November 2017 Work Planning

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday November 4:

* Albion Day: our day to give Albion Historical Society support for their Albion Station.  As Dave mentioned, there will be weed whacking, archaeology, and potentially work on the building and on the track.
For those left back to Sheepscot:
* Car 67
* Storm cleanup

[James Patten]

Albion Report:

* Grass & tree clearing: Several people spent the morning weed whacking at Albion, in and around the turntable pit.  Also a chain saw took care of some trees.  We also trimmed in between the tracks, and south to the property line.
* Archaeology: After lunch, Phil had brought a metal detector so we tried to find metal in the pit.  The detector found things, but we weren't sure what.  The detector holder moved to where the engine house was, and eventually found tie remnants.  In the pit itself, Alan started digging around a square "rock" in the ground, eventually getting it out.  The rock was cast concrete, and had a hole through it.  It may have been part of the wall by the track, but we don't know.

[Mike Fox]

Sheepscot Report:

About 8 of us were at Sheepscot while the guys were enjoying the lunch up  to the Albion Roadkill Café.

We did various chores. First being finishing an emergency drainage ditch Brendan started last weekend.



Next, I started helping with the Bridge project, being joined by Leon in the morning, and Dwight and Leon after lunch, with an occasional observation by Fred.
See the Bridge thread for a pictoral report on our progress.

Stewart was busy with Fire Department business first thing, then he came to Sheepscot and busied himself with repairs to the Garden Shed. He carefully cut the remaining tree off (and out of) the roof.

We all left, and I decided to try my luck with the access road we used for the washout. Many limbs were in her road, which I tossed out. But the road stayed in good repair, except what I found at the end. See the Down the Mountain thread for pictures of that.

Also, there was a Train Show today in Topsham, Steve and Annie P. went, along with Marcel. They were back early, and I heard some chatter about a fire alarm (Annie get bored Steve? ) and they were instructed to pack it up.

[Mike Fox]

OOPs, how could I forget. Once the ditch was filled, Fred took a crew North and unloaded the Flat Car full of Ties. Empty now so Fred can cut another hundred..

[Ira Schreiber]

Mike, Where is the bridge thread?

[Bill Baskerville]

Ira,

The Bridge Thread is at:

W.W.&F. Discussion Forum » WW&F Railway Museum Discussion » Work and Events » Trout Brook Bridge - Official Work Thread

or

http://forum.wwfry.org/index.php/topic,2553.195.html#lastPost

or

http://forum.wwfry.org/index.php/board,5.0.html

[Ira Schreiber]

Thanks.
My computer did not load that addition until after I had sent the message.
Ira

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday November 11 (formerly Armistice Day, now Veteran's Day):

* Boxcar 67
* Bridge assembly work
* #10 boiler work
* Storm cleanup
* SS area mainline: it would be nice to ballast this on the east side, jack it, and tamp it.  As many of you know, it is way out of level between the two switches.  And we don't have to worry about dodging passenger trains.
* Car 65 retrieval in the morning.
* Old tie pickup alongside track, and tie stacking at ToM.
* ToM phone box installation.
* Board meeting at 4.

[Dwight Winkley]

Fred wants to take 52 and a empty flatcar north. Stopping on the way to pick up the used ties that were removed this summer. These ties will be used as ground ties for more tie piles next year at saw mill spur.
There is one pile of ties that is not stacked correctly, plus a few loose ties laying on the ground and this will be corrected.
dwight

[Mike Fox]

I believe we will be changing how we handle ties, so the planning needs to start now before any more are moved to the Mill Siding. The new way will cut down on handling. Still in the planning stages. More info soon.

[Brendan Barry]

Car 65 retrieval and unloading Saturday morning.

[John McNamara]

Anticipated work for Saturday November 11 (formerly Armistice Day, now Veteran's Day):

I'd like to add a late Saturday morning trip to TOM to install (and possibly test) a telephone box at TOM.
-John M (Chief Ding-a-ling)
 

[Bill Baskerville]

John,

I really like that self assigned title.  It takes a real man to know his strengths.

Bill

[James Patten]

Work done on November 11, 2017:

* #10 flanging: Jason and Alan rigged up another piece to test with, and it seemed to work (except it got really bent itself in the process).
* Stone/ties: Morning train to AC, we stopped to pick up old ties alongside the ROW.  We left the ones that appeared to be intending to replace a tie.  We got 1.5 flatcar loads of stone and returned to SS, where we ballasted the woods track.
* SS mainline: We got out jacks, had the coaches moved, and jacked up in front of the station platform.  Someone had suggested that we shovel tamp rather than get the tamper out, however that same someone wasn't there when we went to work.  We did try shovel tamping, then bar tamping, before I got the tamper out.  The tamper worked for a while, then the hydraulic motor stopped working.  We only got the immediate platform area done.
* Trailer: The trailer was up on jacks while Brendan replaced/repaired brake lights and wiring.  No getting 65 today.
* #9: The engine's smoke box was cleaned up by Dan, who did a very good job keeping most of it off himself.  Gordon was working on something in the cab.
* ToM Phone box: I don't have a report about that, I know a train did go out for that.
* Board meeting: We started early at 3:55, broke up at 6.  President Dave suggested a new format which would hopefully keep things moving.

[Mike Fox]

Forklift got some TLC today. Oil & filter changes, fuel filter cleaned, and the clutch pedal was worked on, finding and replacing springs.

Gravel was placed where the electric building will go. Zack would like it to settle for the winter.