Unplanned workday produce progress on several projects
A small work crew, which consisted of John T., Wes, Kenneth, and Norm, came out on Saturday along with a few who stopped by to say hello. The work crew started work on building out the last switch needed to connect the east end of the “Grandma Line” to the railroad.
Once this switch is complete and installed the last 80 or 90 feet of the “Grandma Line” can be connected completing another change to our mainline traffic. However, before this can be done, we will need to build a retaining wall most likely out of the cut container panels we have similar to what we did earlier this year near the Nicol bridge. With the installation of a new retaining wall, we will also need to bring in more dirt reduce the drop off on the east end of the “Grandma Line”.
A small work crew, which consisted of John T., Wes, Kenneth, and Norm, came out on Saturday along with a few who stopped by to say hello. The work crew started work on building out the last switch needed to connect the east end of the “Grandma Line” to the railroad.
Once this switch is complete and installed the last 80 or 90 feet of the “Grandma Line” can be connected completing another change to our mainline traffic. However, before this can be done, we will need to build a retaining wall most likely out of the cut container panels we have similar to what we did earlier this year near the Nicol bridge. With the installation of a new retaining wall, we will also need to bring in more dirt reduce the drop off on the east end of the “Grandma Line”.
John T also worked on the container mural lettering a few more containers plus adding a new 48-foot container on the mural. If you would like to sponsor a container on the mural get with John T regarding what the cost is for the container you want to sponsor.
Workday produced progress on the “Grandma Line” and repair on the east loop
As we countdown to the last public run day of the year a small crew went to the railroad on Saturday to make sure things are in good shape for our November 9th big event. The work crew consisted of Wes, Kenneth, Scott, and John and took split up and worked on east loop repair and the “Grandma Line”. Wes and Kenneth worked on the east end outer loop inner track which need some attention in several areas. Scott and John worked on the “Grandma Line” by setting forms, bringing buckets of crush and run over, and laying out several panels. John also worked Friday on the container mural by lettering several mural containers. He added Hapag Lloyd and “K” Line, Sea Land, and Maersk. John is taking recommendations for other painted containers on the mural. If you have any real or fake container companies, you would like to see let him know.
As we countdown to the last public run day of the year a small crew went to the railroad on Saturday to make sure things are in good shape for our November 9th big event. The work crew consisted of Wes, Kenneth, Scott, and John and took split up and worked on east loop repair and the “Grandma Line”. Wes and Kenneth worked on the east end outer loop inner track which need some attention in several areas. Scott and John worked on the “Grandma Line” by setting forms, bringing buckets of crush and run over, and laying out several panels. John also worked Friday on the container mural by lettering several mural containers. He added Hapag Lloyd and “K” Line, Sea Land, and Maersk. John is taking recommendations for other painted containers on the mural. If you have any real or fake container companies, you would like to see let him know.
Great weather and unbelievable progress on projects made for a perfect workday.
This past Saturday saw great progress on two big projects which includes the clubhouse and workshop project and the grandma line. Not a lot of pictures to show but the crew consisted of Wes, Robby, John, Rick, “Bob Jr”, David E., and new member Seth. Gene and Joan also stopped by and delivered a newly assembled box car that was donated by Thomas K. George also stopped by and visited with the crew during lunch.
John, Rick, and “Bob Jr” spent the day working on bringing in loads of dirt for the grandma line. The loads would be dropped, and John went to town on spreading and leveling each load.
This past Saturday saw great progress on two big projects which includes the clubhouse and workshop project and the grandma line. Not a lot of pictures to show but the crew consisted of Wes, Robby, John, Norm, Rick, “Bob Jr”, David E., and new member Seth. Gene and Joan also stopped by and delivered a newly assembled box car that was donated by Thomas K. George also stopped by and visited with the crew during lunch.
