Re: Second track

John West Wrote:
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> If I remember correctly the siding down toward the
> sawmill became a regular source of material for
> Max Pacheco and his gang when they needed 70 lb
> rail. I wonder how much of the track is left. I
> think there was a crossover just west of the
> scale, so that westbound trains pulling into the
> siding did not need to cross the scale.

The #1 track (closest to the depot) extended the length of the yard to beyond the west wye switch. As JBW explained, the west bounds would take this track as it could hold an entire 70+ car train. The scale track is a short double-ended siding that comes off the #1 track. There is a crossovers between #1 and #2 (the mainline) just north of the scale and down the track to the south about 6-8 car lengths. If the train was long enough to foul the highway crossing, there was a "jumper" pipe and hose, so that yard air could be kept on the entire train when the crossing was cut.

All this was in place for several years after I started in 1981. The crossing had long ago been paved over and was permanently out of service. As JBW said, eventually Max started to claim some of it for it's rare 70lb rail. At that time the entire RR east of Osier was 70 lb. If a rock came down and broke or bent a rail, replacement 70 is pretty much impossible to find, so #1 had to be cannibalized for the cause. I think the switch went to building the enginehouse leads out the north side of the enginehouse toward the ashpit.