September 2018 Work Reports

[Bill Reidy]

I assume the wall Mike mentioned is this one.  If yes, it's on the east side, south of the slide area.




Zack, Dana, Bryce and I took a bridge break a bit after 9 a.m. to walk up the right-of-way to where Mike was working, since we knew he had to leave for the day a bit later in the morning.  Mike had been ditching on the east side and was getting stone for the area around this culvert.

[John Kokas]

Looking good there Mike.  Is that the last culvert to install before the bridge?

And also to echo Wayne's question.  Are we going to stage bundles of ties along the ROW to ease construction?  Hint-hint, humping them from flatcar to laydown tires folks out real quick.

[Bill Baskerville]

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

Jeff S.

 Jeff,

 The crane is a long bridge crane that mounts on the flat car and hangs about half a flat car length over each end. A second flatcar is coupled to the south end of the crane flat car.  Rails are loaded on the south flatcar with the forklift at Sheepscot. The two are then pushed to EOT Where the bridge is taken to the south end of the crane to pick up a rail and moved through the mounting legs across the crane flat car to the north end where the new rail is now positioned over EOT. After a second rail is moved and they are spiked down the two flat cars are then pushed to the new DOT where the process is repeated.

 This will save our backs moving rails by hand.

Bill

[Mike Fox]

The rails are supposed to be spiked after the rail laying crane passes. No one should be working under the crane.

Pre staging was offered, but now can not be done because it is something that would have had to be done as I moved south. The grade is too narrow for trucks.

So, the order of progression with the crane is supposed to be this, or at least this is what I have been told.

Set out a bundle of ties to be dispersed. 16 ties in a bundle. 2 rails go on the ties. Another bundle of ties can be set on the north end of the next two rails so they are not so close to the ground. The joint bars go on. Train moves north. More rails then ties. Joint bars. Move north.

Meanwhile, the spiking crew is south of the crane, spiking track.

The crane car will have the tie bundles, and the flat car will have the rails. Joint bars and bolts will be on a yellow work flat ubder the crane, and the spikes will be on the other behind the locomotive (south side).

This set up should cary enough to do 450 feet in one go. I still don't have a firm grasp on exactly what they plan to do to reload all those ties, but the rail will be loaded in Sheepscot.

I myself am going to miss the old method. The teamwork and leadership that came from those days were great. Everyone was always smiling. It was all done like it would have been back in the day.

[Joe Fox]

Dads mentioned method is correct and the crane was developed by its designers to help take the burden off the guys lifting the rail.

I will be there Tuesday this week to unload the ballast I had scooped up on the flat car a few weeks ago, and maybe do some other track work.

[Alex Harvilchuck]

You know one way that will blend old and new is to build snap track sections by hand in Sheepscott then load them onto the gantry system for placement and delivery.
Finish spiking by hand when the section is placed to adjust for final gauge.
It give all the "fun" of hand spiking track without having to do it in the middle of the forest.

Then the ties don't have to be handled twice (onto the flatcar and off the flatcar) since the work is done on campus.

The Kubota, in addition to the gantry, could be used to coarse tweak the placed sections with hand baring for fine adjustment.
Once everything is done bring the MOW car to the new EOT to load the excavator.

I include a link to one of Jerry's fine photographs of the D&SNG rebuilding from the big washout with snaptrack.



We all want to get to Rt 218, we just don't want to see anyone hurt or injured with material, tools and equipment.
The hand snaptrack assembly can then be closely supervised by the experienced folks and can be used as a learning experience
- a teachable moment! With a bathroom nearby!

A snaptrack section can be created during the year as an exhibit to show how track is laid by hand.
Participants would know that their little bit of effort with the display will actually be used on the railroad.
Interactive exhibits with explanatory signage are good.

[Jeff Schumaker]

The rails are supposed to be spiked after the rail laying crane passes. No one should be working under the crane.

Pre staging was offered, but now can not be done because it is something that would have had to be done as I moved south. The grade is too narrow for trucks.

So, the order of progression with the crane is supposed to be this, or at least this is what I have been told.

Set out a bundle of ties to be dispersed. 16 ties in a bundle. 2 rails go on the ties. Another bundle of ties can be set on the north end of the next two rails so they are not so close to the ground. The joint bars go on. Train moves north. More rails then ties. Joint bars. Move north.

Meanwhile, the spiking crew is south of the crane, spiking track.

The crane car will have the tie bundles, and the flat car will have the rails. Joint bars and bolts will be on a yellow work flat ubder the crane, and the spikes will be on the other behind the locomotive (south side).