John, Rick, and “Bob Jr” spent the day working on bringing in loads of dirt for the grandma line. The loads would be dropped, and John went to town on spreading and leveling each load. I think we saw John doing a little dance at times on top of the dirt out of excitement only to find out he was acting as a human compactor. John said that the amount of progress made on the project would not have been possible without Rick and “Bob Jr” and was extremely thankful for the extra help. What is next you might ask on the grandma line well some rain would be helpful to compact the dirt along with some additional moving of the dirt brought in to fill in low spots and make sure the space is the right dimensions. More on what John has planned to be shared later but as always if you are interested in helping with this project John is at the site every other week with few exceptions. To reach John to see what his schedule and plans are visit the project page or contact him directly.
The rest of the crew spent the day working on the clubhouse and workshop project by finishing installing insulation and plywood. They also cleaned up the space and moved items to the middle container so we would have enough room to paint the new plywood and begin installing electrical and more. If you have some free time and would like to prime and paint the newly installed plywood wall and ceiling let us know. The supplies are already in the container just need some helpers. Reach out to Norm, Robby, or Wes with any questions or visit our project page and click the Contact Us button. The work does not have to be done on the weekend.
With all of the great progress that has taken place this past weekend and throughout the summer we do have to shift our attention to our fall season of activities including our boiler inspection and club fun day on Saturday, September 14th along with our public run day, which is coming up on Saturday, October 5th. As the weather continues to cool if you have time to come to the site and perform general maintenance around the property that would be appreciated. If you can think of it probably needs to be done and if you need some inspiration let us know. This work can be done any day of the week and does not require an official workday on the schedule. Just remember let us know so we can get the word out.
Picture of Gene & Joan assembling the Thomas K. box car. Thank you to everyone for this gift.
Dog days of summer around the railroad
The summer heat and humidity have been a little more than we’d like but that doesn’t mean things aren’t getting done around the railroad. Work on the clubhouse and workshop continues as well as the grandma line. Weather permitting, we have workdays planned for Saturday, July 27th, August 3rd, and August 10th starting at 8:30 a.m. The plan for each workday includes finishing installing insulation, plywood, and paint inside the clubhouse container along with building track panels for both the clubhouse and grandma line.
The summer heat and humidity have been a little more than we’d like but that doesn’t mean things aren’t getting done around the railroad. Work on the clubhouse and workshop continues as well as the grandma line. Weather permitting, we have workdays planned for Saturday, July 27th, August 3rd, and August 10th starting at 8:30 a.m. The plan for each workday includes finishing installing insulation, plywood, and paint inside the clubhouse container along with building track panels for both the clubhouse and grandma line. If that wasn’t enough, we also need to cut grass and perform routine track maintenance in order to ensure the railroad is read for our annual Hot Summer Nights Club Fun Run on Saturday, August 24th. With all that is going on around the railroad we also need to make sure we do a better job of signing the activity logbook located in the grey railroad box just outside the grey container. Don’t forget to also have visitors who are not members sign the waiver book located in the same box.
One final item our next club meeting will be on Saturday, August 3rd at 1 p.m. We will start the morning doing work around the railroad and pause for our meeting and then get back to finishing up the workday. As with everything we do the more who are available the quicker we can get things done so make plans and come out to the railroad.
Grandma line workday recap for Saturday, July 13, 2024
What an incredibly hot day unless you were working on the “Grandma” line in the shade. A small crew consisting of John, Brandon, and Robby spent the day working on adding 50 feet to the “Grandma” line as work continues from east to west. The crew took a divide and conquered strategy with each focusing on a certain task of the day’s work. John prepared the forms and delt with the crusher run and gravel that Brandon was bringing over from the gravel pit while Robby worked on installing the track panels. We also had two visitors stop by and joined the club. We look forward to getting to know Bryan and Brooke. Norm also stopped by for lunch and was excited about all of the progress.
What an incredibly hot day unless you were working on the “Grandma” line in the shade. A small crew consisting of John, Brandon, and Robby spent the day working on adding 50 feet to the “Grandma” line as work continues from east to west. The crew took a divide and conquered strategy with each focusing on a certain task of the day’s work. John prepared the forms and delt with the crusher run and gravel that Brandon was bringing over from the gravel pit while Robby worked on installing the track panels. We also had two visitors stop by and joined the club. We look forward to getting to know Bryan and Brooke. Norm also stopped by for lunch and was excited about all of the progress.
