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Volunteers
1. Mike M.
2. Mike B.
3. Everett L.
4. Tucker B.
5. David H.
6. Wimbley V.
7. Joseph S.
8. Dewayne S.
9. Angela A.
10. Andrew A.
11. Kira S.
12. Ayden S.
13. Leo P.
Accomplishments
1. 32 ties replaced over 300 feet of track repaired with mini excavator
2. Limb and debris pile near carpentry shop removed with mini excavator
to burn pile
3. Hedge bushes in front of commissary removed with mini excavator to
burn pile
4. Half of the deconstructed playground equipment relocated to hard
surface storage behind Saw Mill
5. Herbicide sprayed on Main Loop track and trackage near Engine House
6. Nuisance tree near Engine House removed
7. Hyster forklift partially reassembled and brake system tested
8. Weld eyes and hitches on former Jackson tamper car
9. Continued brush clearing around the caboose frames at Sandersville
Thank You’s To:
- Mike Miller, for rewelding and fixing the broken tractor clutch
linkage on the museum tractor. The tractor was well used this
weekend and we
appreciate Mike getting this fixed!
- Vicki Hearne for providing a fine lunch of red beans, rice, cornbread,
and brownies for the volunteers
- David Hearne for arranging for and transporting the rented mini
excavator to and from the museum
- Leo Persick for providing many bottled sports drinks for the
volunteers
Before the Weekend
Earlier in April, David had a mini excavator rental for work on his
property and made a trip to do some clean up work at the museum with it.
He cleared brush behind the supply shed near the Engine House and around
the outhouse behind the Machine Shop. He also pulled out several broken
concrete slabs for future use filling the washout on the Sandersville
line. In the process of this brush clearing and concrete slab pickup, a
piece of rail was discovered. With two beveled edges, numerous holes in
the rail web, the rail appears to be from the Saw Mill.
Friday
The volunteer work was in many groups and places all day Friday. Mike
Brown continued clearing around the caboose frames at Sandersville. He
used track jacks and a come-along to move log car trucks from
immediately in front of the caboose frames.
In the museum office, Everett and Doug reviewed the various museum
scanners the interns use for cataloging the museum archives. Everett had
donated a scanner in the past and getting excellent scan quality is the
goal.
Mike Miller continued excellent work on the planer mill windows, the
Magnolia Mill House, and many other critical projects around the museum.
In the early afternoon, Tucker and Doug walked the area behind the
supply sheds near the Saw Mill for future bulldozer and mulcher work.
Tucker then used the museum tractor and mower to mow near the Main Loop
track where the volunteers would be replacing ties the next day. He also
mowed a path to the hard surface area behind the Saw Mill green chain.
This would be used to get the tractor and trailer in position to unload
playground equipment. The grass in both areas was hip-high and needed to
be cleared for safe work areas.
David Hearne brought the rented mini excavator to the museum for use
this weekend. Tucker then set to work with the mini excavator to dig up
the cemented-in portions of the deconstructed playground. The playground
lumber components had rotted, and the Executive Committee decided to
deconstruct the playground. Tucker took apart the remaining grass /
sandbox barriers that lined the playground area. The mini excavator was
very helpful in loading the museum trailer and tractor with the large
and heavy components of the deconstructed playground equipment with just
one person. With the museum trailer full on the first load, Tucker
parked the tractor and trailer and the mini excavator for the night. The
unload was scheduled for the next morning when more volunteers would be
on hand.
Tucker then headed up to the Engine House to get M2 and the sprayer car
to run a herbicide spray over the track. However, the sprayer tank did
not work when connected to M2. With assistance from Mike Brown and
Everett, the electrical break in the line was spliced and the sprayer
started working again. The Main Loop, the Engine House tracks, the main
line track near the Engine House, and part of the wye east leg were
sprayed.
Saturday
The volunteers met at the lodge kitchen for the briefing and then split
into various work crews throughout Saturday. A good bit of planning went
into the weekend. Everett and Tucker had communicated with Doug in
advance of the weekend to run M4 on a schedule for Saturday to
accommodate any train riding museum visitors during the planned track
maintenance work.
Dewayne, with assistance from Ayden, welded eyes and hitches on the
former Jackson tamper car. This car is being modified for heavy
maintenance of way use and now we have good tow hitches on both ends.
Joseph, with assistance from Dewayne, worked the majority of the day on
the Hyster forklift. One of the hubs and wheel sets was reassembled and
torqued down. Dewayne fabricated a tool to use on the specialized stud &
nut remover used on the forklift. With the first wheel set on, Joseph
and Dewayne tested the brakes. Fortunately, no leaks were detected from
the brake cylinders in the hubs. Unfortunately, the main brake cylinder
behind the brake pedal leaked. Thus, another step of removing the brake
cylinder and inspecting it is now added to the Hyster forklift rebuild.