This set up should cary enough to do 450 feet in one go. I still don't have a firm grasp on exactly what they plan to do to reload all those ties, but the rail will be loaded in Sheepscot.

I myself am going to miss the old method. The teamwork and leadership that came from those days were great. Everyone was always smiling. It was all done like it would have been back in the day.

Will Thursday & Friday of FWW be used to test this new method of track laying?

Jeff S.

[Wayne Laepple]

If 450 feet of track can be built each day (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), that should be close to the 1,400-foot mark.

How will the gauge be maintained for the movement of the work train across the newly-laid rails until the spiking is done? Especially in the curves. Insta-track?

[Joe Fox]

Insta track will be used to hold the track in place, then spiking as normal behind the train. Our insta track holds the track well enough for the slow speeds and locks rails in at a set distance apart.

Panels of track would not work as it would be 2 tons of weight, not to mention extremely slow to unload. As track is built the rails do not line uo perfectly every time, especially on curves. Making modifications in the field and drilling holes would really hold up track building.

Secondly let me say that our old way was safe, only a few minor slips and falls with no known reported injuries. Our volunteers love to build track, and I have my fears for the future of track crew size. On a track building weekend we have around 100 volunteers. On a maintenance or ballasting weekend we have around 80. Why the higher number you ask? Everyone enjoys staying busy, and our old ways of track building those who wanted to work could work, those who needed a break could rest, and those who enjoyed watching could watch. With the crane we need far less people to put the rail down, and hope everyone that is able to spike can. However, I fear that those who do not like spiking may be lost which I hope is certainly not the case.

Let me make this clear, IF ANYONE, AND I MEAN ANYONE is looking for something to do while building track, please let either Dana, Jason, Rick, or myself (if I am around) know and we will do our best to find something for you to do. Please do not feel discouraged and leave. If I can find something to find for an 8 year old to do, I am sure we can find something for everyone to do. Just be aware that some things, like the job of the 8 year old was limited at times, but is a big help in the timely moving of track building.

[Al Michelis]

Alex,
I know that snap track seems like a good idea, but I can't see it working for us.  How would you deal with the curves on our ROW?  This is not flex track.  Also, we have been experimenting with staggered joints to relieve the stress caused by #52.  If that is working well, Joe might want to continue this on the new track.  Besides that, we have much to accomplish between work weekends and building snap track likely doesn't fit within our current task list.  May I suggest that you review the 5 year plan and suggest ways to help us ORF's find easier ways to get this done and save money at the same time.

I want to thank all of you younger ORF's that could still muscle all that heavy stuff around.  We couldn't have accomplished what we have without your dedication.  I don't know how you get the time away from your jobs and wives, but thanks to you un-retired younger folks as well.

See Joe's last post.

Al M

[Jeff Schumaker]

If more spikers would be useful, do we have a sufficient number of spike mauls? Have those that needed repair from SWW been fixed?

Jeff S.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Alex,
I know that snap track seems like a good idea, but I can't see it working for us.  How would you deal with the curves on our ROW?  This is not flex track.  Also, we have been experimenting with staggered joints to relieve the stress caused by #52.  If that is working well, Joe might want to continue this on the new track.  Besides that, we have much to accomplish between work weekends and building snap track likely doesn't fit within our current task list.  May I suggest that you review the 5 year plan and suggest ways to help us ORF's find easier ways to get this done and save money at the same time.

I want to thank all of you younger ORF's that could still muscle all that heavy stuff around.  We couldn't have accomplished what we have without your dedication.  I don't know how you get the time away from your jobs and wives, but thanks to you un-retired younger folks as well.

See Joe's last post.

Al M

ORF = Old Rail Fan???

Jeff S.

[Wayne Laepple]

Spiking by hand is hard work, particularly if done correctly. I have seen many folks who want to drive the spike at an angle, which is not correct. The spike should be driven as vertically as possible, so that as it cuts down through the tie, the fibers act like the barb on a fishhook against the spike, helping to keep it from pulling out. Driving a spike that way requires one to keep the hammer parallel to the tie, which for most folks means bending at the knees. That's what makes it hard. It's also very important to set the spike well before trying to drive it home, to avoid it flying away or bending if not hit squarely on the head. I remember an old track foreman who once told me a properly driven spike should show shiny spot the size of a dime where the maul hit.

[Al Michelis]

ORF = Old Rail Fan???

Jeff S.

I'll go with that.  I like that better than "Old Retired Fart"

[Joe Fox]

All spike mauls, or most of them at least, have been fixed and repaired by a few volunteers. We need some more tie nippers though, but lining bars, claw bars, and shovels can be used as well.