Winter 2024 Photo Event Prep

[Jason M Lamontagne]

Hi folks,

We are holding a photography event in early February, 2024.  A critical piece of success is brush cutting at several key locations, including Albee’s field, Top of Mountain, Humason trestle, rosewood, and possibly others. 

Is anyone reading this interested in leading and or helping with this effort?  We should try to accomplish this in November and December.

Thanks
Jason

[Ed Lecuyer]

It should be noted that this photo special is a high-priced/high-profile event, which will be a major source of revenue to fuel our ongoing projects.

We absolutely need the help and assistance of everyone to pull this off.

[Mike Fox]

I am hoping to cut north from ML&M to the trestle one day, before much snow. Might be able to include the trestle that day. If the snow continues to hold off, hopefull to continue until February.


Albees Field looks like it could be done with a blade trimmer. On a side note, I talked with the owner and got permission to continue clearing stumps. That will help with future photo ops..

[Kevin Madore]

Glad I just noticed this thread.

The key spots that come to mind are as follows:

- Albee's Field (south end and either side of Albee's crossing).   The south end of Albee's on the east side would be our sunrise shot, weather permitting, but the crossing further north can be used in either direction.
- Rosewood.  Most important is the west side.   Folks like the shot with the "Two-Foot Jukes Tree."
- Top of the Mountain.   Mainly making sure the ROW is clean.   Special emphasis on that spot Mike cleared just east of the cemetery location.   That can be a nice, early afternoon shot of the train arriving.
- MP 6 west side of the ROW.  MP 6 is key, because there are 3 shots there, two of which require the ROW on the west side of the track to be clean.
- Sutter's Crossing.  This shot is good in the morning on the east side, and may be the last shot of the day in the afternoon on the west side.
- Davis Grade / Davis Curve.   Brendan is very familiar with this location.  We've used it before.
- Eastman Lake (the little pond just north of Davis Curve).  The ROW on the west side of the track.

I am going to plan to come up Friday morning before the event and I'll take a look around the campus to see if there are any tools, ladders, buckets that need to be stowed....things folks will not want in their shots.   By then, we should have a pretty good plan for where we'll be going and when.   We can review with the operations folks at that time, if not before. 

/Kevin

[Mark Spremulli]

I can lend a hand Kevin

[Benjamin Richards]

During FWW a significant effort was made to clear ballast from the gauge on the Mountain, to allow for plowing and flanging. In November I walked the track and noted a few remaining spots at the northern end in need of attention. These were around MP8, the bridge, and TBS. Today I was able to spend a few hours clearing these trouble spots as best I could. The loose rock doesn't freeze, but in places with significant fine material, it is like cement.
 
As of right now the Mountain is clear for flanging the whole way from ToM to the bridge, EXCEPT within 100 feet either side of MP8. That spot must have been the dregs of a load of ballast, as the fines there were overwhelming and impenetrable.

North of the bridge, it's clear until about 50 feet south of TBS south switch. That stretch is filled to the railhead for at least 30 feet, and I just didn't have it in me today.

I'm hoping to find another day to finish this up before snow.