Some of you may also remember that earlier in the week a bee’s nest was discovered by the workbench. With help from Wes and John we believe the nest is gone but will continue to monitor over the next week or two to make sure. We will need to clean up the workbench area by clearing all ground debris and other items in order to prevent another ground nest being created.
Our next workday, which is planned for Saturday, July 27th. The plan at this point is to build track panels for the “Grandma” line project and workshop project which will require some help cutting ties, bending rail, and more. We also plan on working on the clubhouse and workshop project. The last few pieces of plywood and insulation needs to be installed and painted. Once completed we can then begin working on the second container, installing the lift, track, and more. More details on this project to follow in the coming days as well.
A few items on the calendar to be aware of includes our August club meeting, Dog Days of Summer Club Fun Day, and various workdays between now and our next public run day in October.
Rare Friday Workday Recap - Friday, May 31st
We had a rare Friday workday to close out the month of May. The focus of the day was to work on the clubhouse and workshop as well as the Grandma Line. The crew arrived early and helped get Rick and “Bob Jr” setup to start moving dirt to the Grandma Line area. Bob Jr complained about the dirt pile being hard to do dig, but Rick helped him out by putting Bob’s forks on and used them to break up the dirt pile. The rest of the crew included Gene, Wes, Norm, and Robby as they worked on the clubhouse and workshop project. They finished framing the outside wall and ceiling inside container one. Bob C. also stopped by and unloaded his recently finished caboose and helped out with the clubhouse project.
We had a rare Friday workday to close out the month of May. The focus of the day was to work on the clubhouse and workshop as well as the Grandma Line. The crew arrived early and helped get Rick and “Bob Jr” setup to start moving dirt to the Grandma Line area. Bob Jr complained about the dirt pile being hard to do dig, but Rick helped him out by putting Bob’s forks on and used them to break up the dirt pile. The rest of the crew included Gene, Wes, Norm, and Robby as they worked on the clubhouse and workshop project. They finished framing the outside wall and ceiling inside container one. Bob C. also stopped by and unloaded his recently finished caboose and helped out with the clubhouse project.
Grandma Line workday showed a great deal of progress again this past weekend.
With each weekend of work on the “Grandma Line” comes a great deal of progress with each and every day. The project crew, which consisted of John T., Wes, David E., Norm, Gene, and others worked on continuing to backfill dirt against a new retaining wall and laying about 30 feet of track. The project crew will need help in the coming weeks with the building of additional track panels and helping with spreading and compacting of dirt once we get enough dry days more dirt can be brought in. Meanwhile, Norm also came by the railroad today and repaired the club diesel which is now back in operation. Thank you for the quick turn around on the repair.
With each weekend of work on the “Grandma Line” comes a great deal of progress with each and every day. The project crew, which consisted of John T., Wes, David E., Norm, and Gene, worked on the project and worked on continuing to backfill dirt against a new retaining wall and laying about 30 feet of track. Others where onsite working helping out on this and other projects around the railroad. Here is a small snippet from John T’s post on Facebook with additional details from Saturday’s workday.
Well, Friday evening had two inspectors slither by. Both were dispatched post haste and with malice. I therefore decided to paint instead until morning light. Coast Guard is now finished and the base color for Space Force has been applied. Saturday crew was composed of: Wes, Gene, John T, Dave L, Bob C, Norm, David E, and even Scott made a brief appearance. Bob worked on the club steamer, Norm on the club diesel, Dave replaced a few ties with our plastic samples to alleviate a short on the crossing bell, and the rest worked on the Grandma Line…
The project crew will need help in the coming weeks building additional track panels and helping with spreading and compacting of dirt once we get enough dry days more dirt can be brought in with “Bob”. A continued thank you to everyone who came out this weekend and every weekend we have a workday around the railroad. The next couple of weeks will slow down a little as some of our workers will be traveling to visit other railroads but if you are one of the many that will be staying in the area and are available, we do have a planned “Grandma Line” workday on Saturday, May 4th and another workday on Saturday, May 11th to prepare the railroad for our May public run day. Both workdays will start at 8:30 a.m. If you are free either day, come out and give the crew a hand. As mentioned, our next public run day is also come up on Saturday, May 18th and we will need help from every available member and volunteer.
