Author Topic: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning  (Read 56508 times)

john d Stone

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #15 on: July 30, 2019, 10:15:55 PM »
I hope to make it up for two days. Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday. I'm not very accurate, but I do enjoy the work. Really looking forward to this big push!

Philip Marshall

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #16 on: July 31, 2019, 01:16:02 AM »
I'm planning to be there for at least part of the weekend (which days I'm not sure yet) and look forward to spiking.

Ed Lecuyer

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #17 on: July 31, 2019, 08:31:45 AM »
Quote
The perennial challenge we have on the work weekends is delegating labor to the projects

DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!

I think that is our biggest limitation. When someone "shows up" for a Work Weekend, far too often they aren't plugged into where the needs are.

We could do pre-signups like the Friends of the C&TS - but I'm not sure that fits our "culture". Instead, let's ALL make an effort to help direct our new friends to find the correct place to work. If in doubt, see the Dispatcher, who is usually in the Sheepscot Station house and, in theory, knows where the workers are needed. Just directing people who "look lost" to the dispatcher is a huge help that we can all do.
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Vincent "Lightning" LeRow

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #18 on: July 31, 2019, 09:05:17 AM »
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Here’s hoping Lightning and Co. will be there to set the pace.

Current weather forecast is for Lightning (and Thunder) all four days...   ;)
A spike saved is a spike earned.

Joseph Lupinski

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #19 on: July 31, 2019, 10:05:47 AM »
Seeing as there will be a lot of people who did the work last year it seems like there is a very good chance of rail being laid quickly.  Will there be any staging of any ballast cars to follow the spiking crew?

Mike Fox

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #20 on: July 31, 2019, 11:16:25 AM »
There may be. We have to finish the section at the bridge before December, which includes ballast. Tamping would be great too, but I think we will be ok without it. It is the constructing in a shoreland zone we need to be most concerned with. Maintenance, like tamping, we can do any time, as long as we are not disturbing the soil, in my translation of the ordinance.
Mike
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Dana Deering

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #21 on: July 31, 2019, 11:33:22 AM »
I'd be pleasantly surprised if any ballasting were to get done.  Best to focus on getting the track down.  You can never count on things going as planned and if it rains that will slow progress down considerably because you work slower in the rain and it is more dangerous.  500 feet per day for 4 days is a lot of track per day.

Paul Crabb

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #22 on: July 31, 2019, 02:18:55 PM »
As requested in Jason's post that originated this thread I am planning on attending FWW arriving Friday afternoon and departing after succession of operations on Monday. I'm not a spike driver (one eye = bad aim) but can do other things like I did last FWW; Set out ties, remove/install insta-track, mark ties for spike placement.... etc. In other words do what is needed and rotate between jobs.

Dana Deering

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #23 on: August 01, 2019, 04:27:46 AM »
This is all very encouraging!  I'm feeling more confident about reaching our goal as I read the responses.  And with Thunder and Lightning spiking up a storm, how could we not make it?   :)

Al Michelis

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #24 on: August 01, 2019, 09:35:34 AM »
I think that is our biggest limitation. When someone "shows up" for a Work Weekend, far too often they aren't plugged into where the needs are.

We could do pre-signups like the Friends of the C&TS - but I'm not sure that fits our "culture". Instead, let's ALL make an effort to help direct our new friends to find the correct place to work. If in doubt, see the Dispatcher, who is usually in the Sheepscot Station house and, in theory, knows where the workers are needed. Just directing people who "look lost" to the dispatcher is a huge help that we can all do.

Having the dispatcher send volunteers to where they can help is a great idea.  Let's make sure it happens.

Bill Piche

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #25 on: August 01, 2019, 03:16:39 PM »
I'm expecting to be there with maul in hand Fri-Mon (somebody has do do half of Dana's job setting gauge spikes for him).
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Dave Crow

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #26 on: August 01, 2019, 03:58:27 PM »
Maybe this has been considered in the way past, but could that first spike be started in the ties while still at Sheepscot? The ties could then be delivered ready to lay out and aligned to the guide string.

Dave Crow

Mike Fox

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #27 on: August 01, 2019, 05:56:04 PM »
I hope to join in the fun, but depends on the electrical needs.. Our electrician has requested some conduit be bried between the new Electrical building and the car barn extension..
Mike
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Wayne Laepple

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #28 on: August 02, 2019, 06:30:46 PM »
Since the Dispatcher will be quite busy, especially in the early part of the day, getting several trains heading out and so forth, perhaps another person should be tasked with directing folks to locations where they can be most useful. Since most volunteers will walk by the chalkboard on the restroom building porch, the "work dispatcher" should be there, rather than in the station. Alternatively, the work dispatcher could also be at the station or even at the shop. The point is to allow the Train Dispatcher to concentrate his full attention on the trains.

In connection with this, if the various crew leaders can estimate how many workers they might need in advance, the work dispatcher could keep track of how many folks are at each job to most efficiently distribute the volunteer workers.

Joe Fox

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Re: 2019 Fall Work Weekend (October 11 - 14) Track Work Planning
« Reply #29 on: August 02, 2019, 07:24:30 PM »
The problem is the initial track crew size at the 8-8:30 departure on Friday and Sunday ends up being our crew size for the day, give or take 5-10. Saturdays gets much better by 10a.m. We really need people willing to literally push folks up north. Rather they come up to work or watch, there are many tasks to be done.