October 2019 Work Reports

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday Oct 5:

* FWW Prep: A crew will be putting out road cloth on the roadbed up to the bridge.  Maybe beyond the bridge if it goes well enough and it's ready.  I'm sure Mike has some last minute prep stuff to do as well.  Ties need to be moved from the parking lot to the staging area.  Rail may need the same.
* B&SR tankcar 14: See Zack.
* Car barn extension: see Brendan, although the concrete may not be strong enough yet to do much.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Also -
Antique cars arriving at Sheepscot around 10am; leaving after noon. Please help them park in front of the Shop Building.
Brakeman needed for train service. Please help if you are qualified. See Bob Cavanagh.

[Hunt Dowse]

What’s the old car event on Saturday?

[Ed Lecuyer]

It's a meeting/group ride of the Maine Obsolete Auto League (MOAL).

[Mike Fox]

Road cloth north of the bridge will have to wait. I am not plannong to finish until Sunday. After the road cloth crew finishes, stop by the bridge and I will have a small wire project ready for assistance.

Saturday I plan on trucking ballast to the south side of the bridge, maybe 3 more loads. Then jump to the north side with the Kubota and bury the wire as far as we can.

When I get the wire done, I am going to level the ballast south and check grade north, then start trucking ballast to the north side.

[James Patten]

Change of plans for Saturday morning.  The Lyons (of SeaLyon fame) require some help on Saturday in improving the road from their farm to the railroad.  Hopefully if enough of us pitch in, we can do the road cloth in the afternoon, which sounds like that may work better for Mike's schedule.  We'll need a chain saw or two, plus Fred, and I suppose we may as well bring shovels just in case. 

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday Oct 5:

* SeaLyon Farms: Four of us helped the Lyons improve the clearances on their road from the fields to Top of Mountain, using a chain saw and loppers.  Don Lyon did some grading with his tractor while we did this.  That took the morning.
* Top of Mountain: Mike stoned the southern approach to the bridge, and in the afternoon started to bury the phone wire.  In the afternoon Bill R and I went up and rolled out the remainder of one road cloth, and rolled out one more.
* B&SR tank car 14: Zack was making square holes out of round ones for the end beams mortises and tenons.  Someone slathered the beams in preservative.
* The MOAL group arrived for the first train of the day, 80 people rode the train.
* Machine Shop: I believe that Rick K and Rich were rehabilitating one of the lathes.

[Bill Reidy]

What a beautiful, beautiful early fall day in Maine.  Temperatures were in the 30s when I arrived around 8, with some spotty frost.  Temps got into the upper 50s, with hardly a cloud in the sky.  Perfect day to be outside.

Some photos:

Work done on Saturday Oct 5:

* SeaLyon Farms: Four of us helped the Lyons improve the clearances on their road from the fields to Top of Mountain, using a chain saw and loppers.  Don Lyons did some grading with his tractor while we did this.  That took the morning.

James and I arrived to help with woods road improvements in advance of our Pumpkin Trains next weekend in conjunction with SeaLyon Farm.  The farm will provide a hayride from Top of Mountain to their farm, where guests can pick and purchase pumpkins from their pumpkin patch as well as other products from their kitchen (Maine blueberry jam -- yum!).  Mike had blazed a turning loop at Top of Mountain this summer.  Today we (James, Don Lyons and myself, soon joined by Rich Currie and Bob Comeau) cleared enough side brush and overhanging branches to ensure the SeaLyon's tractor and trailer can travel the route.

Early on, Bob, Rich and Don work on the loop near the tracks at Top Of Mountain.


James attempts to refuel the chain saw.  We learned Fred has Herculean strength with the fuel cap, so it took a little effort to open the cap and refuel the saw!


James, Bob and Rich work on the corner of the loop where the woods road turns east toward the farm.


With the side brush cut, Don returned to the farm to pick up the trailer to be used for the hay ride.  James, Rich, Bob and I would soon ride the trailer to help ensure side clearances and cut overhead hanging branches.  Here we see Bob, Rich and James at the east end of the woods road waiting for the trip.


Turning 180 degrees, here's a view looking across the west farm field.  My photo doesn't convey well how handsome this view is.  The views are equally stunning from the farm buildings.  Families riding next weekend will have a fun hayride to the farm, I'd say.

* The MOAL group arrived for the first train of the day, 80 people rode the train.

While we waited as Don picked up the trailer for the trial run, we heard #9's whistle as she traveled up the valley for her 10.30 a.m. trip.  I walked down the hill to see her train arrive at Top of Mountain.  Her train was full with guests from the Maine Obsolete Auto League (MOAL).  Many had already stepped off the train when I took this photo.   Here we see WW&F coach No. 8, MLMW No. 130 and WW&F No. 9.

* B&SR tank car 14: Zack was making square holes out of round ones for the end beams mortises and tenons.  Someone slathered the beams in preservative.