Exciting progress made on several projects during our Saturday, March 23, 2024, workday.
Another Friday evening rain leads to great weather on Saturday as more work was done on the “Grandma Line”, water line extension, and the new retaining wall. The crew took a divide and conquer approach to projects starting finishing the new retaining wall then moving to the water line extension project. We had a special visitor “Bob Jr” who helped bring dirt in for the “Grandma Line” area.
Another Friday evening rain leads to great weather on Saturday as more work was done on the “Grandma Line”, water line extension, and the new retaining wall. The crew took a divide and conquer approach to projects starting with Wes and Scott finishing the new retaining wall then moving to the water line extension project with Robby and John.
Wes also jumped in and help build a temporary crossing so Rick and “Bob Jr” could start bringing in dirt for the “Grandma Line”. Rick spent most of the morning bringing in load after load into the area to fill in many of the low spots we have in the area. The first layer of dirt will settle the next few weeks with more dirt to be brought in later which will also require time for the dirt to settle and compact. Overall, the great news is the “Grandma Line” has made a great deal of progress the past couple of weeks and if all goes well this year, we could get this line completed by fall. If you are looking to get involved, we need track panels and a switch built.
The crew also worked on ballasting both ends of the water line extension and spent time realigning the existing water line track and adding additional ballast. During our next workday the water line track will begin to operate as a mainline for traffic traveling east on the railroad. This will also allow west bound traffic to move over to the track next to the water line and begin traveling across the “LaVay Bridge”. More details on the changes to the railroad operations in the coming weeks.
As the day was wrapping up John and Wes took time to make additional changes to the railroad tie wall near the east end of what will become the “Grandma Line”. They swapped out a couple of bad ties with newer ones and will begin the process of bringing in dirt and other material to secure the wall and prepare the ground for future roadbed through that area.
Grandma Line and Water Line Project Update - February 24, 2024
The Grandma Line and Water Line project made progress over the weekend as more fill was put in on the east end of the Grandma Line while on the west end a switch off the mainline was installed that will connect the water line to the mainline in a new location. Additional work is scheduled to complete so that the water line can be used as a mainline in the coming months.
The Grandma Line and Water Line project made progress over the weekend as more fill was put in on the east end of the Grandma Line while on the west end a switch off the mainline was installed that will connect the water line to the mainline in a new location. Additional work is scheduled to complete so that the water line can be used as a mainline in the coming months.
A surprise work weekend for one of our members this past weekend. Check out the activity.
You never know when someone might show up unexpectedly and do some work around the railroad. This weekend John stop by for the weekend and did some work on the grandma line along with some artwork on member container #4.
Don’t forget about our next official workday, which is this Saturday, February 24th as we perform some major railroad repairs on the west end of the railroad starting at 8:30 a.m.
You never know when someone might show up unexpectedly and do some work around the railroad. This weekend John stop by for the weekend and did some work on the grandma line along with some artwork on member container #4.
Don’t forget about our next official workday, which is this Saturday, February 24th as we perform some major railroad repairs on the west end of the railroad starting at 8:30 a.m.
Last Grandma Line workday of 2023 happened on Saturday with the installation of a new mainline switch
As 2023 winds down work on the “Grandma Line” took place on Saturday, December 30th with a major milestone taking place with the installation of a new mainline switch. This new switch will eventually connect both the “Grandma Line” and the east end of the water line to the mainline. Until then John and Wes also installed a few straight panels off the new switch and began to map out the relocation the existing water line switch and what track panels will need to be built next. You might be asking what switch is being relocated, well it is the switch closest to the red water tower on the east end of the water siding track. This relocation is needed to connect the “Grandma Line” and water line together before they eventually connect to the mainline.
