Work session update

As part of the second work session crew, I thought people might be interested in an update following roughly 60% of the second work session. As has already been mentioned, the turntable is gone from the yard and the foundation for the old coal trestle is once again visible. Also, Scenic's old busses are gone from the parking lot leaving more parking space. Most of the stuff has been removed from the roundhouse foundation (and as one wit pointed out, making room for a new accumulation of more stuff). Also the old worn out machine tools and other junk which used to clutter the area further north have also been moved.
As for where it's gone, most of the potentially useable or historically interesting stuff has been moved to the "swamp" east of the engine facility (where the sheep dip facility once was). In this location it is out of site to most passengers, although any who wander around the yards may see it. As Dan pointed out it is to some degree organized and where applicable, palletitized rather than a random heap of stuff. One truckload of scrap has been taken to Pueblo where it will be melted down, and there is probably another 1/2 - 1 truckload still lying around waiting to be picked up or cut up.
Other current projects include general gardening and beautification, however it's a bit early to determine the success of this project (the plants have to grow first " /> ). Also, the warehouse opposite the sand house has been renovated and is now available for use as a workshop. The load of crappy coal (which caused some measure of grief last year) has been utilized as fill in various places, thus freeing up the space it was occupying for more - um - flammable coal.
A lighting crew has been working on upgrading the lights at the engine house which should help the maintenance crews see what they're doing at night. Unfortunately, however this will probably reduce the photogenicity of the sites since there will be these big honking street lights sticking up from between the engines.
As for activity on the railroad, both engines 497 and 489 are under steam and are being test run. There are plans to take a couple of loads of gravel up the line to a soft spot near the NM CO border. Most of the engine work crew is in Antonito this week finishing up with 487 and they hope to fire it up later this week. 463 is pretty much together, needing only some spring and brake rigging work and the application of a few miscelaneious appurtenances. All told there is no reason to believe that there will be less than four engines under steam for opening day (463, 487, 489, and 497). At present the plans are to bring the Chama passenger coaches over from Antonito (where they spent the winter, being renovated) sometime next week.
Overall, the whole facility is looking better than it has in years, and the people working for the railroad again seem to have very positive attitudes for the season.