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Volunteer Railroaders
1. Jason R.
2. Joseph S.
3. David H. Sr.
4. Everett L.
5. Mike M.
6. Dewayne S.
7. Clint L. Jr
8. Nick P.
9. Ayden S.
10. Kira S.
11. Leo P.
12. Tucker B.
Accomplishments
1. M4 shakedown runs and operator qualification completed
2. Temporarily removed M4 seats for interior panel installation
3. Sand and paint MOP RIP locks
4. Fabricate and weld links for metal flat cars
5. Relocate stone and mortar picnic tables
6. Repair petrified log display near Commissary
7. Test lift ACL steel log car with big Hyster forklift
8. Fill in hole in Main Loop Track behind Planer Mill
9. Vegetation removal around Planer Mill
10. Sprayed herbicide around Planer Mill, Planer Mill Power House, Saw
Mill intake table, McGiffert loader, behind CCC building, and
track-adjacent areas
Thank you to everyone who
volunteered this weekend. We accomplished many of our goals for the
weekend and that went a long way to having the museum ready for our
upcoming festival. Make plans for the 3rd Annual Long Leaf Steam Up and
Fall Festival on Friday and Saturday, October 20 and 21. All hands on
deck are needed for this ever-growing annual festival.
Friday
After the executive committee meeting on Friday, Mike, Everett, and
Tucker went to work and prepped for the weekend. Mike continued the
ongoing work to restore the Planer Mill clerestory windows with museum
staff Robin. The improvements from this project are readily visible from
the ground and the Planer Mill is much improved by the efforts!
Mike and Robin have also begun restoration and stabilization of the
Carpentry/Plumbing Shop building near the Commissary. Earlier this year
in March, volunteers cleaned out the big middle room, clearing the way
for these exciting efforts for Mike and Robin.
Everett and Tucker met one of the new museum interns from LSUA. The LSUA
intern program is a growing success story at the museum. Everett then
spent some time in the Archives looking for various historical
documents. In the afternoon, he procured supplies for the weekend,
including some silver paint for the top of M4 and blue paint for RIP
locks. A future goal is to paint silver on the M4 roof, out-of-sight
from the ground. The lighter color will help reflect heat from the M4
interior.
Tucker donated some chain binders and heavy lifting chains to the museum
for use on future projects. He and Larry (museum staff) then attempted
to start the all-terrain forklift, but determined something needed
fixing, as the forklift didn’t start. Getting the forklift running would
be one of Saturday’s objectives.
Saturday
Saturday began with the briefing in the lodge kitchen. Jacques had
donated six Missouri Pacific (MOP) repair-in-place (RIP) switch locks
and Everett donated six RIP switch keys. Kira and Everett sanded down
the locks with the bench wire brush wheel and painted them a
very-visible blue. The locks went into use that same day.
Dewayne, with guidance from David Hearne Sr., later joined and helped by
Ayden, set to work fabricating and welding links for use on the metal
flat cars. David donated the metal for this effort. The links were made
long enough to where when two of the cars are linked together, sticks of
rail can easily rest on the cars and be transported to the worksite.
They worked on the links throughout Saturday and finished up on Sunday.
Clint, Nick, Ayden, and Tucker completed the shakedown runs for M4 in
preparation for the upcoming festival. The shakedown runs also allowed
for Clint, Nick, and Ayden to train and qualify on the M4. After
completing the shakedown runs, Clint, Nick, Tucker, and Jason removed
all the seats temporarily from the M4 so interior paneling can be
installed. Glen has procured ⅛ inch birch plywood for interior paneling
and that work is scheduled to be completed before the fall festival.
David and Joseph Swan got both the all-terrain forklift and the big
Hyster running. The all-terrain forklift needs a master battery
disconnect. The cable ends were found to be loose, likely the cause of
Friday’s no-start. Replacing the cable ends and adding a master
disconnect are planned upgrades for the all-terrain forklift to make its
operation more dependable. The big Hyster operated well throughout
Saturday and Joseph did a professional job operating it.
First David and Joseph used the all-terrain forklift to move CCC
stone-and-mortar tablers, but the tables were heavier than expected.
