May 2019 Work Reports

[Paul Uhland]

Am still bewildered? as to why the flatcars' new sideboard stakes are not permanently screwed to each board and all easily mounted/removed as units??
They couldn't add that much weight for two guys to handle. The separate stakes look easily damaged and in the way, or lost, as is.

 Great to see coming display/storage track subgrading and site drainage  work underway...one 67 door up (where's that consarned metal roof contractor? )...10 work continuing.

[Graham Buxton]

Wood is not "static".  It grows and shrinks as the humidity changes, and screwing the stakes to the sideboards means that each stake would have to line up *perfectly* with its pocket to mount the sideboards.

Even more frustrating than mounting an imperfectly lined sideboard is trying to de-mount one where the stakes are jammed against a pocket.  When mounting a "staked" sideboard, at least one can rest the misaligned sideboard atop the pocket while examining where the problem might be.  But trying to remove a jammed sideboard (with attached stakes) most likely means finding more helpers to hammer or pry while the original two guys lift.

[Joe Fox]

We did this with two side boards, and let me say its a pain in the neck because not every pocket or stake line us the exact same ever again.

[James Patten]

Stakes often become stuck because of dirt or stone particles getting jammed into the gap between the pocket and the stake.  When that happens generally you either need to shake it back and forth to get loose, or bang on the underside of the stake.  Attaching to sideboards would be troublesome.

As to the switch, Joe saw something wrong with it so they tried to replace the joint bars, then tried to drill holes in one of the rails.  But neither track drill fit in that spot.

[Fred Morse]

Tues crew cut and stacked another 100 ties today before then rain came.

[Mike Fox]

Very nice Fred. We are going to have to find you some trees to cut soon, because at this rate you will finish the ties quickly.

[Bill Baskerville]

A couple of years ago I was working on missing joint bar bolts and concentrated on the main line outside of the SS yard limits.  I got that project down to about 15 locations north of the SS yard limits.
 
At that time there were a whole bunch of missing bolts in the SS yard, most being south of the water tower switch.  Since the yard limit speed is 10 mph, we only need three bolts per joint bar.  I suspect Joe, who is doing a great job trying to keep our rails aligned and clean up a few old projects, found an issue that needed prompt repair.

[Paul Uhland]

That is a sharp-looking Meeting House.