Fall Work Weekend 2023 - Official Work thread

[Benjamin Richards]

At 8.34 pounds per gallon, it's roughly 1500 pounds of additional weight.

Is the car braked in any way?

[Mike Fox]

No. Not yet anyway.

[Bill Baskerville]

I thought the Brookville was rated to pull one empty flat car. What does that weigh?

[Dana Deering]

Back in the old days we used to pull a flatcar loaded with stone with it.

[Russ Nelson]

We didn't get to Catawissa, but instead bought out the entire stock of the local beverage mavin. People should probably limit themselves to one bottle the entire weekend.

[Russ Nelson]

2023 Fall Work Weekend

Work sessions expected on Enginehouse, etc.

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to express interest here or privately for specific aspects of our work plans.

I call dibs on the Enginehouse work once the cell booster has been trialed.

[Bill Piche]

We didn't get to Catawissa, but instead bought out the entire stock of the local beverage mavin. People should probably limit themselves to one bottle the entire weekend.

Hmmmmmm....if there's any Catawissa left somebody should put Dana and Dan head to head in a "guess which Moxie this is" contest.

[John Kokas]

Russ, does your beverage mavin actually bottle Moxie?  According to my info there is only 3 licensed bottlers (outside of Coke) that can produce Moxie.  Catawissa, a bottler in Seattle, Washington area and a third in the Minneapolis area.  Check the fine print on the side of the bottle to see who bottled it.

My schedule will not allow for me to purchase Moxie from Catawissa at this late date.  I have a few bottles at home for those who are desperate for a fix.  Just PM me with your request.

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

The Moxie I got from hardware store next town over is from:

Orca Beverage Inc., Mukilteo, WA under authority

Pure Cane Sugar

$2.50/ 12 oz. kept for special occasions with close friends only.

[Bob Holmes]

For those attending Work Weekend, you might want to know that Jodie’s Café and Bakery (formerly the Ship Chow Hall) has moved into the center of Wiscasset as of last weekend.  When Sarah decided to retire, Jodie bought Sarah’s Café which is right across the street from Red’s Eats, and right next to the Rockland Branch tracks.  Jodie’s breakfast, lunch (and now dinner) menus feature a unique blend of classic Maine café and southern Georgia cooking.  The hours are daily 7 am to 8 pm, Sunday 6 am to 8 pm.  The food is great and the prices are quite reasonable.  See the link below for more information.


https://www.wiscassetnewspaper.com/article/sarah-s-cafe-property-s-new-owner-plans-keep-it-welcoming-community-minded-place/175647

[James Patten]

I observed Saturday that our Railroad Crossing signs and posts are in need of white paint.  Of course at this point it looks like Saturday won't be the day the paint...

[Russ Nelson]

Russ, does your beverage mavin actually bottle Moxie?

No, they order it from Catawissa.

[Bill Reidy]

A handful of photos from today, October 6th, the first day of the 2023 Fall Work Weekend.  I was on the work train assigned for the ballast cleanup on the Mountain.  The goal was to remove excess stone from the top of the ties to allow the ties to dry out between storms.

Work started at Top of Mountain and progressed northward.



Bryce Weeks handled our new Stihl heavy duty blower.  The blower is string enough to clear excess ballast and other debris from the tracks.  This photo was taken by Location 1 on the Mountain.



The end result, as seen at Location 1.  The day's crew cleared excess ballast as far as the curve north of Location 10.



Meanwhile Russ and Ewa Nelson tested a cell signal booster along the railway line, using the work train.  Here's a photo of the antenna attached to the south end of open car No. 131.



A photo of exterior repair work on coach No. 8 can be found here.

[John McNamara]

Great stuff about the cell booster tests! What were the results, location by location?
-Thanks!

[Bill Piche]

All the way down to location 10? Most excellent work. That pretty much clears the worst spots of high ballast all the way down the mountain since most of the 2019 built section's been lifted so much (and a very nice lifting job it is indeed).