During lunchtime, Al Michelis was applying preservative to the beams.  I understand others had helped.


I'll post a handful of Top of Mountain progress photos shortly.

[Bill Reidy]

I'll post a handful of Top of Mountain progress photos shortly.

Well, I think not now, after reading Mike's post and replies on the Mountain Extension thread regarding discovery of a possible engine grate.  His photos do a much better job to convey the story.

In summary, James and I rolled out road fabric Saturday afternoon for the majority of the route from end of rail put down to the south end of Trout Brook bridge.  We then joined Mike as he set out magneto phone line north of the bridge.

[Al Michelis]

* B&SR tank car 14: Zack was making square holes out of round ones for the end beams mortises and tenons.  Someone slathered the beams in preservative.

During lunchtime, Al Michelis was applying preservative to the beams.  I understand others had helped.

Fred and I spent the morning applying preservative to car 14 beams.

[Mike Fox]

Today Zack worked on the buffer blocks for 14.

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for weekend of October 12, 2019: Fall Work Weekend!!!  The four+ days that everyone's been looking forward to all year.

* Mountain Extension: track laying (duh!), plus whatever last minute prep work that Mike needs to do.
* SeaLyon Pumpkins: Saturday and Sunday trains will bring passengers to ToM, where they will be met by Don Lyons and his hay wagon who will bring people to the farm to pick out pumpkins (and other farm goodies).
* B&SR tank car 14
* Car barn extension (speculation on my part - I don't know what's ready to be done)
* Meals: Nancy will be on site all weekend prepping meals, along with anyone that wants to help.

A note on parking on Saturday and Sunday: please make an effort to park in either the corner lot (mowed for your parking pleasure) or the new west parking lot, NOT in the main lot.  This is to make room for expected crowds for the pumpkin trains.  There's extremely limited parking at the crew site, basically do not park in the Midcoast Conservancy lot, on the right of way, or on the side of Rt 218.  We have permission to park at the end of Peaslee Road, a private driveway, but it won't take many to fill it up.  Basically - please park at Sheepscot and take a train to the work site.

[Mike Fox]

I have a little dozer work to do then lay some hay out in the ditch ad slope I worked on last weekend.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Here is a REPOST from another FWW thread which contains the train schedule and other important information:

The main plan is to lay rail and spike through noontime on Sunday. Sunday afternoon and Monday will be primarily spiking. Of course, there will be other projects going on, but the main effort is to construct the mainline as far north as possible - stopping about 200' short of the pavement of Route 218.

For the general volunteers, here is the anticipated train schedule:

Friday 10/11:
First Work Train Departs Sheepscot: 7:30am
Second Train (Crew Shuttle) Departs Sheepscot: 9:00am
Other trains will be shuttling crew during the day in both directions.
Lunch at ToM at 11:30am
Last train from EoT around 4pm.
Dinner at Sheepscot at 5pm.


Saturday 10/12:
Breakfast Available at Sheepscot
First Work Train Departs Sheepscot: 7:00am (Note early departure time!)
Second Train (Crew Shuttle) Departs Sheepscot: 8:30am
Other trains will be shuttling crew during the day in both directions.
Lunch at ToM at 11:30am
Last train from EoT around 4pm.
Dinner at Sheepscot at 4:30pm. (Note early dinner time!)
Awards/Thank Yous at Sheepscot during Dinner; photos with all volunteers.
Evening "inspection" train to and over Trout Brook Bridge (first run over the bridge with #9) departs Sheepscot at 5:15pm (Weather and conditions permitting.) Photo Ops at End-of-Track. Etc.


Sunday 10/13:
Breakfast Available at Sheepscot
First Work Train Departs Sheepscot: 7:30am
Second Train (Crew Shuttle) Departs Sheepscot: 9:00am
Other trains will be shuttling crew during the day in both directions.
Lunch at ToM at 11:30am
Last train from EoT around 4pm.
Dinner at Sheepscot at 5pm.


Monday 10/14:
Breakfast Available at Sheepscot
First Work Train Departs Sheepscot: 7:30am
Second Train (Crew Shuttle) Departs Sheepscot: 9:00am
Last train from EoT around 11:30pm.
Lunch at Sheepscot at 12:00pm
Following Lunch: "Inspection" train over Trout Brook Bridge to new End-of-Track (first run to Trout Brook station/RT 218 with #9) departs Sheepscot (weather and conditions permitting.) Photo Ops at End-of-Track. Etc.


Note the two special runs on Saturday evening and Monday afternoon will be the first steam trips (non rail-laying trains) over the newly laid track. However, these trips are subject to the suitability of track conditions - which may not be ideal according to the current weather forecast.

[Eric Larsen]

Looks like the weather forecast just got a little bit better.  Scattered showers for Friday and the first part of Saturday.  Not a washout and not that much of a predicted rain total.