Saturday (the 25th) I went down to MNG for the morning to help with their track day. Turns out they had quite a bit going on.
- A boom truck had arrived and was helping to remove the engine from loco #1 and install another engine.
- Later that day the boom truck helped to remove the cab off loco #7.
- Tie replacement along Fish Point (this is what I was involved with)
- Dodged the regular passenger train, operating in push-pull mode.
I helped replace perhaps a dozen or so ties, first removing some then helping to spike some.
As part of the tie replacement there was an air compressor and someone on the crew was doing some initial tamping with it, shoving stone under the ties to keep the level and alignment. Ultimately from MNG's forum it looks like they replaced 40 ties, the total number they were looking to replace.
It's certainly a very different environment from Sheepscot, with lots of people walking, jogging, biking, rollerblading, or otherwise propelling themselves by you at any given time, on the pathway next to the railroad. I'm used to the woods where you're well away from it all.
