February 2020 Work Reports

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday Feb 1:

* Another Steam & Sleighs, just on Saturday, to make up for the Sunday 1/26 storm day
* Pavilion work
* Car barn extension
* Coach 9
* Board meeting at 3 (rescheduled because of the photo event the following weekend).

[Ed Lecuyer]

Another Steam & Sleighs, just on Saturday, to make up for the Sunday 1/26 storm day

Note: Trains on 2/1 are NOT a full "Steam and Sleighs" experience (no snow, no winter activities, no layover at SeaLyon farm.)
Trains will only run at 10:30am and 12:00pm, to ToM and return. No 1:30pm or 3:00pm trip.
Brakeman wanted.

Also, Mike Fox is planning on delivering Prebles station to ToM via rail at 8am. Help for that run/project would be appreciated.

[Mike Fox]

Greatly appreciated. The more help we get the quicker we can be. As Ed said, I'd like to depart about 8, but can be pushed back a little if we have no help..

[Dave Buczkowski]

Mike;
I won't be there right at 8:00 but will be fashionably soon thereafter. I may have a sidekick as well but I'll let him speak for himself.
Dave

[Mike Fox]

Perhaps I'll wait for you.. The more help we have the better it will go.

[Mike Fox]

Anyone looking for something to do Friday, I will be at the museum around 9, and leaving between 3 or 3:30. . The goal would be load the remaining trusses and deliver to Alna Center. Then if I have time, load the Prebles Station on the flat for delivery Saturday morning to TOM..

[Mike Fox]

Station House movers accomplished this in a matter of minutes this morning.. It went very smoothly.

[Bob Holmes]

Wow, Prebles is finally where it belongs at TOM.  We'll find many good uses for it moving forward....

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday Feb 1:

* Moving Prebles: The station was emptied of stuff, hauled to the Top of the Mountain, and removed from the flatcar.
* Machine shop: Work continued on the riveter.
* Trains: two winter trains were run.
* Board meeting

[Dwight Winkley]

I believe work was done on the new coach frame beams.

[Bill Reidy]

Some photos from Saturday.

As Mike reported, the well-traveled Prebles depot took a 2.6-mile ride aboard flatcar No. 118 to Top of the Mountain.  Here the crew is boarding for the trip north from Sheepscot.


At Top of the Mountain, Prebles was unloaded between the main track and the mill spur.










The work now done at Top of the Mountain, the crew boards for the return trip to Sheepscot.


At Sheepscot, Alan Downey, Jerry Steinke and Carlos Steinke worked on repairs to our squeeze riveter.

[Bob Holmes]

Prebles at TOM gives us a base as a permanent "Destination" for TOM, similar to what Alna Center has become over the years.  It's historically accurate which is a huge plus.  Should we consider it as such, it also anchors the growing importance of TOM as a center for more WW&F activities (consider the sawmill, the shingle maker, the Sea Lyons connection, a possible new freight shed, etc., etc.)  This can become the center of our activities at TOM, just as the station at Alna Center had become over the last many years.

[Mike the Choochoo Nix]

Any plans to put a phone in Prebles station?
M. Nix

[Philip Marshall]

It looks like flat car 118 has a bent brake staff. When did that happen?

[John McNamara]

I would like to install a phone. A year or so ago when we had a ski and snowshoe event at TOM, a ML&M caboose was parked at the end of the mill siding. I bought a couple 100-ft outdoor extension cords and installed the type of connectors (225V) that we use on the magphone line. I ran it from the outlet box above the TOM  magphone box to the caboose, and spent several cozy hours in the caboose signing guests in and out after providing them with trail maps. The only inventive part was installing the line past the eastern siding and the mainline. I broke the cord in two, attached Fast-On connectors, fished the cord under the four rails, and reconnected the Fast-Ons.