The Roundhouse is NOT my project but as I am adjacent and obviously interested I have been involved and can spread some light.
Some of this will duplicate other comments but here goes.
Bill arranged for the Turntable to be removed last October, a mobile crane came over from Breckenridge, it sits upside down waiting repairs/ rebuilding. Now we know it is not the 1938 removed one, it could be an earlier one or from somewhere else but it fits and looks the same. It was of riveted construction but cut apart to be reused as a roof truss at some point and then bolted back together again. When I was in Georgetown picking up ties there was another one with a v profile that had seemingly had the same treatment.
Chuck arranged for soil testing to be done in the pit, last I heard he was awaiting the report. I do not see this as an issue, it has been wetter this year than anybody I know can remember and the pit drains well. It seems there was drainage from the complex but now no doubt blocked up.
The pit itself needs clearing out of undergrowth, not a major issue. The stone base for the pivot point is there in one piece and a bearing has been obtained and is located inside.
The concrete ring needs repairing and new timber balks sourced and placed with a rail bent to form a circle.
Exactly what is needed to make the turntable able to rotate is beyond me but that is something Bill has in hand and as he said it is on his bucket list.
As far as connecting the Depot and Roundhouse is concerned that is the plan, we had enough ties to get to the fence, enough rail probably to go all the way. I guess we need a semi load of ties to finish it. Maybe more.
Timeline
I think the original plan was to fix the turntable up this year but I can not see that happening now, we want to get as much as the track by the Depot done as we can for Railroad Day, we hopefully will be having another work day next Saturday, the switch at the south end of the platform has caused a few issues. Unlike the Depot the stretch from the fence to the turntable needs little in the way of grading, my assumption is that this will depend on ties, cost and availability.
Ballast is another factor, unlike Georgetown and Breckenridge we are looking to go with the original finish, but clean clinker is not available locally and we need a lot. Not sure we have an answer for that.
Track Laying progress can be seen on the Como Depot Facebook page, anybody wishing to copy content or photos is more than welcome to do so.
Chuck produced a handout earlier this year on the Roundhouse, I printed a few copies and they are in the Depot. Basically a museum eventually for big things that move, the Depot will be seasonal for the small stuff, both the Railroad and Como as a Railroad town.
Obviously with limited resources and mainly using volunteers and our location everything takes time.
I have showed quite a few people around this year who have not seen the Depot for a few years and did not think it possible or that it was the same building.
The Roundhouse of course is much bigger and has much bigger issues.
There are plenty of other buildings in Como needing help is anybody wants a project.
David
