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Volunteers
1. Jacques D.
2. Bryson R.
3. Mike B.
4. Mike M.
5. Everett L.
6. Angela A.
7. Andrew A.
8. Carson S.
9. Wimbley V.
10. Glen A.
11. Nick P.
12. Clint L. Jr.
13. Michael P.
14. Leo P.
15. Joseph S.
16. Gavin R.
17. Dewayne S.
18. Kira S.
19. Ayden S.
20. Kevin S.
21. Tucker B.
22. David Ham.
Accomplishments
1. M2 radiator replaced and M2 returned to service
2. Speedometers partially installed in M2 and M22
3. Deck boards installed on heavy duty MOW car
4. Three ties replaced at Main Line Junction switch and switch gauged to
alignment
5. Switch repairs at Switch #9 / engine house track 1
6. General grounds maintenance of weed eating and mowing around
McGiffert, engine house, and storage track
7. Old display logs removed from sawmill log intake table with forklift
Thank you to all of our volunteers who came out and contributed to a
very successful weekend!
Before The Weekend
Everett located a new radiator for M2 since the leak in the old one
couldn’t be sealed. Everett located a new Ford tractor radiator, and it
was an exact modern match of the old radiator. Mike M drilled out the
mount hole on both sides of the radiator so it would fit the existing
mounts. The old radiator had been modified in the same manner. Everett
procured the needed hose clamps, bolts, nuts, and washers for the
radiator replacement project.
Friday
Jacques and Bryson spent time on M22 checking electrical connections and
sizing up where a speedometer could be mounted in the locomotive cab.
They spoke with Glen and reviewed potential ideas for a mount. Glen then
fabricated small metal mounts for both M22 and M2 at his shop.
During the course of the afternoon, and Jacques showing Bryson around
the museum, they found a 5 X 9 bearing. We’ll clean it up at the next
session. The bearings are very useful as they can be inserted to the
various railcars around the museum to facilitate movement. Many of the
cars have been missing bearings for many years and having a complete set
for a car that can be “swapped around” is quite helpful.
After the board meeting, Mike M, Mike B, Glen, Tucker, and David
Hamilton discussed various options for recovery of the caboose frames
near Sandersville after Tucker discussed options with a towing and
recovery company in Alexandria. Glen, David, and Tucker went out to the
caboose frames to discuss various ideas. This will continue to be a
working effort through the fall and winter.
In the afternoon, Glen and Everett started installing the oak deck
boards on the heavy-duty MOW car. They reviewed the plan, spaced out and
staged the boards, and using c-clamps, drills, and a saw, started at one
end, working to the other.
Clint, Wimbley, Jacques, Bryson, and Tucker started prep work for the M2
radiator replacement. Everett lent a torch to heat the front lower angle
bar that was bent. Apparently this bar, just above the track, had been
bent many years ago, as the old radiator mounts were curved to fit on
this bent angle bar. After heating, Tucker and Jacques used a large
Stiltson wrench Glen brought to bend the bar back into alignment.
Wimbley straightened the lower radiator mounts and painted them and the
fan shroud black. Might as well apply paint when we can! The crew, with
Everett and Glen’s direction, then used a series of boards and a c-clamp
to straighten the front frame, panels, and engine cover struts in the
cab. A good clean out of the cab was also completed, including removal
of many resident spiders.
Saturday
On Saturday morning, all the volunteers first gathered for coffee at the
lodge kitchen. A group had rented the planer mill for a railroad-themed
baby shower and requested the M4 be staged at the planer mill. The group
would also be riding M4 once the shower was complete. Tucker, Kevin, and
Ayden moved M4 down to the planer mill and then met the volunteer crew
at the Commissary.
The whole volunteer crew gathered for the annual railroad rules clinic
in the WWII room in the Commissary. Everett led a review of the Red
River and Gulf Timetable and Rule Book and then the written test was
administered. With the written test complete, the hands-on equipment
training and certification will follow in the fall. Anyone interested in
becoming a railroad equipment operator is welcome to contact the museum
as additional rules training can be arranged in the future.
After assigning tasks and projects for the day, the volunteers split
into crews and headed out on the museum grounds. Crew #1 of Clint,
Wimbley, Nick, and Carson, with direction from Everett and Glen,
installed the new radiator in M2, connected the radiator hose lines,
filled the radiator with coolant, and installed the speedometer with the
mount Glen made. The electrical connections will be completed at the
next session.
Crew #2 of Glen, Gavin, and Dewayne worked on finishing the heavy-duty
MOW car. Dewayne torch cut protrusions and obstructions for installation
of the board decking. He also finished the tow bar “hitches” on each end
in the afternoon. Gavin assisted as Glen led the deck installation. By
the late afternoon, the car was decked and looking good.
Crew #3 of Kevin, Andrew, and Tucker clearing vegetation with weed
eaters around McGiffert #1229, Main Line Junction Switch, and part of
the storage track. This was to clear a good work area for tie
replacement and gauging on the Main Line Junction switch later that
afternoon.
