Some photos from yesterday.
Following delivery of used wooden highway guard rail posts a week or so ago, Fred has been busy. Here is the start of cut tie piles next to the car barn.
Dwight Winkley and Zack Wiley stack a cut tie (forground), as Fred prepares to cut the next post with a chainsaw (background).
Dan Malkowski led yesterday's Tie & Dine event. Here he tells volunteers the day's plans: Replace ties along the grade between Brook and Sutter's crossings, and then line.
For tie replacement, three teams worked: One removing old ties; one installing and spiking new; and the third shoveling stone back in place and hand tamping around the new ties. Here Bill Piche pushes and Dan pulls out an old tie to be replaced:
A new tie is spiked:
The third crew shoveled the stone back around each new tie, shovel-tamped, then used tamping bars. Pete and Cody Stevens help tamp with tamping bars.
After the last of the ties were replaced, this section of track was lined.
Master Obi-Wan trains Luke in the ways of the Force. Past roadmaster Dana Deering lends a helpful eye to Dan as he guides the lining.
Yoda helped, too. Dave Buczkowski also lent an eye.
The day's work train, seen at lunch at Sheepscot. Left-to-right: WW&F flatcar No. 126 loaded with supplies for the trackwork; WW&F No. 52; WW&F flatcar No. 118, equipped with benches for public trains; and Maine Locomotive & Machine Works open car No. 130.
During the afternoon volunteers lined track from south of Trask's crossing up to Alna Center, and then moved to the area south of Top of Mountain. Here volunteers finish up near Top of Mountain.
Pete and Cody, Ed Lecuyer and I used loppers to cut saplings along the right-of-way as the trackwork was underway. A blade trimmer was also used to cut brush around Trask's crossing.
Yesterday was the last Work Saturday for this spring (and early summer) and the last of three Tie & Dine events. From all I've seen, these Work Saturdays have been very successful, thanks to Dan and other team leaders. I hope this becomes a new tradition, along with our spring and fall work weekends which hopefully can resume in October.
