July 2021 Work Reports

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday July 3, 2021:

* Lavender Ice Cream trains.
* Earth moving with Mike.
* Garden tool shed modifications.
* Tie cutting and stacking

[Benjamin Richards]

* Earth moving with Mike.

Sounds like a TV series!! 

[Ed Lecuyer]

* Earth moving with Mike.

Sounds like a TV series!! 

Yes, it's called Dirty Jobs.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Anticipated Operations for Saturday, July 3rd.
10:00am: Handcar Hop (AVAILABLE)
12:00pm: Ice Cream Express (tix available) and Caboose Adventure (SOLD OUT.)
2:00pm: Ice Cream Express (tix available) and Caboose Adventure (SOLD OUT.)
4:00pm: Lavender Pickin' Dinnertime Train (tix available), Sheepscot Valley Steam Train (tix available) and Caboose Adventure (SOLD OUT.)
6:00pm: Lavender Pickin' Dinnertime Train (tix available), Sheepscot Valley Steam Train (tix available) and Caboose Adventure (SOLD OUT.)
8:00pm: Sheepscot Valley Sunset Special (tix available) [Pickup passengers from Lavender Farm]

Extra assistance is always appreciated - contact crewcaller@traincrew.wwfry.org to sign up, or learn how to be qualified.

Specifically, we NEED assistance for the evening trains - the Lavender trains are selling very well and crowd control at Sheepscot and on the train will be needed. Contact ed.lecuyer@wwfry.org to help.


All trains are limited to 75 passengers and all tickets must be purchased in advance.
All passengers and crew must adhere to the COVID-19 Policy published at www.wwfry.org/covid
Visit www.wwfry.org/tickets to buy tickets.

[Mike Fox]

* Earth moving with Mike.

Sounds like a TV series!! 

Yes, it's called Dirty Jobs.

Hey quite often I resemble that remark..and proud of it. 😁

[Mike Fox]

Anticipated work for Saturday July 3, 2021:
* Tie cutting and stacking

Is that the Fred version of the Tie and Dine?

[Stephen Lennox]

Work completed Tuesday and Wednesday 29-30 June 2021.

Tuesday:

*  Cut ties moved and new ties placed for cutting  (Steve L, Chuck, James)
*  Prep for location #8 crib, beam selected and drilled.
*  Dairy car ramp installed,  (Randy, Steve L)
*  Shop work, wheels pressed,  (Jerry, Jason, James)
*  Coach #9 assembly  (Ron, Lou)
*  Load of metal taken/sold to scrap yard  (Brendan)
*  Alna center mowing  (Fred, Randy)
*  Fred Shed, work started to add double doors,  (Stewart, James, Fred, Zack)
*  Brookville, final work being done, oil change, some painting  (Jay B)

Wednesday:

*  Car switching, Caboose #554 moved to Alna Center,  (Dan, Bryce)
*  Boat display moved from car barn to Dairy car for display, (Randy, Brendan, Steve L
*  Dairy car ramp repairs,  (Randy)
*  Sheepscot campus mowing (Fred)
*  Fred Shed work  (Stewart)
*  Brookville work  (Jay)
*  Prep for location #8 crib continued  (Steve L)

Noted: Temperatures were averaging between high 80’s to 94 degrees. Work was taxing everyone.

            If you have nothing to do this Saturday, give Ed a call, he is looking for extra help with the
            Ice Cream social and train operations.

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday July 3:

* Fred's Shed: Stewart built and hung the second door in the widened doorway, then got it so it would lock.  I then proceeded to put in the trimmers and two generators from the garage into it.
* Ties: Fred cut up one batch of ties, with Zack and Dwight assisting.  Then cut up the last batch (because it was cool out), which tired him out early.
* Train ops: appeared to go well, at least the first two of the day.
* Forklift: Mike attempted to fix it, but was unable to do so.
* Earth moving: Mike was moving stumps and earth around at Albee's Field.

[Mike Fox]

Napa did not have what we needed (go figure) for the forklift, so I have ordered a replacement Solenoid.

Some shots from today.

Fred Shed. Sheepscot Saw Sharpening Service...







Stewart scewing the last door together



Ready for a ramp..



Alna Center





More benches arrived today



Set up for the Ice Cream Social



And here they come



I managed to move a few big stumps today, as well as leveled the area between our phone line and Tom Albees field. I walked along the field when I was all done to get rid of the stray root or 2. I did not think who ever mows Toms field would like getting that in the mower or bailer. Also moved the wire out of the way. One of my trips running my hand down the line, I felt something. I checked the wire and a small fury animal like a racoon had bit the line. It punctured it. Luckily we will be replacing it soon.

The grass and weeds hide a lot..









I am going Monday (day off from work, woohoo) and finish cleaning that up, then move the equipment to TOM, and start a small project there. Not sure at this time when I will return to the field to continue.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Thanks for the photos, Mike. I wonder if the furry critter was trying to call Sheepscot?

Jeff S.

[Graham Buxton]

I see that there are what appear to be a series of round red clay drainage tile (pipe sections) in Mike's 2nd to last photo.   Are those there to mark/protect the phone line?

[Bill Baskerville]

Yes

[Bill Reidy]

Some photos from yesterday, July 3rd.

Before heading to Albee's field to remove stumps, Mike Fox worked on our 10,000-lb. capacity forklift.


Nearby, Fred Morse continued the work of cutting old wooden highway guard posts into two-foot gauge ties.  Zack Wyllie and Dwight Winkley handled the cut offs as Fred handled the chain saw.


The day's Ice Cream Express event was staged at Alna Center.  A freezer was set up in Maine Locomotive & Machine Works' caboose No. 554, with a cord running out to Dave Buczkowski's generator.  In this view, Dave was setting up the generator as Steve Leet looked on.  In the background, Jay Wiley was setting up the area around the caboose.


Later in the day, our guests wait in the line for ice cream.  Caboose No. 554 had a service connection in place (extension cord to the generator), but we had no yellow or orange flags to protect the car.  So instead, the car was blue flagged for the event.




Our pavilion at Alna Center saw good use, with outdoor games, tables and benches set up.




Our Ice Cream Express trains ran from Sheepscot to Top of Mountain, before stopping at Alna Center on the return trip south.  Consist north-to-south (left-to-right) was Maine Locomotive & Machine Works open car No. 130, Franklin & Megantic coach No. 2 (also owned by MLMW), WW&F coach No. 8 and WW&F caboose No. 320.




WW&F locomotive No. 9 was the day's power.

[Benjamin Richards]

I have noted the yellow flag situation. There does exist at least one pair; they must have been in use elsewhere. I am not sure if they were available earlier on Saturday, or if they had been in use on a prior day and left about. It has been a few weeks since I was able to get up to Sheepscot and do a "flag round-up".

[Kevin Kierstead]

Last time I was up to Sheepscot there were some flags in a bag hanging behind the dispatch office door.