February 2023 Work Reports

[Stephen Lennox]

Anticipated work for Tuesday and Wednesday 21-22 February 2023

*  Vacuum brake work
*  Passenger car truck rebuild
*  Coach #9 build
*  RR ops, yard switching, rail crane recovery from TOM
*  SS campus, various clean up
*  Prep for expected snow storm  (pending)

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday Feb 25:

* Last day of Steam & Sleighs.  Looks like there'll be enough snow to actually have sleighs.  Help needed for switching and ground crews.
* Cutting & burning at ToM.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Don't forget:

Storm Cleanup Friday February 24.
The usual- plow train to ToM, clear the north yard, all switches, passenger ramp, etc.

We'll need some extra help to pull this off so that we can run the trains on Saturday!
Please come help if you are available.

[Benjamin Richards]

Planning to be there, probably work around Sheepscot like last time.

[Stephen Lennox]

Work completed Tuesday and Wednesday 21-22 February 2023

Tuesday:
SS campus:  Campus clean to include Engine House, Machine shop, freight station, parking lot.
 (Fred, Stewart, Leon, Jarred, Jason, Brendan, Steve Lx, Steve Lt, Brian W, Randy, Dan)
Coach #9: Work continues.  (Eric, Ron)
RR Ops:  Switching, rail crane returns to SS for unloading, yard switching, storm prep.
 (Dan, Steve Lx, Brian W, Steve Lt)
Passenger trucks:  Rebuild continues including parts and pieces fabricated for vacuum brakes.
 (Jerry, Carlos, Jonathan-off site)
Archives:  Work continues  (Linda)
Gift shop/mail:  Continual/on going  (Cindy)

Wednesday:
Engine house:  Shingling, 2 windows put in.  (Brendan, Stewart, Fred, Zack, Randy)
Archives:  Work continues (Linda)
Coach #9:  assembly/build continues  (Eric)
Trout Brook Station: Maintenance  (Brendan, Randy)

Notes:  Fred’s birthday party hosted by Sonja, Zack, Linda and attended by everyone. You might ask how old Fred is, you’ll just have to come to the railroad and ask him.  Happy Birthday Fred!

[Stephen Lennox]

Work completed Friday 24 February 2023

*  Storm clean out, main line, yards, switches, walk ways and ramp plowed/shoveled out.
      (Jason, Steve Lx, Ben R)
*  Rail crane removed from flat car #34  (Brendan, Chesterfield Associates)

Note: I left at noon, more work have gotten completed.
          Saturday Steam and Sleigh… dress for the cold.

[Brendan Barry]

Rail laying gantrycrane being unloaded from the flat car. Steve L. picture.

[Brian Whitney]

Where did the rail crane end up being stored?

[Brendan Barry]

West side of the parking lot for the moment.

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday Feb 25:

* Cutting and burning - not at ToM, but at Sheepscot.  Mike decided due to lack of reliable help to cut north of the west parking lot.  When that's cleared he'll push a pile of stumps up against the root ball of a good sized tree that blew over, and push more dirt over.
* Engine house - cleanup of shingles and other wood in the structure, and it was burned in a burn barrel (manned by Cody and Stewart).
* Steam & Sleigh trains - at last some snow for it.

[Mike Fox]

Brian could not be there today, and no one could be stuck with me at TOM for the day (never cut alone). So I decided to cut in another spot that needs it. Future parking (more like storage)..My one and only photo today..looking North while standing on the fill we got last year from the ditching of Cross Rd.

[Bill Baskerville]

I finally found a pocket of time to stencil the 12 new skates that I made late last year.  When I bring them up for the SWW that should give us a total of 26.  Hopefully that will keep us in skates for a while.  Perhaps the powers to be around Sheepscot can find a place or two around the campus to build a rack so we will always know where to go and find one.  Perhaps one near the South Yard and one near the North Yard.  We could always store one or two in Alna, TOM, and TBS.

That would include a place to return them when they are found around the grounds.

[Bill Reidy]

A couple of photos of Mike at work this afternoon cutting a sugar maple, as James Patten looks on before adding the smaller cut branches to the fire.  I joined after lunch, after updating the public signboard outside our restroom building.


Timberrrrrr...


The larger hardwood trunks will be split and used for firing locomotives.

Zack Wyllie, Steve Piwowarski and Brendan Barry soon joined us as the fire died down.  They had been busy on other railway work today, along with many others.  We enjoyed sharing memories of past years by the fire, while talking about the current times and future.  As I was leaving, Brendan remarked about the sweatshirt I was wearing, of the Downeast Model Railroad Association of North Carver, MA--a club both his dad Bill, Brendan and I were members back in the 1980s.  A good reminder of the many friends I've met over the years.

[Mike Fox]

That was a slow contoled fall. The tree was leaning toward me, but I did want to have it fall that way. We wound up wedging one in that cluster to get it to fall toward the fire. Thanks Bill for the photos.

[John Kokas]

Chip up those sugar maple branches.  They make great smoker fire fuel and especially wet chips for smoking.  Of course for those who prefer a little sweetness to their meat.