Tree Work, November 9, 2024

[Mike Fox]

Saturday, November 9th, we will be doing some tree removal just North of TOM to improve visibility and decrease fire potential. There are several large pines that we will be removing. I have just reserved a large wood chipper for that day to get rid of the limbs.

The plan as it stands is to leave the logs as they fall, as long as not fouling the track, and they will be loaded onto a flat car at a later time, possibly as part of a special event. But getting the trees down where planned and cleaned up is the main purpose of the day.

There will be no burning.

Departure time from Sheepscot should be 8:30ish, returning for lunch, then maybe more in the afternoon. Wrapping up around 3. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Mike Fox]

The initial plan is still on, but I may change the work slightly, depending on the wind. The forecast is for 15mph winds with higher gusts. That may be too much for trying to carefully drop the bigger trees. But we will decide that Saturday.

But I have thoughts on other tree work we can do while we have the chipper. Never a lack of things to do with a willing crew. See you Saturday

[Bill Reidy]

I suggest we bring the blower with us to clean up pine needles and leaf litter from the right-of-way if we work north of ToM.

[Mike Fox]

Great idea

[Brian Whitney]

Once the trees are dropped the wind won't be an issue.
I say we stick with the plan if we can. We can cut between gusts!!
Maybe the wind direction will be in our favor.
But... safety comes first.

[Benjamin Richards]

I suggest we bring the blower with us to clean up pine needles and leaf litter from the right-of-way if we work north of ToM.

Further to this, while the shoulders clean up fine, I found it is very difficult and frustrating to blow material out of the gauge. It tends to stay trapped between the rails. Some kind of small ramp would improve this. Could be as simple as a small piece of plywood propped up on a block.

[Mike Fox]

A very successful day. 4 large pines down and brush cleaned up. Sorry I did not get any before photos..

[Bill Reidy]

A few additional photos.  Our work train today, as seen at Top of Mountain.  Right to left: locomotive No.52, flatcar No. 118 loaded with the chipper Mike rented from Ames Hardware along with other tools, and MLM caboose No. 554.


Watching Mike about to drop the first tall white pine.  Top of Mountain in the distance.


Tree crew about to cut off the branches from the first tall white pine dropped.


Volunteers feeding the chipper with the branches from the first tree.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Looks like there's potential for some nice white pine lumber.

Jeff

[Pete "Cosmo" Barrington]

Looks like there's potential for some nice white pine lumber.

Jeff

If only we had a sawmill ... 

[Mike Fox]

Hope to get the logs to one of our local sawmills to use as lumber for one of our future building projects

[John Kokas]

Agreed Mike,  that is some nice looking pine that would make a nice random width floor.  Now to find some good Oak to get post and beams for the lumber/shingle mill.

[Jeff Schumaker]

I'm guessing that, at some point, the logs will be loaded onto a flatcar and delivered to Sheepscot?

Jeff

[Mike Fox]

Here is a photo taken by James Dalgleish that shows a before photo..



And here is a short video of that tree coming down, also shot by James.

https://youtu.be/7LBo2PNoH24?si=_yN7TVyttr_eA2iD.

[Mike Fox]

A few more videos from James.
Tree #2

https://youtube.com/shorts/BJ8pK5bihZ8?si=7JYpshXTIhfoHsxD

Tree #3

https://youtube.com/shorts/bYLXlViHF5k?si=2lS_86aFD-eTGuh-

Tree #4

https://youtube.com/shorts/jod3AZZizIA?si=MRT5osGvmgRwrctY6

Chipper

https://youtube.com/shorts/Q301Kdr_cI4?si=0k9z4Lh6O-Go8M5a