September 2018 Work Reports

[John McNamara]

Mike -- should we get the magneto phone line wire in place and buried before permits expire next year for TOM to Route 218 right-of-way preparation?

Yes, especially in the shoreland zones (bridge and wall)

Could you just move them to the very edge of the right of way and not bury them ? Are you using the heavy line that the phone companies use for temporary service? That stuff seems pretty tough.
Mike Nix

Unfortunately, the edge of the right of way zig-zags a bit. While there are locations were the line is deep in the trees, there are places where the wild grasses project substantially into what would normally be the tree line. In such areas, the wire is necessarily crossing the grassy areas. The grass has gone uncut for a long enough time that metal-bladed trimmers are needed.  These can easily cut 14 AWG cable and have done so. Wrapping the cable in yellow caution tape isn't too effective, as it can't easily be seen in 4-foot grass. Installing four-foot grade stakes to mark the line location will be needed along with an understanding that clearing and extra two feet isn't worth the risk.

[Paul Uhland]

Oh, I think an appropriate replacement cable needs to be totally and safely buried, away from machinery, curious animals and destructive humans, with marker posts for location.

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

The schedule 80 pipe was only for the wire laying machine.

Though schedule 80 PVC conduit would be a good idea from underground to junction boxes.
As good as metal (and does not rust) against string but not quite so good against saw blades.

[Brendan Barry]

Marcel's progress on the caboose.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Great work, Marcel>

Jeff S.

[Bill Baskerville]

Another quality craftsman job by Marcel.
Well done!

[Duncan Mackiewicz]

Really nice work Marcel.

[Bob Holmes]

Stunning!

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday Sept 22:

* Caboose: nearly finished, except for one window that Marcel is going to try to get in tomorrow.
* Bridge: a crew worked the whole day on planking the bridge, but ran out of screws.
* FWW prep: The two temp bridge spans were taken into the shop and modified to turn them into the rail gantry.  The supporting towers were gusseted and welded, then one of the spans was brought in and the queen post removed, and one of the ends was modified.  The end of the other was also modified, then the spans were put end to end and tack welded together.  I left at that point.
* Clean up: Fred was cleaning up material brought back from the bridge site.

[Fred Morse]

I'm done cutting ties for a while. We have enough to go Twenty Four hundred Feet. That should do it for this year. Al painted tie ends of the piles I stacked this week. Will be glad when the FWW is over. Then a good rest.

[Brendan Barry]

The cut tie pile at Sheepscot.



Caboose work





New windows for the cupola











The temporary bridge spans from the covered bridge off loaded from the trailer onto a flatcar for the trip over to the shop for conversion nto the rail gantry crane.





Legs for the rail gantry crane going together.









Trimming the end off on one of the temporary spans.



Bringing one of the beam sets into bay 2



Lining the two sets of beams up.





Tacking the two sets of beams together.



Bolting the beams to the legs.





Mounted on the flatcar.



Rolled out into the yard. More welding and bracing still needs to be done.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Looks impressive. Now, how is it supposed to work?

Jeff S.

[Mike Fox]

Also, work done on the Mountain this morning included building a retaining wall, a little ditching, and gathered some stone for the culvert inlet.

[Wayne Laepple]

I wonder why, with all the various trucks and trailers available, that ties were not taken out along the right-of-way on the mountain and dropped off in advance of the rail-laying. Seems to me that a crew could be kept busy positioning ties ahead of the rail laying folks if the ties were already staged along the grade.

[Bill Baskerville]

Also, work done on the Mountain this morning included building a retaining wall, ...

Mike, is the new retaining wall on the east or west side of the tracks