October 2022 Work Reports

[John McNamara]

Anticipated work for Tuesday and Wednesday 18-19 October 2022

*  Locomotive #7 Inspection  (Tues)
*  School Charter  (Wed)
*  Rail car assembly and test
*  Vacuum brakes
*  Passenger car trucks work
*  Coach #9 work
*  Engine house  (pending)
*  SS campus clean up and dump run

Can you add "install ground rod at TBS"?
Thanks!

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday October 22:

* Last day of Pumpkin trains - 2 train ops, help needed.
* Engine house construction
* Boxcar 56
* Storage area work
* Ramp assembly completion

[Mike Fox]

Ramp assembly and storage area work will continue next weekend as I am away this weekend.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Weekly Recap - Some of the progress: Oct. 17th - 21st

Coach 9 - More woodwork + research into what type and colors of paint J&S was using in 1894 when the original coach 2 and 3 were built.

Passenger car trucks - Truck frames and parts were cleaned and painted.

Outreach - A school group was given a tour and train ride on Weds.  Thanks to ML&M we were able to power the train their Engine 1 which is on loan while our #52 is serving MNG in Portland.

RC4 - Paul and crew finished installing the radiator and making some adjustments. A test trip was run to TBS and return.

Campus - Clean up was done over a few days and a dump run was made on Thurs.

Gift Shop - A box full of Two-Foot books was donated. The volumes include a complete set of Narrow Gauge in the Sheepscot Valley as well as some hard to find older publications like Sunset on the Sandy River. The books will be inventoried and priced in the next two weeks.   

Archives - Some boxes of older railroad material were donated. The items will be inspected and some put up for sale in the gift shop.

Engine House - Brendan did some measuring and calculating for the next brace beam that spans between the center stall posts.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Switch Crew - A short-style Ramapo 9 was located (via a Facebook group), purchased (then donated), and retrieved. Reportedly, it once served a siding in Brunswick Maine, and is in excellent condition.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Paint Crew - Following an effort led by Bryce Weeks during the FWW, Dan Malkowski continued painting the Trout Brook station building today.

[Bob Holmes]

Looking Fantastic!!

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

Will the lower planks be painted, stained, or let weather?

Dave Engles uses a vinegar & iron filings concoction that accelerates the
weathered look.

I would use a stain, because if the back of the plank is unpainted the moisture in the
ground will push off the paint.

[Benjamin Richards]

If I had to guess it's probably all "stain".

I don't fully understand the difference, but probably someone will chime in shortly

[Graham Buxton]

I expect the point of leaving the bottom boards unpainted is to replicate (AKA 'standardize' ) the look of the Alna Center station. See Kevin's fine photo here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/112261457@N06/14808691778

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday October 22:

* Pumpkin trains - mostly sold out.  As I was on the train today, if anything else was happening I missed it.

[Bill Reidy]

Anticipated work for Tuesday and Wednesday 18-19 October 2022

*  Locomotive #7 Inspection  (Tues)
*  School Charter  (Wed)
*  Rail car assembly and test
*  Vacuum brakes
*  Passenger car trucks work
*  Coach #9 work
*  Engine house  (pending)
*  SS campus clean up and dump run

Can you add "install ground rod at TBS"?
Thanks!

Dan and I installed the 8' ground rod at Trout Brook Station this afternoon and attached the ground wire.  You will want to inspect the ground connection to ensure it meets the exacting telephone department standards.

Dan and I were shocked at how quickly we were able to drive the rod into the ground.
It was lightning fast. 
Ed says you're now in charge, John. 

Your turn, John...

[Stephen Lennox]

The rod went in so easy because you guys are younger than us...lol.

[Bill Reidy]

Well, in Dan's case, yes...

Dan and I started with low expectations and were surprised how easily it went.  We pushed the first 4' of the rod into the ground by hand.  And then we hit no obstructions hammering it the rest of the way home.  We thought for sure we'd hit some rock. 

[Mike Fox]

Any ledge in the area drops off quickly at the tracks. It is down 20 feet or more around the brook. Test bores for the bridge went deeper and never struck ledge there.