As 2023 winds down work on the “Grandma Line” took place on Saturday, December 30th with a major milestone taking place with the installation of a new mainline switch. This new switch will eventually connect both the “Grandma Line” and the east end of the water line to the mainline. Until then John and Wes also installed a few straight panels off the new switch and began to map out the relocation the existing water line switch and what track panels will need to be built next. You might be asking what switch is being relocated, well it is the switch closest to the red water tower on the east end of the water siding track. This relocation is needed to connect the “Grandma Line” and water line together before they eventually connect to the mainline.
As we move into 2024 John and Wes are looking for help with making a temporary grade crossing near the west end of the water line. This temporary grade crossing will be used to haul dirt, ballast, and more from the gravel pit through the woods to the east end of the “Grandma Line”. If you are interested in helping with this project click here and let John know.
Water Line portion of the Grandma Line Project Explained
The water line portion of the Grandma Line project is intended to temporarily convert the existing water line siding into a mainline track while the Grandma Line is being installed. This helps the railroad operate a little more efficiently as well with the shift of mainline traffic to the water line. First it allows trains traveling East to West to stay off the yard track and also allows west bound traffic to cross over the LaVay bridge and avoid the cross over switches just beyond the station. Once the Grandma Line is complete the water line will become the water line again with East bound traffic traveling on the Grandma Line.
The water line portion of the Grandma Line project is intended to temporarily convert the existing water line siding into a mainline track while the Grandma Line is being installed. This helps the railroad operate a little more efficiently as well with the shift of mainline traffic to the water line. First it allows trains traveling East to West to stay off the yard track and also allows west bound traffic to cross over the LaVay bridge and avoid the cross over switches just beyond the station. Once the Grandma Line is complete the water line will become the water line again with East bound traffic traveling on the Grandma Line.
Water line project breakdown (West end 1-4, East end 5-8):
Place Crush & Run forms and fill between two switch locations on West end.
Complete and install curved 100r RH Switch on West end Mainline.
Build and install RH 60r Switch on West end of current Water Line. Sprung points to normally be thrown for curved route.
Build and install track panels connecting Switches in steps 2 & 3. (Upon completing steps 1-4 we can actually start using this route and shift traffic off the yard tracks.)
Finish installation of Crush & Run forms and fill on the East end of Water line. Backfill with dirt as necessary, especially near new location of the switch currently marking the East end of the Water Line.
Tweak the LH Switch (currently on the table) so the spring action is viable and cut in East end mainline where marked. Sprung points to normally be thrown for straight route.
Build and install several straight sections on diverging route from previous step.
Shift current East end Water Line switch over to new route from previous two steps, Fill in both gaps with straight track. (One created by removal of switch, the other between new location of switch and the straight part of the current water line.) Ensure proper operation for sprung points to normally be thrown for straight route. (Or this can be designated a non-sprung switch normally thrown for the curved route upon completion of the Grandma Line.)
Grandma Line Project Explained
Here are some details regarding the Grandma Line portion of the project. The details are broken out in three pieces which includes two ends and the middle. Details below.
Here are some details regarding the Grandma Line portion of the project. The details are broken out in three pieces which includes two ends and the middle. Details below.
East end:
1. Complete East end of the Waterline extension.
2. Determine new location for water access (near outer loop) and relocate same.
3. Set additional RR ties.
4. Continue backfill behind RR ties.
5. Extend East end of Grandma Line starting from the Waterline switch to a point inside the woods. (Forms/crush & run/track)
West end:
1. Make curved RH 100’ r switch
2. Install switch at marked location.
3. Fill sub roadbed from new switch to a point inside the woods. (Forms/crush & run/track)
Woods section (middle):
1. Finalize and mark route.
2. Determine pier placement (span & location).
3. Make pier forms.
4. Prep/set/pour one pier at a time.
5. Construct/install one span at a time as piers are built using current bridges as a model.
6. Install tracks & guard rails as spans are completed.
Project 4: Westside water siding track changes
The purpose of this project is to add a switch coming off the inner loop traveling west bound just after the bridge and before connecting to the current mainline. The new switch will allow trains traveling west board to connect to the current water line siding. This also means we will need to install an additional switch on the water line siding that will allow us to then connect the two new switches together with a few straight panels. Once completed this will allow trains traveling east to west to stay off the yard track and travel on the mainline instead.
