Author Topic: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread  (Read 532877 times)

Joe Fox

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #690 on: July 12, 2018, 02:32:58 PM »
In the event that the rail crane is unable to be used, I have an idea to allow use of one flat car for ties, and two work flats for rail. Again, only as a back up plan. One way or the other we will hopefully build more than 1200' this year.

Mike Fox

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #691 on: July 12, 2018, 02:40:18 PM »
Thank you for the map image. We agree with Jeff. Just a little extra work this summer, but I think we can squeeze it all in before October 5.. He still will be using the bridge some to repair the ditch, locations 11 to 12.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2018, 03:32:23 PM by Ed Lecuyer »
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Paul Uhland

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #692 on: July 12, 2018, 04:50:42 PM »
Is the next work sequence: do Trout Brook Bridge abutments and piers, set steel temp bridge, contractor then accesses and sets retaining wall, forms ditch in Sections 4 and 5, final preps mid project ROW for FWW tracklay?

Got my interest!!  ;D
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Bill Reidy

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #693 on: July 12, 2018, 06:02:06 PM »
What this does is open up the possibility of laying 1400 feet of track this fall. That is huge. That is half way from end of track to the bridge.

That is huge.  I had thought if 1200 feet were built this fall, we would still be well under halfway to the bridge, making next year's goal to have track reach the bridge very tough.  But 1400 feet this fall and another 1400 feet year sounds very realistic.

This was not me Bill.

I know.  Jeff (as usual) is doing an excellent job.  I happened to catch the Kobuta in a couple of the photos from yesterday, and having seen it last Saturday by the Route 218 end, I had to make the remark.
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Mike Fox

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #694 on: July 12, 2018, 06:20:36 PM »
Paul, Bridge work and Mountain Extension work will be independent of each other, but sharing resources (Contactor Jeff, our equipment) to keep both projects moving forward. Jason and I are in almost constant daily communication trying to make sure things will go as planned and needed.

So, my work on the extension is outlined above. The order has yet to be decided, but the wall has to be built before Jeff will back his loaded truck by to fill in location 9..
« Last Edit: July 12, 2018, 06:22:41 PM by Mike Fox »
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Mike Fox

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #695 on: July 12, 2018, 06:37:10 PM »
Jason sent me these.

Contractor Jeff is using his Kubota (30 years newer than ours..) To lug the culvert to location 10.



Here the guys are waiting for him to return with the second pipe.

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Dave Crow

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #696 on: July 13, 2018, 08:43:10 AM »
Mike,

Will holding off on the ditch repairs at sites 11 and 12 cause potential washouts?  Are there any culverts in the area or does the east side of the right of way drain adequately?

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Mike Fox

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #697 on: July 13, 2018, 09:46:05 AM »
Hi Dave. I don't expect further washouts there. The ditch was originally created by the railroad when the line was constructed. Over the last 125 years some erosion has occured. We plan on lining it with rip rap, to prevent further erosion.
I had initially wanted to drop a couple of relief culverts in, but when we met with DEP, he said it would be a tough sell because the other side of the ROW was wetland, or had wetland characteristics. So the ditch stays and we just need to armour it.
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James Patten

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #698 on: July 14, 2018, 04:17:31 PM »
The pictures so far don't do the Slide repair justice.  It's an impressive bit of work.

Mike Fox

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #699 on: July 14, 2018, 06:09:34 PM »
Challenge accepted James...

I stepped into the woods below the slide, and took these shots up at the Kubota..



Standing beyond all that slid off the hillside. These series of shots will really show how far it went.









These are the trees I stood behind...

I also started on Location 8. HWMNBM stopped by and gave me a hand with the silt fence, then I removed some dead wood.

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John Scott

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #700 on: July 14, 2018, 09:46:44 PM »
The construction skill that is being displayed, here, is immense.

Bill Reidy

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #701 on: July 15, 2018, 10:46:56 AM »
I spent a little time yesterday afternoon taking a walk from the end of track down to the site of Trout Brook bridge and back.  Here are some photos I took along the way.

1.  Current end of track, at location 1 on the Mountain Extension, looking south toward Sheepscot.  A few years ago someone (Fred I believe) put up markers every 300 feet from the area of the north mainline stub switch at Top of Mountain out to about 3000 feet north.  End of track currently falls around the 1000-1100 foot mark. 


