August 2024 work reports

[Ed Lecuyer]

Yes. Melanie dropped off a bunch of the "good stuff" - Thanks Melanie!!

Meanwhile, Work Done on Sunday, 8/11:
*Mixed Train - SOLD OUT!!
*A-No.1 Hobo Experience - SOLD OUT!!
*Music on the Railway Concert - SOLD OUT!!

A big thank you to today's crews (all of whom did double-duty Sat & Sun) who hosted our visitors. And let's not forget Gift Shop crew, and those who keep us fed and hydrated between train trips.

This weekend was a HUGE success - and one of the busiest Annual Picnic we've had with 360 ticketed passengers over the last two days.

[John McNamara]

I see that livestock back-in-the-day wore plaid shirts.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Thanks for the photos, Bill. Was that Seabiscut in boxcar 65?

Jeff

[Bob Holmes]

Alna FD was perfectly positioned on the new platform to feed travelers.  They did a brisk business!  And there were lots of sit-down tables under the awning.  Hopefully it's a setup that can be repeated again, as it's a win-win for both the railroad and the community fire department.

Bob

[Jeff Schumaker]

I like the awning on the flatcar.

Jeff

[Benjamin Richards]

8/12 - Having replaced the leaking fuel line and shutoff on the railcar, I wanted to give it a shakedown run. I decided to bring along the backpack blower and do some fire mitigation. I cleared pine needles from the ballast near Sutter's and near Fossel's. The frustration of trying to get the needles out of the gauge gave me some ideas about a little contraption that might help.

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for weekend of August 17-18:

* Saturday public trains are the no-frills Sheepscot Valley Train Service.
* Engine house work
* Trailer work
* Machine shop
* Sunday trains are the Railcar Rambles.

[Stephen Piwowarski]

Also, one of the handcars will be traveling to Ellsworth with Dave and I for New England Steam Cos. Touch a Train event. We will leave the other car accessible for Handcar rides on Saturday.

Best,
Steve

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday Aug 17:

* Steve and Dave took a handcar to Ellsworth for Touch a Train.  Steve left bright and early.
* Trailer: Mike, assisted by Bill and myself, finished decking the trailer.
* Event sign: Bill was working on the sign.
* Engine house: Brendan was spraying fire retardant on the ceiling of the center bay.  Bay 1 already has insulation up on in the ceiling.
* Handicap platform: Mike, Cody and I dismantled the handicap platform.  It's stored in the "back 40", and will find eventual re-use somewhere up the line.
* Jason, Pete M, and Daniel M were discussing Loco 53.
* Public trains: well attended.

[Bill Reidy]

* Trailer: Mike, assisted by Bill and myself, finished decking the trailer.

Mike and James did most of the work, but I did take a photo as I "helped":

* Event sign: Bill was working on the sign.

The end result.  Past August dates purposely kept in place to preserve chronological order.  We need a Solari board.


The main takeaway here is the variety of popular public events we now offer, thanks to the planning by Steve P., Ed, Dan and others. 

* Handicap platform: Mike, Cody and I dismantled the handicap platform.  It's stored in the "back 40", and will find eventual re-use somewhere up the line.

The disassembled ramp about to be moved elsewhere on our Sheepscot campus.


A few other photos today...

Roger Whitney and Wes Carpenter prepping No. 9 for service today.  I understand Roger and Wes traded off on engineer and fireman roles today.


Two diesels at Sheepscot:  WW&F No. 52 and Maine Locomotive & Machine No. 1.


After lunch, I had planned to do some brush cutting at Head Tide.  Brian Whitney has done a lot of work there this summer, but more remains.  But Jason asked if I could cut along the active railroad at Trout Brook.  A crew has done a nice job earlier this summer on the west side between the turntable and the switch, but the east side needed attention.

A section just north of the switch cut before the arrival of train No. 5, looking northward toward Trout Brook station.


Looking southward, what remained.  Can you see the switch stand?


And the end result, after train No. 6 departed southbound.

[John McNamara]

In the picture of Roger and Wes prepping Number 9 it looks like Roger is reading a manual. Not a good sign.

[Mike Fox]

[Llink=topic=4648.msg58754#msg58754 date=1723931403]
* Handicap platform: Mike, Cody and I dismantled the handicap platform.  It's stored in the "back 40", and will find eventual re-use somewhere up the line.

The disassembled ramp about to be moved elsewhere on our Sheepscot campus.


Cody can be seen checking out the controls of the tractor. I am sure even he will have trouble getting off of it when he is old enough to run it.

[Jeff Schumaker]

In the picture of Roger and Wes prepping Number 9 it looks like Roger is reading a manual. Not a good sign.

It looks like a Sudoku puzzle book.

Jeff

[James Patten]

Anticipated work for Saturday August 24:

* Public trains, ice cream and hiking at Trout Brook. (Ride the Rails to Hike the Trails is next Saturday, Aug. 31st.)
* Trailer work, if there's any left
* Grounds work
* Engine house
* Machine shop

[James Patten]

Work done on Saturday August 24:

* Trailer: Mike was scraping the sides of it, and I assume that he later painted what he scraped.
* Engine house: Brendan took down the smoke jack in order to determine a better way to hang it square to the track.
* Dozer repair: Mike replaced cylinders on the front of the dozer.
* Public trains: today was ice cream (PM) as well as the regular train.
* Winslow Fair: I believe Bruce and Steve P. were representing us, at least in the morning, at the fair (we have our handcar there as an exhibit).
* Brake stands: Joseph and Nick were working to make a brake stand.
* Archives: We received some Museum archival material, so I spent time sorting through it.
* Coach 9: Jason was engineering the Miller Safety Platform for prototyping.