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Week of March 4
Mike M and Robin cleared
brush on the Main line from the Engine House to the big washout. More
brush clearing will be necessary, but it is now possible to get through
to the washout.
Thursday March 7
David H picked up the excavator and started inserting ties coming down
from the Engine House connection to the Planer mill. He also removed the
large tree stump from in front of the cable storage shed along the Car
Shop lead (talk about a huge stump!)
Friday March 8
David H
Jacques D
Makayla D
Everett L
David and Jacques used the excavator to install ties almost all the way
to the Commissary in between the heavy rains. David cleared behind the
Engine House and Machine Shop using the excavator. David and Jacques
worked on the White fork lift, replacing the old fuel filter and the air
filter. The fork lift worked all day both Saturday and Sunday without
incident as a result. Everett and Makayla prepped the work train for the
Saturday work, and made parts and supply runs as necessary.
Saturday March 9
David H. Sr.
Vicki H
Everett L
Glen A
Tucker B
Kira S
Ayden S
Dylan S
Dewayne S
Joe S
Joseph S
Karleigh S
Carson S
Angela A
Andrew A
We had a full house in the bunk house on Friday night. 13 people were
spending the night, although Carson chose to spend the night in his tent
outside. Jacques was bumped up the call list to go to work on Saturday,
so he and Makayla had to leave during the night.
Fortunately, the weather changed from rain to just overcast for the day.
Saturday’s work consisted of several things needed by the museum which
took a few minutes early in the day.
We had several crews working at the same time.
David H, assisted by Ayden and Carson inserted ties from behind the CCC
building to the culvert across the road. By the end of the day, we had
more than 100 ties inserted in the track.
Glen A used his big tractor and back hoe to keep David supplied with
ties, did general cleanup of the track debris, and re-graded some of the
mess that we made on Friday.
Tucker, Andrew and Carson Worked ahead of the leveling, gauging and
spiking crew, cleaning off and leveling and tamping ties
Everett, Joe, Dewayne and Dylan were the spiking, leveling, and gauging
crew. This crew started at switch #8 (Main Line Jct.) re-gauging the
rails and re-spiking ties between there and the Engine House road
crossing. Below the crossing, the crew worked and spiking the ties that
David had installed, as well as re-gauging, re-spiking and re-lining the
entire curve down to the Planer Mill.
For the first time, the crew made use of improved technology in our
efforts. Using an electric demolition hammer and a heavy duty ˝ inch
drill, both powered by a generator furnished for the day by Joe, it
immediately became obvious of the improvement. By the end of the day,
this crew with help from Tucker’s crew later in the day, managed to
spike about 50 of the new ties, and re-spike about 40 more, while
re-gauging the track as well by the time that the lack of daylight
called a halt to the work about 6:30 pm.
Angela and Kira provided support by running and getting supplies as the
work progressed.
Once again, Vicki H, provided us an excellent lunch of chili, along with
angel food cake and strawberries. Her cooking makes everything
worthwhile but you only get to eat, if you come and work!
Sunday Crew
David H Sr.
Everett L
Tucker B
Joe S
Glen A
Dylan S
Angela A
Andrew A
Ayden S
Kira S
Wimbley V
Joseph S
Kayleigh S
Gavan R
Blake
Mike M
Glen poured concrete for the locomotive bell and pole that has been
donated to the museum. It will be outside the old gas station building.
David worked with the excavator installing the last of the ties that we
put in, then went to work in other areas and especially along the Planer
Mill. In the process, we found that the sewer pipe from the Planer Mill
bathrooms apparently was not deep enough, and it broke under the weight
of the excavator. Blake went home to get materials to repair the pipe
and he, Tucker, Mike and David repaired the pipe.
The rest of the crew split into two groups, a cleaning and tamping crew
which worked ahead of the spiking, leveling and gauging crew.
With this arrangement, 55 ties were cleaned, tamped, gauged and spiked
and other ties and the railroad gauged from behind the CCC building
across Long Leaf road to the culverts, by 1 PM when a halt was called
for the weekend. The M-8 pulling the sprayer car loaded with generator
and tools returned over the much improved track to the Engine House
where all was unloaded and stored.
After a sandwich lunch from materials furnished by Tucker, everyone went
home with the feeling of a weekend of well done work.
The mechanization of the spiking was a 500% improvement over what we
could do in a single day by hand. The only slow down is the drilling of
the spike holes, and since the museum has a pair of ˝’ drills, at the
next session we will be prepared to use both drills ahead of the spiker
which will speed up the work by another 50%.
With a clean up crew working behind the excavator, and ahead of the
spiking crew, 75 ties is not out of reach for a single day’s work, with
much less effort than we used to have doing only 15.
-Everett Lueck
RR&G
General
Superintendent
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