FEBT July Rockhill Work Session Report *LINK* *PIC*
| July 30, 2003 02:21PM |
The July Rockhill Work Session was an especially productive one. We had great attendance and tackled several projects.
Work on rehabilitating track 3 (the siding east of the main) continued in grand style. With about 45 ties laid in during the two previous sessions, the largest crew yet went great guns and excavated for 76 additional ties. 66 ties were loaded by hand from the tie pile and were hauled over on the track cart in four separate loads. All were set off, the old spike holes plugged and laid in for spiking. These ties will be nipped, gauged and spiked during the August session. The previously nipped ties will also be spiked.
A smaller crew worked on the finishing touches to the wood on the Generator Room after replacing the roof during the May session. The soffets were closed in and all trim boards were applied. Some damaged siding was replaced. The corner of the wing was jacked back into level during the June session.
On Sunday the entire crew started priming the entire north end of the Car Shop in preparation for painting during the August session. Once the ground level was primed, about six volunteers continued on the scaffolding, and virtually the entire job was done by noon. The wall looks much better in a single color rather than the several that resulted from repairs, siding patches and pressure washing. It will look even better in red after the August session.
A crew worked on further repairs to the Electrical Shop. The northwest corner of the building is formed by a lean-to which rested on wooden sills that had long since rotted away, causing a serious sag. The corner of the building was jacked up and treated ties were inserted for a new foundation. A large section of rotted floor was replaced, the door was squared and rehung, and extensive repairs were made to the siding on this part of the building (a mix of slab clapboard and board and batten.) At the next session, the siding and window repairs will be completed and the building will be power-washed preparatory to priming.
Our volunteer mason has been hard at work on the badly deteriorated Boiler House wall. After clearing out the ruined bricks in the wall prior to the June session (and leaving a gaping hole in the process) he began repairs in July. The terribly damaged section of the wall under the center window has been completely rebuilt and several other bad sections have also bee repaired. Repairs on the inside of the wall continue as will those to the boiler masonry inside.
After several rotted windows sills in Coach #8 were replaced during the June session, the railroad was able to set the car out again during the July session. Most of the remaining damaged window sills were replaced this session. Also the roofing patches that were started in June were continued, and all the seams in the metal roof were sealed and painted to match the car. This kind of preventative maintenance is critical to keeping the best preserved parts of the EBT in good shape.
A small crew also worked on repairing windows around the main entrance to the Machine Shop. During the May session opening and cleanup of the pair of windows west of the doors had been performed. It was found that repairs needed to be made to the wall before work on those windows could be completed. So, during this session the crew worked on the window east of the main doors and the small window above the doors. The work on the eastern window proved to be a boon for the generator room crew, as it provided them the access they needed to the generator room trim up against the window. The window above the door turned out to be hanging from the siding as the door header was gone. The window frame was removed and a new door header was constructed to fit the notches of the original. The frame was then reinstalled. The sashes for both windows were cleaned reglazed and reinstalled.
Our next session will be held on August 9 and 10, coinciding with Community Appreciation Day.
Masonry before work
Work on rehabilitating track 3 (the siding east of the main) continued in grand style. With about 45 ties laid in during the two previous sessions, the largest crew yet went great guns and excavated for 76 additional ties. 66 ties were loaded by hand from the tie pile and were hauled over on the track cart in four separate loads. All were set off, the old spike holes plugged and laid in for spiking. These ties will be nipped, gauged and spiked during the August session. The previously nipped ties will also be spiked.
A smaller crew worked on the finishing touches to the wood on the Generator Room after replacing the roof during the May session. The soffets were closed in and all trim boards were applied. Some damaged siding was replaced. The corner of the wing was jacked back into level during the June session.
On Sunday the entire crew started priming the entire north end of the Car Shop in preparation for painting during the August session. Once the ground level was primed, about six volunteers continued on the scaffolding, and virtually the entire job was done by noon. The wall looks much better in a single color rather than the several that resulted from repairs, siding patches and pressure washing. It will look even better in red after the August session.
A crew worked on further repairs to the Electrical Shop. The northwest corner of the building is formed by a lean-to which rested on wooden sills that had long since rotted away, causing a serious sag. The corner of the building was jacked up and treated ties were inserted for a new foundation. A large section of rotted floor was replaced, the door was squared and rehung, and extensive repairs were made to the siding on this part of the building (a mix of slab clapboard and board and batten.) At the next session, the siding and window repairs will be completed and the building will be power-washed preparatory to priming.
Our volunteer mason has been hard at work on the badly deteriorated Boiler House wall. After clearing out the ruined bricks in the wall prior to the June session (and leaving a gaping hole in the process) he began repairs in July. The terribly damaged section of the wall under the center window has been completely rebuilt and several other bad sections have also bee repaired. Repairs on the inside of the wall continue as will those to the boiler masonry inside.
After several rotted windows sills in Coach #8 were replaced during the June session, the railroad was able to set the car out again during the July session. Most of the remaining damaged window sills were replaced this session. Also the roofing patches that were started in June were continued, and all the seams in the metal roof were sealed and painted to match the car. This kind of preventative maintenance is critical to keeping the best preserved parts of the EBT in good shape.
A small crew also worked on repairing windows around the main entrance to the Machine Shop. During the May session opening and cleanup of the pair of windows west of the doors had been performed. It was found that repairs needed to be made to the wall before work on those windows could be completed. So, during this session the crew worked on the window east of the main doors and the small window above the doors. The work on the eastern window proved to be a boon for the generator room crew, as it provided them the access they needed to the generator room trim up against the window. The window above the door turned out to be hanging from the siding as the door header was gone. The window frame was removed and a new door header was constructed to fit the notches of the original. The frame was then reinstalled. The sashes for both windows were cleaned reglazed and reinstalled.
Our next session will be held on August 9 and 10, coinciding with Community Appreciation Day.
Masonry before work
Masonry after work
Work in progress on the Electrical Shop
Priming on the Car Shop
Dropping ties at track 3
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Friends of the East Broad Top | July 30, 2003 02:21PM |
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.