Based on current projects schedules we are anticipating this project will take place during some months after our last spring run day.
The purpose of this project is to add a switch coming off the inner loop traveling west bound just after the bridge and before connecting to the current mainline. The new switch will allow trains traveling west board to connect to the current water line siding. This also means we will need to install an additional switch on the water line siding that will allow us to then connect the two new switches together with a few straight panels. Once completed this will allow trains traveling east to west to stay off the yard track and travel on the mainline instead.
Based on current projects schedules we are anticipating this project will take place during some months after our last spring run day.
Progress on the "Grandma Line" was made today during an official workday
A small crew of two went out to the site on Saturday and took advantage of the cooler weather by working on moving a retaining wall which is part of the “Grandma Line” project. John and Wes started Friday evening by picking up sixteen railroad ties and spent Saturday installing eight of them while doing groundwork along the way. More of the old rotten ties have been removed and relocated in places that still makes them useful. John reports that approximately 10 feet of backfill leveled the sub roadbed in preparation for crush & run and a preliminary track plan was laced out. They had a drain that they couldn’t figure out how to extend so they made a 3 square foot holding tank filled with gravel to hold the water until it could be absorbed into the soil. If you are interested in getting involved in this project a schedule is being put together and will be shared soon.
A small crew of two went out to the site on Saturday and took advantage of the cooler weather by working on moving a retaining wall which is part of the “Grandma Line” project. John and Wes started Friday evening by picking up sixteen railroad ties and spent Saturday installing eight of them while doing groundwork along the way. More of the old rotten ties have been removed and relocated in places that still makes them useful. John reports that approximately 10 feet of backfill leveled the sub roadbed in preparation for crush & run and a preliminary track plan was laced out. They had a drain that they couldn’t figure out how to extend so they made a 3 square foot holding tank filled with gravel to hold the water until it could be absorbed into the soil. If you are interested in getting involved in this project a schedule is being put together and will be shared soon.
Work on the Grandma Line resumed this past Saturday, September 9th
Work has begun again on what we call the Grandma Line. For those that are not familiar with this project the Grandma Line will eventually allows us to shift part of the mainline through the woods and away from the yard as trains travel West to East on the inner loop near the yard. When complete it will also allow trains traveling East to West to stay out of the yard as well.
This project started as a conversation a few years ago and John T. has taken the conversation and made it a personal project to work on during his many weekend trips to the railroad when we don’t normally have an official workday scheduled. This past Saturday was no different as he and Wes worked on moving the old retaining wall so the Grandma Line can be installed where the current retaining wall is today in the future. John and Wes spent the day pulling some of the rotten ties out, salvaging what they could and adding five new ties that John donated. Here are a few pictures from today’s work. If you would like to help John with this project or help by donating replacement railroad ties for the retaining wall let us know. At this time John is estimating another 25 - 30 ties needed.
Work has begun again on what we call the Grandma Line. For those that are not familiar with this project the Grandma Line will eventually allows us to shift part of the mainline through the woods and away from the yard as trains travel West to East on the inner loop near the yard. When complete it will also allow trains traveling East to West to stay out of the yard as well.
This project started as a conversation a few years ago and John T. has taken the conversation and made it a personal project to work on during his many weekend trips to the railroad when we don’t normally have an official workday scheduled. This past Saturday was no different as he and Wes worked on moving the old retaining wall so the Grandma Line can be installed where the current retaining wall is today in the future. John and Wes spent the day pulling some of the rotten ties out, salvaging what they could and adding five new ties that John donated. Here are a few pictures from today’s work. If you would like to help John with this project or help by donating replacement railroad ties for the retaining wall let us know. At this time John is estimating another 25 - 30 ties needed.