2.  Turning 180 degrees to look north along the right of way.  Mike's truck is parked on the right-of-way.


3.  Walking north, looking back at Mike's truck.


4.  Turning 180 degress, the view looking north.  Jeff Verney has cleaned up the right-of-way, pulling stumps and spreading gravel.


5.  Looking south at the 1500-foot marker.  The culvert for location 2 is visible just beyond the mark sign.


6.  Standing at location 2, looking north past the 1500-foot marker toward the area of the slide (location 4).


7.  Just south of the slide (location 4), looking south.


8.  The repaired slide area at location 4, looking north.  We now have a nice, wide right-of-way here.  Jeff did a very good job.


9.  Looking south through the repaired slide area at location 4.


For comparison, here is the same view posted by Mike January 16th in this thread.


10.  Another view of the slide area, trying to convey the size of the repair.


11.  Turning 180 degrees to look north along the right-of-way.  We're at about the 1800-foot mark, where our well-traveled and well-used Kubota was parked for the day.


12.  Looking south at the Kubota, with my back toward the pinch point/location 6.


13.  Turning 180 degrees to look across the pinch point.  Barely visible on the far left is the string line that marks where the block retention wall will be built.  This is about at the 2100-foot mark.


14.  Here is why this the pinch point.  Barely visible just about the silt fence is Trout Brook, very close to the right-of-way.  Also visible is the string line marking where the block retention wall will be built.


15.  Looking south across the pinch point toward the Kubota.  This view clearly shows how the road on the right-of-way has shifted over time into the hillside to the east to get by the loss of right-of-way here.  The string marking the location of the wall is visible to the right.


16.  One final look at the pinch point, showing the string line for the retention wall.


17.  Mountain Mike prepares to install another section of silt fencing at location 8.  We're looking south toward Sheepscot.  This location is about at the 2400-foot mark.


18.  Can you spot Mike setting the silt fence around location 8?


19.  Mike setting the silt fence along the down slope edge of location 8.


20.  Looking north along the right-of-way across location 8.


Next few locations are corrected thanks to Mike's later post.  Sorry for my confusion!
21.  Looking south along the right-of-way at the 2400-foot mark.  Location 10 9 is just behind me.


22.  Looking north at the same location, with the 2400-foot marker on the left and location 10 9 just beyond.


23.  The washout at location 10 9.  We're looking from the south side.  This is the second of two locations to receive a 48-inch steel culvert.  The first was location 1.


24.  View looking south across location 10 9.


25.  Looking south at the 2700-foot marker.  Location 11 10 is behind me.


26.  Turning to look north, here is the view at the 2700-foot mark and location 11 10.


27.  Culvert at location 11 10.  View is looking north.


28.  View looking south across location 11 10.


I did walk the remaining 1100 feet or so to the Trout Brook bridge site.  The right-of-way appeared to me to be in generally good shape between location 11 and the bridge site.

Hope these photos give a sense of all the work that's been done so far by Mike, Jeff, Jason and everyone else involved in preparing the right-of-way.  It's really something to see in person.

« Last Edit: July 15, 2018, 06:30:22 PM by Bill Reidy »
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Wayne Laepple

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #702 on: July 15, 2018, 11:14:47 AM »
Thanks for the excellent photos and commentary, Bill. Even though I have walked the right-of-way several times, these photos provide a better visual than my admittedly fading memory. Well done!
« Last Edit: July 15, 2018, 07:24:35 PM by Wayne Laepple »

Fred Morse

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #703 on: July 15, 2018, 01:14:03 PM »
There's a lot of cut up soft wood to be picked up before the Fall Work Weekend. It will be a lot easier to work there without that wood in the way.

Alex Harvilchuck

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Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« Reply #704 on: July 15, 2018, 02:15:46 PM »
So if the current EOT is at the 1100ft mark and the FWW plan is to lay ~1400ft, then the new EOT would be just past Location 10 9 (i.e. the 2nd 48" inch culvert installed) and 200ft shy of Location 11 10 at the 2500ft mark?
« Last Edit: July 22, 2018, 06:58:13 PM by Alex Harvilchuck »