With the big Hyster running, the table near the playground was relocated
to the front of the CCC building. David used the museum tractor to bring
in sand for leveling out this heavy table. After lunch, the whole crew
pitched in to level out and firm the table in place. While Joe moved
another CCC table (unfortunately this one was already broken, and in
need of repair), the crew started repairs on the small display track
with carts for the petrified log display. Some time ago a camper trailer
was accidentally backed into the display, knocking the cars off the
rails. The track was repaired and with a feather touch, Joe set the
petrified log back on the carts. Leo took a celebratory picture with the
crew when the job was finished.
While the big Hyster was running, the crew headed up to the Saw Mill pad
for a test lift on the Angelina County Lumber Company steel log car. The
big Hyster had no problem lifting the frame of the car. This was a key
test, as it will allow us to lift and block the frame in place, and roll
out the truck needing a kingpin. With a kingpin installed, the truck can
be returned to the frame, allowing for proper movement of this car.
Additionally, the other goal was to see if the big Hyster could also
lift the caboose frames near Sandersville and unload them from a truck
trailer when they are moved to the museum.
After a break and setting the forklift up, the part of the crew headed
over to the Planer Mill while Clint and Tucker headed to the Engine
House. The next goal was to fill in a washout hole on the main loop
track behind the Planer Mill. Clint and Tucker used M8 to bring out a
metal flatcar while David used the museum tractor to load it up with
dirt. With Jason, Noah, and Joseph partially filling in the hole with
old broken bricks in the area, Clint and Tucker pulled the loaded dirt
car down to the hole. In quick order with shovels and picks, the dirt
was easily filled into the hole. The former cane cars did an efficient
job on this!
In the last part of the day, a few things did not go our way, especially
for Clint and Tucker aboard the M8 pulling a metal flat car. First is
that coupled cars do not like to be backed up the the curve from the
Planer Mill back toward the Engine House. After depositing dirt in the
washout hole, while backing the metal car up the curve, the back wheels
of the metal car derailed. The car was re-railed with the tractor and
chains in good order. But coupled cars either need to go around the
loop, or be swapped at the Planer Mill Junction switch so they can be
pulled up the curve by a motor. The second event was the M8 stalling at
the top of hill, requiring more fuel, sand, and some push to get over
the crest with the metal flat car. The third was just rough, as the
front axle of the M8 went off just after the Main Line Junction switch.
The tractor and chains once again re-railed everything as the equipment
was finally returned to the Engine House. Investigating and fixing track
issues from the last derailment were Sunday objectives.
While Clint and Tucker had their dose of railroading, the crew continued
work at the Engine House. Everett and David attempted to start the M22
locomotive, but could not. Battery chargers were set on two batteries
and David deduced that a battery terminal post needs replacing. David
planned on returning during the week to work on this.
The day just about wrapped up, the volunteers returned to the Engine
House for debrief and a quick planning session for the fall festival. It
wasn’t as hot as the past few months, but it was quite a hot afternoon
for the volunteer crew.
Sunday
With a smaller crew on Sunday, the volunteers set to finish some final
tasks. Tucked used the museum tractor to empty garbage cans in the
museum dumpster. He then weed-eated all around the Planer Mill and
Planer Mill Power House. With a battery and a 25-gallon tank in the
tractor bucket, he sprayed herbicide from the tractor around the Planer
Mill, Planer Mill Power House, Saw Mill intake table, ACL steel log car,
McGiffert 1229, the storage track, behind the CCC building, adjacent the
track (that the track herbicide sprayer can’t reach) from the Planer
Mill to the Commissary, and behind the Commissary. This method of
spraying proved to be efficient and quite fun!
Dewayne, Ayden, Everett, and Kira set out to inspect and repair the
track near the Main Line Junction switch where the M8 derailed the day
before. Finding a gap between the switch point and the rail, and the
gauge slightly off, it's likely the M8 “picked the switch,” causing the
derailment. The crew installed a gauge rod, fixed the gauge, and
thoroughly checked the gauge for proper alignment. With the track
repairs complete, the final welding work on the links was finished, and
the equipment picked up and stored away.
After picking everything up at the Engine House and Machine Shop, and
cleaning up at the lodge, the volunteers completed a very efficient
weekend and made the road for home. A few final tasks will be knocked
out in a small session on October 7th to prepare for the fall festival
on October 20-21. We hope to see y’all soon!
-Tucker "Who Dat" Baker
RR&G Road Master
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