After the morning briefing, Everett, Kira, Leo, and Angela headed up to
the Engine House to load up the tools and equipment on M2 and the
sprayer car for gauging and spiking the new ties going in the track that
day. With the equipment loaded, Everett brought M4 down to the
Commissary, staged for any passengers. M2 with the work train was then
spotted near the road crossing at the Saw Mill pad.
Andrew and Mike Brown headed to pick up the tools at Sandersville and
return them back to the Engine House tool room.
Wimbley and Tucker unloaded the first load of playground equipment
behind the Saw Mill green chain while David walked the mini excavator
down to the Commissary. After Doug consulted with the staff and Tucker,
to reduce maintenance tasks, the mini excavator was used to remove the
hedge bushes in front of the Commissary. They’ll be replaced with some
lower-maintenance landscaping. David made quick work of the removal with
the mini excavator, loading the bushes to the trailer, and unloading at
the burn pile.
Mike Miller requested the team also remove the debris and limb pile near
the carpentry shed. Mike and Robin have done a thorough job cleaning out
the carpentry building and the rotten wood components were ready to be
hauled off. However, with some cedar tree limbs fallen near the pile, a
trip to fetch the museum chainsaw was needed to cut up the larger limbs.
Another full load of the trailer by the mini excavator and unload at the
burn pile was made by David, Wimbley, and Tucker.
At 1100, Everett, Leo, Andrew, Ayden, Wimbley, Tucker, Kira, and David
began working with the mini excavator replacing crossties on the Main
Loop, which they worked on for the rest of the day. They started at the
road crossing at the Saw Mill pad and began working toward the Saw Mill
and Long Leaf Road. Tucker used the museum tractor to bring over the
generator to the work train and the work began in earnest. Andrew
operated the electric spike hammer for a majority of the afternoon. Leo,
Kira, Wimbley, Tucker, and Ayden made the shovels ring with plenty of
ballast and leveling work. Everett keep the rail spreader and the gauge
moving, and all spent good time on the drills, setting spikes, and
improving the railroad. As the Hyster forklift work finished, Joseph
came and joined the crew in the late afternoon. 32 ties over
approximately 300 feet of track were renewed, primarily working with
just half the day.
In anticipation of evening rain going through the night and into the
next day, Everett headed down to the Commissary to fetch M4 back to the
Engine House. As he headed up the hill, the engine died. When the crew
returned M2 back to the Engine House, they went down, found Everett, and
all began to work to diagnose M4 as a very steady rain began. Tucker and
Joseph brought a battery starter and more gas, but when Tucker opened
the battery cover, the positive terminal was found covered in heavy
corrosion. Unsuccessful in starting M4, Joseph gently brought M4 down
the grade to near Long Leaf Road. When they attempted to start M4, the
battery sounded deader than a doornail. Likely the connection to the
positive terminal was poor and the source of the engine fits. David and
Everett pulled out their tools, and with some battery terminal cleaners,
wire brushes, wrenches, jumper cables, and David’s truck, M4 was
successfully started. The rain continued, so Andrew and Tucker took the
bucket of sand aboard M4 and set to sand as much of the hill as
possible. With sanding complete, the rain picked up, and with Tucker as
motorman and Andrew as conductor, the team successfully brought M4 back
to the Engine House. The sand worked quite well and the “saving sand”
was the very last stretch they sanded right at the crest of the hill.
Were it not for the “and just some more for good measure,” the hill
would not have been cleared. Getting air-powered forward-directional
sanders is a goal for this year’s improvements to M4.
Everett met Andrew and Tucker at the Engine House to give them a ride
back to the bunk house where the volunteers cleaned before heading into
Alexandria for supper.
Sunday
The Sunday team of Everett, Ayden, Kira, Angela, Andrew, David and
Tucker met again in the lodge kitchen before splitting up for work.
Sunday morning turned out to be beautiful with not a drop of rain in
sight (it had poured and poured through the night). Everett, Kira, and
Angela cleaned the spiking tools and returned them to their proper
places in the Engine House tool room. They also gave M2 a much deserved
cleaning, including cleaning the windows.
David, Andrew, Ayden, and Tucker set out to remove another nuisance tree
near the Engine House and the nearby supply shed. David felled the tree
in short order and cut it into several logs. Tucker operated the mini
excavator, held the logs just above the floor of the museum trailer, and
David and Andrew were able to easily cut the logs into
Heisler-firebox-sized chunks. With the trailer and tractor loaded, the
crew made their way to the near the supply shed stored with already-cut
Heisler wood and used the mini excavator to unload the cuttings.
With the projects complete for the weekend, the volunteers turned to
cleanup. Angela, Kira, and Everett gave the lodge a clean out and
garbage cans were emptied. Andrew, Ayden, and Tucker gave the museum
trailer a clean from a well used weekend. David loaded up the mini
excavator for return on Monday to the rental house in Alexandria.
With everything cleaned up and secured, the volunteers hit the road for
home on a beautiful Louisiana Sunday afternoon.
-Tucker "Who Dat" Baker
RR&G
Chief Engineer
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