McNamara]

John M will need some help on a telephone project, and we must keep the shop improvement advancing, but if joe comes for a day, let's get him a couple of helpers and try out the tamper, now operational.

I hope to be there Monday, Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday. I'd like to find any existing problems in the line between Alna Center and TOM.

-John M

[Paul Uhland]

Hoping enough help  and good weather show up in the next few days to handle your very full plate of work. 
Seems like an official work weekend.
Wish I lived closer.
Good luck.

[Joe Fox]

Track work done today concluded of tightening 6 loose joints, 2 loose bolts, and replacing 8 joint bars. I wanted to do more, but the sun and heat told me otherwise.

This fall I truely believe we need to dedicate ALL track efforts into maintaining what we have. No point in building any new track, with the exception of the mill siding. One guy can not maintain the 2.5 miles of  railroad on a part time basis. I would love to, but it takes a lot of effort from one guy to do a job of at least 3.

[Stephen Piwowarski]

Sorry Joe. Wish I could've come in today. It was the first day I was able to get into my classroom to prepare for next year all summer long, so I needed to do that. Don't get discouraged though, I know there is a big group of guys (at least 5) that are interested.

Steve

[Mike Fox]

Saturday pipe setting. Please attend. We won't be long..