Everett made several supply runs throughout the day. First getting a new
toilet seat for the lodge, which he later installed on Saturday, then
more bolts for the M2 radiator replacement. Leo brought sports drinks
and support for the volunteers.
Joseph operated the all terrain forklift, bringing over replacement ties
to the Main Line Junction switch work area. He then began removing old
logs from the log intake table at the sawmill. The logs were old and
falling apart, so they were hauled to a tree debris pile. The staff
requested their removal so they could clean up the log intake table and
control the vegetation in that area.
At midday, Tucker served as M4 motorman with Angela as conductor for the
baby shower group’s ride around the loop. The ride went smoothly and the
M4 interior felt comfortable with a more reflective roof now in service.
After lunch, the crews continued their work. Kira and Angela provided
new volunteer orientation to Tabitha, a new volunteer looking to join
the group. New volunteers are always welcome and encouraged to meet the
crew at the museum on a volunteer weekend.
Joseph jumped on the museum zero turn mower and mowed around the engine
house, machine shop, engine house lead tracks, around the storage track,
and around McGiffert #1229 for most of the afternoon.
As the M2 radiator replacement crew continued, Tucker, Jacques, Bryson,
Ayden, Kevin, and Andrew began replacing ties at the Main Line Junction
switch. With the switch being on a slope of the old log pond, the crew
was able to pull out three rotten ties and replace them with three
stout, sturdy ties.Once the radiator replacement crew finished, and the
track crew reviewed the plan at the Main Line Junction switch, all
volunteers took a rest break at the lodge from the afternoon sun and
heat.
After a rest and hydration break in the shade, the volunteers returned
to the main line junction switch to gauge the switch. An electric cord
was run from the machine shop to power a drill for pre-drilling spike
holes. Everett used various bits, with assistance from Gavin and others,
to drill through the rail base to securely bolt the rail in place. This
was done in spots at the switch points as the switch rails prevented
spiking the stock rail. Joseph, Jacques, Bryson, Kevin, Andrew, Gavin,
Michael, Tucker, Everett, and Leo finished the gauging in the early
evening. Work was started on realigning the washer spacing on the switch
points, for a switch point “fine tuning,” which will continue at the
next session.
It was a long and productive Saturday. All the volunteers lent a hand to
pick up the tools from the day’s work.
Sunday
The volunteers once again split into various crews to finish up final
tasks and to clean up, as per usual Sunday goals.
Everett led a crew of Gavin, Kevin, Andrew, and Ayden stabilizing switch
#9 for engine house track #1. The switch tie is in fair to poor
condition. The installation of several 2x6 wooden blocks helped ensure
throwing the switch didn’t cause everything to go out of gauge.
Dewayne finished up the final welding tasks on the newly-decked MOW car
with assistance from Angela. The car is finished and ready for service.
Everett and Dewayne also took photos and conducted a survey for David
Hamilton as to the needed welding repairs on the McGiffert #1229
restoration.
Continuing the effort from the prior day, Joseph operated the
all-terrain forklift with Tucker as a groundman and chainman to remove
the old logs placed on the sawmill log intake table. They had all the
logs removed within an hour. Joseph then used the forklift to pick up
and bring the old ties removed from the Main Line Junction switch to the
landscape timbers pile on the sawmill pad. Ties not good enough for the
track, but still in one stout piece, are recycled as landscape timbers
used to contain erosion.
As Tucker used the museum tractor to empty garbage cans at the lodge and
in the engine house, the crew of Everett, Andrew, Ayden, Kevin, Angela,
Kira, and Gavin begin the final pick up and clean up in the engine
house. They also started the work to bring M2 from behind the M4 (over
the pit for radiator replacement work), but M4 wouldn’t start. The
starter was spinning, but not engaging the flywheel. Joseph came up to
take a look and the crew rolled M4 over the pit for a closer look. After
removing the starter, it was found that one of the screws on the bendix
spring was missing. It had apparently come off during the train from the
day before. Tucker didn’t turn off M4 after the baby shower folks had
rode the day before, and ran M4 back to the engine house once that train
was done. This fortunately placed M4 back in the engine house for this
unexpected maintenance work. After checking the old starter for a
replacement screw, the thread pitch on the two starters was found to be
different, meaning a new screw would need to be picked up in Alexandria.
Tucker brought the starter up to the workbench in the finished lumber
shed so Gerald on the museum staff could locate a new screw for it.
After some final pick up and clean up tasks at the engine house and
lodge, the volunteers hit the road for home. It was a safe and
successful weekend. Thank you to everyone who came out and volunteered.
Our next session is September 20 where we will be prepping for the 4th
Annual Long Leaf Fall Festival and Steam Up in October.
-Tucker "Who Dat" Baker
RR&G
Chief Engineer
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