April 2018 work planning

[Joe Fox]

The tie ladder I have seen was used with a ligning bar between the rung and the butt end of the tie for full leverage.

[Paul Uhland]

Eric...your video is great, really wanted to see the team easily pull the loaded rail car.
Strong, quiet animals. Fantastic!
Five stars!
Good luck to all with a week's worth of substantial  improvements ahead.

[Joe Fox]

Here are some videos taken by Sandra Piche, Bill Piche's mom.

Loading the rail.
https://youtu.be/98dLV2rE3UU

Moving the flat car.
https://youtu.be/YjlgnCmuiMw

[Paul Uhland]

Sandra...also great vids.
Thanks!

[Joe Fox]

We drilled 3/4 of the holes today in the rails needed to be relayed on Friday. With final preparations still being set in place, this will be a very busy work weekend. This weekend is key to ensuring many other projects can be done. See the work weekend thread for additional plans, and detailed work.

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for the weekend of April 27 - 29: Spring Work Weekend!

* Track work: Friday track laying on Davis grade; Saturday ballasting, jacking and tamping on the approaches, with ditching/tie loading in the work zone; Sunday finishing up any work.  If time and crews allow, a tie change crew will operate south of the work zone.
* Percival house: Building the stairs for the 2nd floor and first floor north doors.
* Car shop: undergoing an extreme makeover between the extension and the machine shop.  Machines are being moved around.
* Bridge
* Food

Saturday just before supper will be a volunteer recognition presentation.
Saturday at supper will be the rules review.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Hi !
While  I was lying around doing nothing in my hometown you guys were doing a hell of job on the track . I was a  member of the track crew in decades on the AMTP so I know track works are no picnic but they are essential. No track no train.  I've really enjoyed the photos and the videos they 've have reminded me of  a lot of good memories. We have never used horses in Pithiviers,  I do admire the way their owners master them on this difficult terrain. Bravo you all !

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Spring Work Weekend: Day #1, Friday, April 27th

* Track - Dana's crew put the rails back on Davis grade, reconnecting the railroad between Brook Crossing and Sutters.  The track is now ready for stone ballast on Saturday.

* Percival House - Much progress on building the two story porch with the posts in place and second floor porch roughed in.

* Machine shop - The moving of two large lathes and other rearranging took place in the shop south extension along with some cleaning and removal of equipment in bay 4.

* Tamper - Jay worked on the machine most of the day.  It's rumored that the operators seat now has a cup holder.

* Boxcar #67 - The grab irons and ladder rungs were prime painted. 

* RC4 - The mechanical brakes were adjusted on the railcar.

* Lantern Sale - Linda reports about $1,000 made so far.

* Meals - Nancy Weeks and her crew put on a nice lunch and wonderful supper.

[Joe Fox]

The track crew spiked 310' of rail today with 14 guys in the morning, and around 21-22 in the afternoon. With crew size, that is excellent work. This fall we have a big push, so we need to get as much track building time as possible. Today we got off to a late start, departed around 8:30a.m.

[James Patten]

SWW Day 2: Saturday April 28:

* Track: Tie replacement in the morning on the north side of Brook Crossing partway down Davis Grade, along with some ballasting.  The newly relaid section got ballast in the afternoon, along with more tie replacement.  The ballast that was at AC is now gone.  The section that had a lot of ties replaced got attention from the tamper.  The ties that were replaced were laid 20 years ago.
* Percival House: The crew worked on the main floor porch and stairs off the north door, and it was nearly ready to use by end of day.
* Machine shop: Much re-arranging occurred, and some machines and equipment in Bay 4 have been moved out for installation in the extension.

[Bob Holmes]

After the weekend is over, PICTURES please!  We all want to share with SWW progress...

[Gary Kraske]

Eagerly awaiting pictorial exhibits of the written progress being made!  Thank you.

[Joe Fox]

As a note, track crew replaced 63 ties today (In One Day). That is fantastic, and a job well done. On top of that, we ballasted 650' of track, and tamped and jacked 150'. Although we won't get it all done this weekend, the efforts have been amazing. Thank you everyone for the hard work put into the track the last few days.

[Alex Harvilchuck]

The worst of the dam damage.. Steve Z is looking at the dam pictured in the second photo.





Jason called and covered the bases with the Maine Warden Service, eventually talking with a biologist I believe. We were given instructions on how to encourage the beavers to move on. He was told to just remove a little of the dam early in the morning so the water drops gradually. This will need to be repeated all summer when needed, until trapping season this fall or winter, when ever it is, when a trapper can come remove them. Jason was told that a big removal of a large part of the dam would result in a quick drop in the water, and the beavers would think the dam was weak and build it twice as strong the next time.

With all the work to the north going on, how are our friends the beavers doing with their dam dams damage to the south?

For sake of completeness, I'll dredge up some old photos from Duncan Mackiewicz on another old thread http://forum.wwfry.org/index.php/topic,276.60.html
I'll in-line the pictures since over the last 10 years everyone should be off dial-up internet connections. 

[Mike Fox]

We wound up hiring a trapper a couple months ago. Removed 5 beavers. Plenty more up there. When beaver season gets here, we are hoping to get more removed for free...