|
Team:
Everett Lueck
Mike Miller
Tucker Baker
Doug Rhodes
Accomplishments:
- New battery, gas tank, and fuel line installed on new A5 motorcar
- Front tow bar pipes installed on M2 and A5 motorcar
- More ties placed and first panel rails installed on machine shop track
Friday - July 3
We set out to work on several projects Friday morning. Mike and Everett
set to work on the new motor car and while I continued dirt leveling in
the machine shop track with the tractor. Mike worked to secure a new gas
tank while Everett cut off lifting braces that would interfere with
putting down a new floor on the motorcar. Raised lifting braces had been
installed late in the motorcars life to lift it on/off flatcars with a
crane. Everett also began fashioning a tow bar and connecting rod tongue
on the front of both the M1 (Fairmont S2 speeder) and the new A5, a good
need on both motorcars using pipe and channel iron. Right about the time
I had the dirt fairly level and measured, it came a decent thunderstorm.
The battery was borrowed from the M2 speeder to test the engine firing
on the A5 and the prognosis looks good for the engine. The engine crank
sound is good to hear! We took a break for lunch at Lea's in Lecompte
and to get a battery for the new A5. In the afternoon rain, we continued
testing and worked on the A5 motorcar, the tow bar tongues, and a small
general engine house clean up. A brand new battery was set up on the A5
and the old battery restored to the M2.
Saturday - July 4
Mike arrived early to take advantage of the early morning cool after
yesterday's rain. Mike had installed a new fuel line on the A5 motorcar
and Everett finished and attached the front tow bars pipes to both
speeders. After lunch, we set to work again on the machine shop track.
With a few more leveling touches and measuring, we placed down four more
ties and rolled out two sticks of rail for the first track panel.
Placing these ties was tough work as the red dirt has certainly set up
well and picks were needed to level out tie spots. The good news is that
the red dirt Mike secured will be a fantastic base material for engine
202. After clearing the caked-on dirt from the rails we connected the
first two rails with joint bars to the existing shop track. These rails
show a slight downward and side bend due to the weight from locomotive
202 and a lack of ties underneath in the old track. We had to raise the
far end of the rails in order to connect the joint bars to the existing
track. After joining together, we used the string to line up the gauge
rail and spike this rail to one tie to hold it in place. We placed down
two gauge bars in order to hold the rails in gauge until they are spiked
down.
Next Steps on these projects:
- continue work on new A5 speeder (exhaust system, ignition, fuel
system)
- finishing drilling hole on M2 tow bar tongue (for front towing
capability)
- level and spike-down first panel of track in machine shop
Machine shop track is ready for tamping and leveling of the first panel.
Spiking can start in earnest. Once the first panel is complete, we'll
then be on the homestretch of putting the second and final track panel
back in. The machine shop track will be fully connected and operational
again. It will make a good home for locomotive 202.
-Tucker Baker
RR&G Road Master
|
